WAIT... GROGU IS WORTH HOW MUCH?!

Fans of The Mandalorian instantly fell in love with the cutesy charm of a creature they named Baby Yoda. While we all came to learn the character is neither a baby nor Yoda, we can’t stop having our hearts melt every time Grogu is on screen. Grogu’s adorable aesthetic can be attributed to the showrunners opting for a real-life puppet in favor of CGI.

While fans weren’t aware of Grogu’s name until The Mandalorian’s second season, many still don’t know the process of how he came to life. Grogu’s puppet was designed by Legacy Effects and had to be operated by two puppeteers. One would control his eyes and mouth while the other would handle additional facial expressions.

According to showrunner Jon Favreau, the cost to construct Grogu’s animatronic was upwards of $5 million. This makes Grogu worth almost five times that of one of the most powerful gangsters in all of Star Wars lore, Jabba the Hutt. Regardless of what it cost to bring Grogu to our screens, I’m sure we all can agree that the masterful work of the show’s puppeteers make Grogu a priceless addition to the Star Wars universe.

Audiences were not the only ones captivated by Grogu. Legendary director Werner Herzog’s amazement with the animatronic puppet is on record during an interview with Variety. Herzog says, “It’s a phenomenal technological achievement but, beyond the technological achievement, it’s heartbreaking.” One of the directors for the series, Deborah Chow recalled how Herzog “had forgotten it wasn’t actually a live creature, and started sort of...directing the baby.”

Herzog is best known for his exquisite documentaries and haunting set of pipes. However, he was a perfect casting for the role of the Client in the first season of The Mandalorian. Additionally, he was one of the most vocal when it came to not replacing Grogu’s puppet with CGI. While playing the Client, Herzog had the pleasure of acting alongside the puppet. According to Variety, showrunners wanted to do another take with a CGI version substituted in just in case the animatronic wasn’t convincing enough on screen. Seeing what was happening, Herzog called out all involved saying, “you are all cowards” and that they should “leave it.”

Herzog believed Grogu’s puppet “looked absolutely convincing” and was a “technological achievement” that would make audiences “cry when [they] saw it.” I believe we all can agree Herzog was right, and the choice to use a puppet more often than CGI was the perfect call that spawned a new fascination with the Star Wars franchise.

Famed actor and movie heartthrob, Pedro Pascal, has done a masterful job creating depth to a character who barely shows their face. However, this part of the Mandalorian creed has proven beneficial. Being an in-demand actor can certainly cause a variety of scheduling conflicts, and this is precisely what happened while Pascal was filming the series.

There are several moments in the series where showrunners had to have one of Pascal’s stunt doubles don the beskar armor while the actor was fulfilling other obligations. Moreover, Pascal doesn’t physically appear in a single shot of the fourth episode, “Sanctuary.” He would later provide voiceover for the episode. The simpatico relationship between Pascal and his doubles uplifts the character and proves that dedication to one’s craft fosters thoughtful art.

Speaking of Pedro Pascal’s body doubles, one such actor to dawn the Mandalorian helmet is Brendan Wayne. If the last name rings a bell, that’s because he is the grandson of famed cowboy and all around tough guy, John Wayne.

Wayne has been in the movie industry since 2001 and a body double for Pedro Pascal since the start of the series. Their chemistry and collective understanding of what makes Din Djarin special has kept fans invested for the last three seasons and notso-patiently awaiting the fourth.

Oscar award winner, Troy Kotsur, assisted in creating the sign language used by the Tusken raiders in the series. He revealed in an interview with The Daily Moth that he wanted to avoid American Sign Language to create something “based on [the Tusken] culture and environment.” Kotsur revealed the various forms of sign language are reflective of the needs and environment of its creators. This led him to seek creating a sign language individual to the Tusken nomads.

Kotsur studied the lore of the nomads and used what he learned to assist in his choices for their language. This is what led to their sign for Mandalorian. The sign is based on their helmet and name. As one of the creators of the Tusken sign language, it was only right that Kotsur got to play one of the nomads as well. The actor played an unnamed Tusken in chapter five of the first season of The Mandalorian. Kotsur says it was a dream come true as he dreamed of being part of the Star Wars universe since he was a child.

SOMETIMES, EVEN A JEDI NEEDS TO USE AN ALIAS

The Mandalorian is packed to the brim with fan-favorite and iconic Star Wars characters. Keeping every character cameo a secret is an impossible task in the era of the internet. However, director and producer, Dave Filoni, was able to do exactly that with a surprise appearance from the OG hero of the Star Wars trilogy. In the final episode of season two, fans were in awe when a famed Jedi pulled back his hood to reveal himself as none other than Obi-Wan and Yoda protege, Luke Skywalker. How could a reveal like this not be spoiled by the power of curiosity found on the internet?

Filoni omitted Luke Skywalker’s name from the script. In its place was the producer’s favorite Jedi, Master Plo Koon. Filoni figured any spoilers would include Koon’s name leading fans off the trail of the true reveal. Additionally, Filoni substituted Skywalker with Koon in concept art for the episode. He went so far as to have a CGI rendering of Master Koon’s head placed on Luke’s body in the iconic scene.

Even the actors taking part in this masterful reveal had no clue what they were in for and assumed they were to be greeted by Master Koon. Moreover, the director of the episode, Peyton Reed, also believed Koon was to be in the scene. The director reacted similarly as fans when he learned that Luke Skywalker would be the one to reveal themselves in the final episode of season two.

What happens when a show that costs $15 million per episode to make runs out of Stormtrooper costumes? Use CGI? Some other kind of movie magic? No. You hire diehard fans who own their own equipment. Showrunners Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni contacted the local chapter of the 501st Legion to assist with their costume woes. The worldwide, fan-operated organization specializes in costuming for the Star Wars franchise and were the perfect outfit to save the seventh and eighth chapter of The Mandalorian series. Their screen accurate replicas coupled with their admiration for the franchise paid off dividends. Not only were they able to lend their

Stormtrooper apparel to the show but were also cast as extras in the episodes.

This next entry may not come as a surprise to the uber Star Wars fan, but for the rest of us, this is shocking stuff. During Grogu’s flashback to Order 66, one particular Jedi is provided the limelight when they bring the Child to safety: Kelleran Beq. If you are unfamiliar with this character, you’d be forgiven as many Star Wars fans may not be aware of this particular Jedi.

Kelleran Beq’s first appearance came from serving as the host of Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge, a kid’s game show airing on the StarWarsKids website. Beq was Grogu’s teacher and saved him during the Siege of the Jedi Temple. He came to be known as “The Sabered Hand” during his time as a Padowan.

However, the actor who plays Kelleran Beq, Ahmed Best, went by a different name in the Star Wars universe before taking on the role of a Jedi master. Fans and haters of the prequels will know Best for his role as the most controversial Gungan, Jar Jar Binks. The role of Jar Jar greatly affected Best in a negative way according to the actor. It’s great to see The Mandalorian showrunners give him a new place in Star Wars lore and as a Jedi, no less.

Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni first met one another at Star Wars creator George Lucas’ ranch. Favreau was mixing Marvel’s first Iron Man movie at Skywalker Ranch while Filoni was working with Lucas on developing The Clone Wars. The showrunners shared their work with one another which eventually led Filoni to cast Favreau as Mandalorian, Pre Vizsla, in The Clone Wars.

Ten years prior to working together on The Mandalorian, Favreau and Filoni would talk Star Wars at Skywalker Ranch. If ever there were an example of fate playing out in real time, we are witnessing it with each season of the Disney+ original.

Part of the movie making process involves drawing storyboards to visualize the scenes that will take place. The talented artists along with their works of art are not often witnessed by the general public. However, showrunner Jon Favreau changed all that when he decided to include images of the concept art during the end credits of each episode of The Mandalorian.

Artists such as Doug Chiang, Jama Jurabaev, John Park, Christian Alzmann, Ryan Church, Nick Gindraux and others have their work on display at the end of every show. The concept art has also been officially released online without the credits laid over it. Fans can pick from a large number of pieces to set as their wallpaper, but we’ll have to wait for a release of the official concept art hardcover these masterpieces deserve.

BY MATTHEW TIMPANELLI