The new streaming service Disney+ debuts this week, offering a mix of original reality, documentary and scripted series — as well as its vast catalog of classics (“Mary Poppins”), groundbreaking animated movies (“Fantasia”) and family-friendly comedies (“Freaky Friday”).
The new entry everyone has their eyes on is “The Mandalorian,” the first live-action “Star Wars” series that reportedly cost $100 million to produce. The story takes place five years after the fall of the Empire as described in the 1983 film “Return of the Jedi.” We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter played by Pedro Pascal (“Game of Thrones”) and meet other characters new to the “Star Wars” universe.
At a wide-ranging press conference at LA’s London Hotel that offered a 27-minute preview of the series, creator Jon Favreau, director Dave Filoni, Pascal and his co-stars Carl Weathers (cast as Greef Carga, the leader of a bounty hunter guild) and Gina Carano (who plays Cara Dune, a former rebel trooper), talked about their new show, which will air its first and second episodes Tuesday and Friday.
Why is “The Mandalorian” well-suited to a TV series?
Dave Filoni: As a kid, you watched “Star Wars” and you think, “I would watch this every week.” I remember when “Star [Trek]: the Next Generation” came out and the promise of better visual effects on TV and it took big leaps. We can make something like [this show] because technology has advanced.
When did it hit you that you were a citizen of the “Star Wars” universe?
Pedro Pascal: When I put the helmet on, which they had handy at our first meeting, to see if it would fit. It fit perfectly. And trying the costume on and looking in the mirror. You can’t see very well through the helmet, but I got a pretty clear impression. If you grow up playing with “Star Wars” toys and seeing the movies, and then you’re staring at yourself, and you are the image of that childhood imagination, it’s a super “pinch-me” moment.
Carl Weathers: [Jon Favreau] started telling me basically what this show was and a little about this character, and it’s like, “Are you kidding me? I’m working on something that Disney is behind? And I’m working on a ‘Star Wars’ kind of invention?” We’re in really good hands.
The footage we’ve seen today suggests that the Mandalorian never takes off his helmet. Will he?
Favreau: Do you really want to know? We’re wrapping Christmas presents. You really want to come in that room?
Pascal: The real question is: Do we ever take off our masks?
So how much time do you spend in your costume versus your stunt double?
Pascal: Stunt doubles are essential to every large production, even for the strongest people or [most] agile ones. I’ve seen some pretty big s- -t and I haven’t seen anything like this. And so yeah, there are stunts, thank God. Doubles.
Weathers: I do my own stunts.
Pascal: Really?
Weathers: I have never in all my years had a stunt person do anything you’ve seen me do. Take that to the bank.
Gina Carano: I did not want to see anybody else in this Cara costume. I was like, “Is she running? OK, I’ll run.” I hated anybody who was in this costume. I didn’t want to share at all.
Pascal: I’m a bit more generous.
