The Mandalorian's Grogu cost how much to make?!
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00:00As with any Star Wars project, worth its blue milk with such a monumental feat of cinematic television obviously comes with it a whole host of intriguing facts and secrets that make the end product as satisfying to digest as a frog lady's offspring. Too soon?
00:15Either way, I'm Gareth from WhatCultureStarWars and here are 10 mind-blowing facts you didn't know about The Mandalorian.
00:2210. Tusken Sign Language Was Created For The World
00:26When it comes to Disney Plus' corner of the galaxy far, far away in general, the treatment of the once terrifying and underdeveloped Tusken Raiders made for a rather refreshing change.
00:36Instead of being simply presented as the senseless villains occupying Tatooine as they had been in the previous few decades, the likes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett highlighted how there was truly more than meets the goggle when it comes to these native sand people.
00:49One of the most compelling developments when it came to the well-known Star Wars race, however, was the introduction of Tusken sign language in the first season of The Mandalorian.
00:58In order to gain safe passage across the desert, Mando converses with the Raiders using this distinct form of sign language.
01:05This stinks because it was actually designed specifically for the show and subsequent spin-off, with Troi Kotsa, the first deaf actor to win an acting Oscar, playing a major part in developing the language.
01:159. How The Fans Influenced Ahsoka Tarno's Casting
01:19The second it became clear that not only were fans finally set to be treated to a live-action iteration of the hugely popular Clone Wars and Rebels star Ahsoka Tarno,
01:28but that she was also going to be brought to life by none other than Rosario Bloody Dawson, the hype was understandably quite strong with this second season of The Mandalorian.
01:37Yet little did those passionate Ahsoka adorers know. Their dreams of seeing an actor of Dawson's caliber take up the reins expertly handled by Ashley Eckstein coming into Tarno's live-action debut actually caught the attention of none other than Dave Filoni himself when casting the part.
01:52In a conversation with Vanity Fair, Dawson would go on record to admit that her reaction to a fan casting her in the role eventually found its way onto the radar of someone who had been doing press for Star Wars.
02:02Said exchange was eventually passed on to Filoni, who would later reveal,
02:06That was the first time and I looked at Rosario and I thought, huh, yeah, I think maybe she would make a good Ahsoka.
02:12Sure enough, Filoni has been proven right and then some ever since.
02:158. No Green Screens Required
02:18Never exactly shy about attempting to pull off technological feats that few have ever dared to even try, the Star Wars franchise has seen countless pieces of innovation eventually influence the wider filmmaking sphere over the years.
02:31And not to be outdone by the groundbreaking CGI and effects that thoroughly changed the game on the big screen, The Mandalorian brought with it a piece of kit that holds the potential to completely alter modern filmmaking for the better.
02:42As revealed in the fourth episode of The Mandalorian's Disney Gallery title Technology, the volume is comprised of a number of gigantic video screens, and provided the likes of Jon Favreau with the tools to shoot epic otherworldly sequences from the comfort of an indoor studio.
02:58Said LED screens were able to be effectively manipulated in the moment, with the 3D background moving only within the camera's field of view, and boasts the ability to provide more realistic colours and reflect metallic surfaces more authentically.
03:10The tool has become so revolutionary, Mando episode directors Taika Waititi and Peyton Reed have also adopted it for use for their upcoming Thor Love and Thunder and Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantum Mania MCU projects, respectively.
03:237. A Plo Koon Swerve
03:25Keeping a secret under wraps in order to elicit a suitably jaw-dropping response is not exactly new for the Star Wars universe.
03:33But The Mandalorian Season 2's epic conclusion came with it perhaps even more secrecy than a certain Empire Strikes Back reveal.
03:40Completely omitting the name Luke Skywalker from the script, those shooting the emotionally charged sequence on the day were convinced that they were actually witnessing the stunning return of none other than Master Plo Koon.
03:51Thanks to the script including his name, concept art depicting the Jedi, and even a CGI rendering of Koon's head being placed on Luke in the now iconic scene.
03:59Always one step ahead, Dave Filoni was well aware that Die Hard were wise to Koon being his favourite Jedi.
04:05So assumed that any leaks surrounding the seemingly dead character arriving back on the scene would be accepted as fact, paving the way for the real zinger down the line.
04:14Even Peyton Reed was under the impression Klo was about to show.
04:17With the director sharing the sort of reaction the majority of fans would have had on the development of,
04:22Are you being serious right now? Is this real? You bringing the guy back? When he learned of the news.
04:27It wouldn't be a slice of galaxy far, far away goodness without a few cheeky star-studded cameos now, would it?
04:36More than filling their well-known talent quota over the course of the show's first two seasons,
04:41The Mandalorian has seen the likes of comedy stars Adam Pally and Jason Sudeikis stop by as cheaply kitted out stormtroopers in the first season.
04:48But that merely scratches the starry appearance surface as Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, was drafted in to voice droid bartender EV-99,
04:57John Leguizamo stops by as Gore Koresh, Richard Ayoade voices Zero,
05:01Hell, even Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau themselves rock up as New Republic pilot Trapperwolf,
05:07And another hulking Mandalorian, respectively.
05:09It's not hard to see why just about anyone who is anyone is in a rush to lend their vocal or physical talents to this much-adored world,
05:15Whether or not their cooperation is announced in advance or not.
05:19The question is, which famous faces or voices will be sneaking their way onto the small screen by the time Season 3 rolls around?
05:265. The Inspiration Behind Mando's Weapons
05:29An awful lot of time and effort went into finalising some of the exquisite detail on show over the course of Disney Plus' first real resounding TV success.
05:38And among the superbly crafted sets, costumes and spaceships are the unmistakable weapons utilised by some of the Mandalorian's major players.
05:47In particular, Din Djarin and many of the other characters on show's tools for getting the job done were said to have drew inspiration from World War II weapons.
05:54As prop master Josh Roth explained in the practical Disney Gallery episode,
05:59For the original trilogy, they rented surplus weapons from World War II and modified them.
06:04So, with the Mandalorian going down after said trilogy, the decision was wisely made to follow in their weaponised footsteps.
06:10This wasn't the only time the Mandalorian drew inspiration from prior Star Wars content either,
06:15As Mando's signature pulse blaster rifle was the result of Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni and the gang,
06:21Seeing the undoubtedly awesome weapon used by Boba Fett in 1978's Star Wars Holiday Special,
06:26And feeling it more than fit the bill for their leading gunslinger.
06:294. The Ins and Outs of The Mandalorian On Set
06:32It's time to focus a spotlight on precisely what went into making Din Djarin the masked space lone ranger we didn't know we needed on the set of The Mandalorian.
06:42Of course, the brilliant Pedro Pascal was tasked with being the literal face and voice of this titular Mandalorian.
06:47However, it wasn't simply a case of just suiting up the Game of Thrones and Narcos star,
06:51And strutting him out onto the volume every day.
06:54Instead, whenever the Beskar sporting badass was required to get particularly physical,
06:59One of two stunt people was substituted into his unmistakable outfit,
07:02Gun expert Brendan Wayne and hand-to-hand combat pro Lateef Crowder, depending on the sequence.
07:07In fact, Pascal's stunt doubles were so damn convincing that when the actor couldn't make it to set to shoot for episode 4 of the first season,
07:14Due to King Lear Broadway rehearsals, as you do,
07:17Set stunt performers took up the reins before Pascal later added his recorded lines in post.
07:22And as another interesting tidbit, Pascal also genuinely busted his head on a piece of plywood
07:27Before dramatically revealing his mug for the first time as Djarin in season 1.
07:31So some of the wounds seen in that moment are actually legit.
07:353. What goes into bringing Grogu to life?
07:38Sticking with the details behind what went into producing two of the most likable and engaging characters
07:43Star Wars has unleashed in recent times,
07:45And with a little green legend who quickly stole the heart of the entire galaxy.
07:49Opting instead to go back to basics and rely more heavily on practical effects
07:53And the more commonly used CGI tools seen in the majority of sci-fi projects today,
07:57Producing a realistic Grogu puppet for use on the set of The Mandalorian did not come cheap by any means.
08:03Coming in at a cool $5 million,
08:05There's a reason aforementioned one-time stormtrooper Adam Pally
08:09Was given a passive-aggressive dressing down by Jon Favreau,
08:12On the back of walloping baby Yoda a little too hard in one particular take.
08:16Taking a staggering four puppeteers to operate the lifelike lil' guy,
08:19One designated to his eyes, another his head and body, another his mouth and ears,
08:23And the last the other parts of his body and arms.
08:26Legendary director Werner Herzog even went out of his way to advise Deborah Chow
08:30To double down on committing to the puppet instead of using CGI.
08:34Such was his connection to the entirely convincing puppet.
08:372. Fan-made stormtrooper outfits were needed after they ran out
08:40A great many of those who confessed to be Star Wars diehards
08:44Will likely have already stumbled upon the 501st Legion.
08:47But for those not yet in the know, this fan-based organization comprised entirely of volunteers
08:52Specializes in the design and construction of entirely accurate replicas of famous Star Wars costumes.
08:58Vader's fist has lovingly been given a few nods in canon Star Wars lore over the years,
09:03Most notably in the Clone Wars animated series with the appearances of the 501st Clone Battalion,
09:08A unit serving under Anakin Skywalker and led by Captain Rex.
09:12So when the Mandalorians soon realized they'd underestimated just how many stormtrooper outfits
09:17They required over the course of shooting season 1,
09:19The 501st were dramatically called upon to save the day.
09:23A number of members of the Legion soon showed up to set,
09:26Fully kitted out in their own iconic white armor,
09:28And provided the necessary backup for the season's 7th and 8th episodes.
09:331. The Cost of Crafting
09:34Already evidenced in Jon Favreau's willingness to drop 5 million dollars of Disney's books
09:39On the creation of series megastar Grogu,
09:42The eventual eye-watering cost-per-episode numbers that would reveal themselves later down the road
09:46Suggest the producing of The Mandalorian was no penny-pinching exercise.
09:51Each entry in the 16-chapter tale was said to have cost around 15 million dollars to produce,
09:56Meaning that each of the first two seasons would have taken around 120 million dollars
10:00To fully commit to the screen.
10:02This is similar to the cost of each of the final Game of Thrones episodes,
10:06Again in the 50 million dollar ballpark,
10:08But utterly dwarfs that HBO show's first season numbers of just 6 million dollars per episode.
10:14This absolutely pales in comparison to Netflix's Stranger Things season 4 budget though,
10:19Reportedly 30 million dollars per episode,
10:22And Amazon Prime's upcoming reported investment of 462 million dollars
10:26On its first The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power season of Kiosk.
10:30But the likes of Favreau and Filoni likely won't be in too much of a rush
10:34To match those jaw-dropping production cost numbers,
10:36As long as their well-received small-screen Star Wars universe
10:39Continues to leave audiences clamoring for more.
10:42And that's our list,
10:43Do you have any other mind-blowing facts people didn't know about The Mandalorian?
10:46Let us know all about them in the comments section right down below,
10:49And do not forget to like, share, and go and click on that subscribe button if you like this kind of thing.
10:53Also, if you enjoyed this video, then head on over to whatculture.com
10:56Come and find some more incredible articles just like the one the video you're watching right now is based on.
11:00I have been Gareth from WhatCultureStarWars, may the 4th be with you,
11:03Thank you very much for watching this video today,
11:05And I'm sure I'll see you very, very soon.
11:07Bye-bye!