'The Mandalorian' Won't Require Previous 'Star Wars' Knowledge To Be Enjoyed, But Will Still Reward Lifelong Fans

During the big Disney+ presentation today, showrunner Jon Favreau dropped some vague but exciting info of the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian. The filmmaker promised the show would be both cutting-edge and old school at the same time. And perhaps most interesting of all, Favreau assured potential viewers that they could step into the series without any previous Star Wars knowledge.

As announced during the presentation, shooting on The Mandolorian has finished. When Kathleen Kennedy asked what he was doing now, the filmmaker replied that he was "trying to make it look like Star Wars" with the addition of special effects, all in the name of making an eight-episode continuous story.

"Everybody working on the show is a fan," Favreau said, "so we're putting together something that we want to see. Because of the new characters in the new time period, it's a great way to bring new fans in, because [the show doesn't have] characters that you have to know, there's no history that's demanded for you to step in and know what it's about."

At the same time, the show will reward lifelong fans with stuff just for them.

As for the technology on use here, Favreau said he loved how George Lucas would combine old mythic stories with cutting-edge technology, and that's what he's going for here. He's using virtual technology and game engine technology to render effects. Also puppetry, in-camera effects, and more old-school effects. To sum it all up, Favreau closed with: "It's hard to explain it." The good news: we'll be able to see The Mandalorian the minute Disney+ launches, as it will be available on the service immediately.