Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: The Mandalorian

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: What to Expect from Season Two

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’: What to Expect from Season Two

    This is the way.

    The live-action Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, is set to make its way back to our small screens on October 30th, streaming exclusively on Disney+. The hit series stars Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, Gina Carino as Cara Dune, Carl Weathers as Greef Karga, and of course, the star of the show, Baby Yoda aka the Child. As of now, the plot synopsis for the show sets up The Mandalorian and the Child as they “continue their journey, facing enemies and rallying allies as they make their way through a dangerous galaxy in the tumultuous era after the collapse of the Galactic Empire.” However, very little is known about this upcoming season outside of what has been shown in the trailers. Even they’re pretty vague, but that doesn’t stop someone like me from putting the pieces together and trying to fill in the blanks. And that’s what this article aims to achieve. So let’s get right into what we can expect from season two of The Mandalorian.

     

    (Left to right) Gina Carano is Cara Dune, Pedro Pascal is Din Djarin and Carl Weathers is Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, season two.

     

    “I’ve been quested to bring this one back to its kind.”

    Now, we know from the last episode of The Mandalorian in Season One that The Armorer tasked Din Djarin on the quest to lead the Child back to its kind; “a race of enemy sorcerers” known as the Jedi. As we know, most of the Jedi were killed after Order 66, and the only Jedi technically remaining in this point in time, which would be after the events of Return of the Jedi, would be Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Ahsoka Tano. Now, obviously, we’re most likely not going to see the Skywalkers on this side of the galaxy anytime soon, so my best bet would be on Mando trying to locate Ahsoka Tano, who we know will be appearing in the series and be portrayed by Rosario Dawson. 

     

     

    In Star Wars lore, the last time we saw Ahsoka was at the very end of Star Wars: Rebels, where she was waiting for Sabine Wren to go and locate the missing Jedi, Ezra Bridger, who sacrificed himself at the end of the show to save his crew and friends from Admiral Thrawn and the Empire. Now, we don’t know exactly if Ahsoka and Sabine were able to locate Ezra, but we might get an update on that in the show. But back to the matter at hand, if the Mandalorian is indeed setting up a meeting between Din Djarin and Ahsoka Tano, then he would have to find her, mainly since most of the galaxy believes her to be dead (See: The Twilight of the Apprentice from Star Wars Rebels). But the galaxy is a very big place, so where would she be? Here’s where it gets interesting.

     

    “If I can locate other Mandalorians, they can guide me.”

     

    We know that Katee Sackhoff is set to reprise her role as Bo-Katan and Temuera Morrison will make his return to the Star Wars universe portraying the first on-screen Mandalorian; Boba Fett. We can also assume that if Ahsoka Tano is set to appear in the show, then chances are we might see Sabine Wren appear as well on the show, possibly played by Sasha Banks, who was cast in the show in an unknown role but was seen in the trailer for The Mandalorian Season Two wearing a Mandalorian style cloak.

     

     

    Now in the recent special look, we know that Din Djarin will try to locate other Mandalorians who can possibly lead him to Ahsoka Tano. Perhaps he knows of a Mandalorian who was seen traveling with a Jedi. And this could lead him on an adventure where it focuses on him trying to find the other Mandalorians from the saga of Star Wars. That’s would explain why we’re headed to Tatooine for this season. That’s where we will see him encounter Boba Fett. He’ll also be looking for Bo Katan in the series, who was last seen in Star Wars Rebels on Mandalore wielding the Darksaber, which we now know its in Moff Gideon’s possession from the last episode of the Mandalorian, so we might know what happened with her and the rest of the Mandalorians after the Great Purge of Mandalore. She might guide Din to Sabine Wren, who will guide him to Ahsoka. This is how I see the show playing out, but not without some Imperial resistance along the way.

     

    “For The Empire”

     

    We know that Giancarlo Esposito is set to return as Moff Gideon for this season and he will be the main over-arching villain of this show as he is very interested in acquiring The Child for the Empire. And we know from the last episode of The Mandalorian in Season One that he has the Darksaber in his possession. The actor has explained that Moff Gideon’s past is linked to how he acquired the Darksaber. So chances are, we might see Moff Gideon in the past during the events of the Great Purge in Mandalore, while exploring the depth of this character even more. But of course, Din Djarin is ready to step up to the challenge and his allies are not too far behind.

     

    SEASON TWO OF THE MANDALORIAN PREMIERES ON OCTOBER 30TH ON DISNEY+.

  • New ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season 2 Exclusive Look

    New ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season 2 Exclusive Look

    There’s brand new The Mandalorian footage out, as the marketing campaign for the hit Disney+ series enters its final stretch ahead of the October 30 premiere date.

    This season we’ll reunite with some familiar faces such as Cara Dune, Greef Karga, and Moff Gideon, introduce live-action Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren, as well as welcome Boba Fett back to the live-action Star Wars universe.

    This past September saw the release of the long-awaited first trailer and in the last few weeks we got a couple of TV spots as well as a few promotional stills. Now, with just eleven days until October 30, it won’t be long until we find out what’s next in the adventures of Din Djarin and The Child, aka Baby Yoda, as they seek new information about both the infant’s rightful home and an order of sorcerers called.. the Jedi. 

    You can find out more info on the show’s Season 2 right here.

  • ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season 2 Trailer Arrives

    ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season 2 Trailer Arrives

    The first season of Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian brought us smaller scale stories in the world of Star Wars. But that’s all about to change. Season 2 is bringing us the first live-action appearance of fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano, the return of Boba Fett, as well as the introduction of several other characters coming in from the novels and animated projects, making the adventures of Din Djarin, aka The Mandalorian, a bit more crowded.

    And finally, after the release of several pictures, we’ve now got our first glimpse at some footage from Season 2, with the debut of the long-awaited trailer.

    Many have stated that the future of Star Wars should be in streaming shows, and season 2 of The Mandalorian may prove to be the springboard that helps launch several other live-action series whose protagonists will initially be introduced to audiences starting this October 30th only Disney+, when The Mandalorian season 2 is set to premiere.

  • ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ to Utilize “The Volume” Virtual Production System

    ‘THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER’ to Utilize “The Volume” Virtual Production System

    Taika Waititi got a taste of it while directing an episode of Season 1 of The Mandalorian and now he’s come back for seconds. When filming on Thor 4 kicks off at Fox Studios Australia, Waititi will have access to the LED virtual production service known as “The Volume.” After being designed, pioneered and piloted at Disney’s Manhattan Beach Studios by Jon Favreau for use on The Mandalorian, the transformative technology will be replicated (and almost certainly improved upon) by ILM at Fox Studios Australia and Pinewood UK in addition to a second set up being built in Manhattan Beach.

    Making of „Star Wars: The Mandalorian“: Der Einsatz von Virtual Sets - Green Screen war gestern - seriesly AWESOME

    The technology is a game changer for movie studios as it allows them to create incredibly realistic, immersive and responsive sets on location. Using hundreds (maybe thousands now?) of LED screens and a game engine, the VFX setting changes with the movement of the cameras and allows for the virtual creation of locations without green screen technology, greatly speeding up the filming process by cutting out the time needed to replace the green screen. The idea came to Favreau after working on live-action versions of The Jungle Book and Lion King, but truly originated in the mind of George Lucas who once imagined visual effects so detailed that he could film a movie from his garage. Now Lucas’ idea has come to life as one set can be transformed into location. It appears that the Pinewood “Volume” will be up and running in February 2021 and that the one being designed for Fox Studios Australia is a larger, custom version of the original that has yet to be built. Production on Thor: Love and Thunder is expected to begin early next year ahead of a February 11, 2022 release.

     

    Source: THR

  • First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Second Season

    First Look at ‘The Mandalorian’ Second Season

    The Mandalorian was the show that kicked-off Disney+ last year. It was a worldwide hit even though most countries didn’t have access to the streaming service until much later. The Star Wars series was their first foray into live-action long-term storytelling. It paid off, as the world was in love with Baby Yoda. The show even earned 15 Emmy nominations. So, the only question on everyone’s mind was when we could expect the second season. Everything was being delayed, so some worried this show would also be affected. Almost a week ago, our worries were undone as the second season was announced to release at the end of October 30th. Now, Entertainment Weekly also offered some first pictures teasing what we can expect from the upcoming season.

    As you can see, the main cast is all back. Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, and Giancarlo Esposito are all returning to reprise their roles to join Pedro Pascal‘s Mandalorian. We still don#t know how exactly the story will unfold but it is safe to assume that Esposito‘s Moff Gideon is on the hunt for the Child. So far, no new cast members have been confirmed and it seems they are keeping this close to the chest. We might finally get some kind of reveal when the first trailer is released. With these official shots from the film, it is likely we might get our first trailer in the coming weeks.

    Jon Favreau also confirmed in an interview that this season will open up the world around Mando. It will be less isolated but they still want each episode to bring something different to the table. He also points out that this season might not just focus on the titular character but branch out similar to Game of Thrones. Moff Gideon would certainly be an intriguing character to explore, as we find out how he got his hands on the infamous Dark Saber. The actor did confirm he will get to use it throughout the season. Favreau also confirmed that they worked remotely and adapted tot the current environment to ensure everyone’s safety. Long-time Star Wars writer and director Dave Filoni had the perfect quote for their approach to this season.

    You want The Empire Strikes Back to be better than A New Hope.

    Source: EW

  • Kathleen Kennedy Talks ‘Star Wars’ Future

    Kathleen Kennedy Talks ‘Star Wars’ Future

    Star Wars’ journey has been quite turbulent. It has established its place in animation through shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels. Then founder George Lucas sold the company to Disney. They tried to kickstart a new trilogy. that explores the galaxy far far away after the events of Return of the Jedi. After the last entry of the new trilogy, Rise of Skywalker, was released to a mixed reception, they decided to take a step back to re-evaluate their next move. Everyone was waiting to find out what the future would hold. The franchise has started expanding more into long-term storytelling, especially after its success with The Mandalorian on Disney+ and many other shows in the pipeline.

    According to the President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy, they are still planning out how they will move forward. She highlighted that they want to try and expore the 25,000 years of history in this universe. They are also not trying to be bound by one medium, as they expand their projects into books and games. Their goal is to continue what George Lucas started. One interesting thing to note is that she did point out in her interview with The Wrap:

    “That’s what we’ve been doing, and we’ve been having a great deal of fun doing it, and meeting with lots of different filmmakers and talent. There’s so many fans out there and so many filmmakers that have been influenced by Star Wars for so long that it’s a fantastic opportunity to get a sense of who wants to be a part of this. So that’s what we’ve been doing.”

    So far, we know that a film is in development with Taika Waititi, who also direct episodes on The Mandalorian. We are still anxious to find out what kind of story he will tell in the Star Wars universe. This also means that we might get more standalone films moving forward. There were rumblings of them potentially exploring the Old Republic to take a unique look at Jedi history. She also highlighted that TV will be an integral part for the franchise’s future.

    “I do. And I’ve already seen evidence of it. The ability to be very character-driven, with extended storytelling and connected storytelling, I think this space offers us a great opportunity to do that.”

    It’s an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. There are a lot of stories to explore in the galaxy far far away. Kennedy‘s last statement also fits their current approach to the brand. We’ve mainly heard many various shows being announced, like the untitled Cassian Andor and Obi-Wan Kenobi shows. They also created a spin-off from The Clone Wars titled The Bad Batch. One thing is for sure, we won’t be running out of Star Wars content anytime soon.

    Source: The Wrap via Comic Book

  • COVID-19 Restrictions Unlikely to Delay Season 3 of ‘THE MANDALORIAN’

    COVID-19 Restrictions Unlikely to Delay Season 3 of ‘THE MANDALORIAN’

    Amid the turmoil most production companies are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing the implementation of health and safety guidelines might lead to is an increase in the number of entertainment projects set underwater or in outer space (or in any other setting where a protective suit and helmet would be mandatory, really), making for settings where cast and crew would inherently be a bit more safeguarded. A similar security blanket, unique to the show, will likely also ensure that the production of the third season of The Mandalorian will remain largely unaffected and on schedule. 

    As Murphy’s Multiverse referenced a couple of months ago the groundbreaking technology used in the making of Star Wars’ first live-action tv series could be of great use during these trying times for the entertainment industry. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, when asked about the challenges that the show might have to face when the time comes to shoot season 3, executive producer Jon Favreau had this to say:

     

    The fact that the set is much more contained is a benefit, because you can limit the number of people. A lot of the people controlling it are doing it remotely from what we call the Brain Bar, which is a bank of gaming computers, essentially. The amount of people near the camera could be much smaller than [usual]. We also shoot a lot outside, which is helpful, too. We build to a moment in filming more like an animated production, where we have a lot of storyboards, a lot of discussions and scouting in virtual reality. We use cinematic tools in VR much the same way we did for The Lion King and The Jungle Book. A lot of times the actors you are seeing on the screen aren’t actually there on set.

     

    So being, “The Volume” (the name given to the soundstage where most of The Mandalorian is shot) proves to be ahead of its time, in more ways than one. It was initially conceived as a way to streamline the shooting of a show that involves a whole lot of VFX and off-world locations, and the ability to change environments at the click of a button revealed itself to be tremendously effective, making it a winning play for Lucasfilm as the show’s tremendous reception reflected. It has also demonstrated that having such a tool that allows to reduce location shooting while creating a protective bubble around cast and crew alike is surely invaluable in today’s landscape, especially at a time when the limitations productions are facing are still far too many and most are playing catch-up, trying to understand what crews can and cannot do with the current health concerns.

     

     

  • Disney Plus ‘OBI-WAN’ Series to Use Revolutionary ‘MANDALORIAN’ Tech

    Disney Plus ‘OBI-WAN’ Series to Use Revolutionary ‘MANDALORIAN’ Tech

    When Ewan McGregor went on stage on August 23 2019 at D23 the excitement was palpable. Everybody knew what was coming and his announcement that he would indeed get to play Obi-Wan Kenobi once again meant one of the best aspects of the Star Wars prequel trilogy was back.

    In a recent interview with ACE Universe he shared that same enthusiasm while telling us that the technology the show’s production team will have at their disposal plays a big part in that. This technology while not brand new, hasn’t been around for a long time. The Mandalorian was the first production to use it in it’s first two seasons and they haven’t been shy about it.

    If you got to watch The Mandalorian‘s first season on Disney+ you should really check out Disney Gallery: Star Wars: The Mandalorian, another Disney+ 8-episode mini-series that airs it’s final episode this Friday. It takes us behind the scenes with both the directors and the cast of the show, while also focusing on the production side of things, the score by Academy Award winner Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther), Star Wars’ legacy and a few more interesting topics.

    But the episode that perhaps resonated with most people was episode 4 titled “Technology.” It’s perhaps the closest Star Wars has gotten us, in the past few years, to the feeling many had back in 1977 when it’s special-effects innovations changed Hollywood forever.

    Episode 4 introduced us to what production called “The Volume.” It’s basically a soundstage surrounded by giant LED walls that are used to project photorealistic virtual environments, that Industrial Light & Magic developed alongside Epic Games. It turned out to be something that George Lucas toyed with 40 years ago but that proved to be a little too much for that era’s technological capabilities.

    From an actor’s standpoint, and as Ewan says:

    The prequels were all blue screen and green screen and it was hard to imagine, but nowadays I think things have moved on so much, and I think a lot of what you see is gonna be what we see on the set. I don’t know if you’ve seen the behind-the-scenes of The Mandalorian series, but they employ that incredible screen, it’s pretty amazing. It makes you feel like you’re in the place, it’s going to feel more real for us, as actors. And I think we’ll be using some of that technology on our show.

    By removing green screens form the equation, actors are now reacting to something that isn’t inside their head but right in front of their faces. They are now able to correctly adapt their performances to it, and obviously, every actor in the same scene will now have the same reference points, allowing for a more coordinated response from everybody. It’s not a cheap option, but by eliminating expensive on-location shootings, and fast-tracking production in more ways than one, its benefits aren’t anything to sneeze at.

    Another side of this is the fact that, by making it possible to shoot so many environments indoors, it allows for more secretive projects to remain as such. Star Wars and Marvel projects, that always like to leave audiences mostly unspoiled, can now avoid random set photos that disclose both minor and major plot points, and even characters’appearances, from appearing online without their approval.

    Also, with the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting so many productions and studios looking into ways on how to better protect their crews and acting talent, this might just be a way of making sure sets are a bit more impervious to outside contact. You shouldn’t put it past Disney to decide to shoot as many projects as possible using this technology in the coming months.

    For a more in-depth look into The Volume, check out this article by Epic Games

    You can catch the entire ACE Universe interview right here, on their Youtube channel.

  • Star Wars Celebration 2020 Canceled, Will Return in 2022

    Star Wars Celebration 2020 Canceled, Will Return in 2022

    Let’s face it. This time we all had a bad feeling about it. This summer’s Star Wars Celebration 2020 is now officially canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and fans from all over the world will now have to wait another two years to get together in what has become a shining beacon of Star Wars fandom.

    At Star Wars Celebration, the health and safety of our fans, attendees, exhibitors, guests and staff is always our number one priority. Due to the global impact of the COVID-19 virus (…) we have made the decision to cancel Star Wars celebration for 2020.

    While this news is disappointing. we are happy to announce that Star Wars Celebration will return to the Anaheim Convention Center on August 18-21, 2022

    There are still a lot of variables concerning how the pandemic will evolve in the coming months, but we have now reached a point where August is just around the corner and with uncertainty being the only certainty, decisions had to be made, and common sense seems to have prevailed.

    Since Disney took over the franchise, every Star Wars Celebration event held in the US has been used to promote a major theatrical release. This year that wouldn’t be the case, but there would still be a lot to look forward to, with a special focus on the 40th anniversary of what many consider to be the best movie of the entire Star Wars Saga, Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. As in 2017 in Orlando (the 40th anniversary of Episode IV – A New Hope) and 2019 in Chicago (the 20th anniversary of Episode I – The Phantom Menace), fans would have been able to attend special panels and events highlighting another Star Wars milestone’s legacy. We would also probably get new information regarding season 2 of The Mandalorian since it’s already finished filming and, with post-production being able to move forward despite the current film and television shutdowns, there’s no reason to think it won’t keep it’s October 2020 premiere date.

    Ahsoka Tano—A Star Wars Oral History | Vanity Fair

    Rescheduling Star Wars Celebration to 2021, and even though new live-action streaming projects (focusing on Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, and a few others) will likely emerge and there will be new footage to be shown and new announcements to be made, would leave a bit of a void on what concerns the theatrical side of the franchise. By deciding to return only in 2022 Disney will be able to focus on the project they have scheduled to release in theaters on December 16th, 2022. This means they are all but setting that date in stone, and even though we still know very little about that specific project the commitment to have a new Star Wars movie out by then seems to have been definitively made.

    This shouldn’t have been an absolute certainty since it’s likely that the domino effect started this spring, with the rescheduling of so many movies, will probably have repercussions for a few years and if there was a time to postpone any given project without major backlash it would be now. By not doing so Disney is showing us is that they’re confident in what they have planned out for the big screen beyond the Skywalker Saga.

  • What I Heard This Week: ‘THE MANDALORIAN’ Season 2 Gets a New MCU Director

    Every now and then I come across some information the veracity of which can be confirmed by a second source. What happens FAR more often is that I come across some information that while believable and from trustworthy sources, cannot be confirmed by other sources for various reasons. Typically, when the second scenario occurs, I move on and forget about the information unless, in rare instances, it turns out to be proven true somewhere down the road. For instance, on February 19th, I wrote this piece relaying some rumors I’d heard about Marvel Studios updating its Disney Plus slate; the next day, the news broke that a special Disney Plus event would be held in London on March 5th where it is expected that Marvel Studios and Star Wars slates will be updated.

    It’s not very often something Star Wars related comes my way. There are several incredible Star Wars sites out there that do a great job covering the news and breaking it themselves, so I’m very excited to share this information with you. Before I share the information, I have to stress that as of now, this information is unconfirmed which, in my case, means I was unable to corroborate the information with a second source. However, this information came from a source who provided accurate information in the past (about a Marvel Studios project), so while I am wholly inclined to believe the source, I want to be up front with readers about the scenario. That having been said, here you go: Peyton Reed is set to direct 2 episodes of the second season of the Disney Plus streaming series, The Mandalorian and Taikia Waititi is once again contributing to the series!

    Fans of the series will recall that in addition to voicing the rewired bounty hunting droid, IG-11, in season 1 of The Mandalorian, Waititi also directed the finale, bringing his signature wit to the series. While it is unclear whether or not Waititi will be directing an episode, helping to produce or coming back to voice another character, the message was clear: he’s been working with show runner Jon Favreau on the second season.

    For Reed’s part, the seeds for his potential involvement may go as far back as November of 2018 when he, along with Waititi and Joe and Anthony Russo visited Favreau on the set during production of the shows’ first season, pictured below.

    Image result for peyton reed mandalorian set

    Favreau and Reed have a working relationship dating as far back as 2006 when the former co-starred in Reed’s comedy, The Break-Up, and have certainly had a chance to exchange notes given their ongoing relationships with Marvel Studios. Last season, 3 directors (Deborah Chow, Rick Famuywia and Dave Filoni) helmed two shows each, so it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that Reed could fit into that same mold.

    This news comes at a time when James Mangold publicly denied that he’d be involved with the show after a recent rumor surfaced, so it’s a scary time to put this out there. However, with Disney Plus holding an launch event this Thursday in the UK (as I first reported here) where they are expected to make some announcements and update the slates for their major properties, it was time to share this info.