Posted in: Disney+, Movies, Preview, Star Wars, TV | Tagged: disney plus, Grogu, lucasfilm, star wars, The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian & Grogu Production Nets Big California Tax Incentive

Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Lucasfilm's The Mandalorian & Grogu has secured a huge production tax incentive from The State of California.

Earlier this month, the word came down that Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy's The Mandalorian & Grogu would be hitting screens in 2026 (possibly May 22, 2026, or December 18, 2026?). Now, we're getting an update on where filming (expected to kick off later this year) will take place – and a very large reason why it's happening there. Earlier today, the California Film Commission confirmed that The Mandalorian & Grogu was one of 15 films to lock in an estimated $61 million in 2024 production tax incentives through the state's Film and Television Tax Credit Program. The commission noted that the Lucasfilm project was the biggest-budget film to ever meet the requirements for the tax program (with The Mandalorian & Grogu estimated to generate $166M in spending in the state).

The Mandalorian & Grogu: Favreau & Filoni's 2023 Thoughts

During an interview with Empire, Filoni discussed what fans can expect from the film, the need to go big when moving to the big screen, and planting the seeds for some defining moments. Here's a look at some of the highlights:

Will the Film Wrap-Up Storylines or Have Its Own Story? "The way I look at it, there are [small] stories, and then there's the big story of the day, too. 'A New Hope,' 'Empire,' and 'Return Of The Jedi' tell the important parts of the tale that really define the history of the period. There are all kinds of sub-stories underneath that. We've been building all these small stories."

Moving to The Big Screen Means "Defining Moments" Are A Must: "To me, a theatrical experience has to have a big idea – a monumental moment in the time period that changes what's happening. What Tony [Gilroy] has done [in Andor] and what we did in 'Rebels,' everything then changes when Luke blows up the Death Star. You're looking for those moments that define an era, and that's what the films really should be about – whether it's characters coming together or a defining moment."

Filoni's Been Leaving Clues to What's to Come "Across Different Mediums" for Some Time: "There are little things along the way that I've built across different mediums, all in preparation for things that come later."

Based on what Favreau had to share during EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast, fans of the expanded "Star Wars" universe (comic books, novels, video games, etc.) might also have some familiar faces to look forward to seeing on the big screen, too. In the following highlights, Favreau explains why he and Filoni are interested in looking beyond the films & series, the importance of tapping into their "inner child" when mapping out the film, and how every decision about a character needs to serve the story – and not vice-versa.

Favreau Grew Up with Expanded "Star Wars" Universe: "When I was younger, we didn't have movies, but there were comic books, there were novels, things that are encompassed in the [expanded universe] or Legends. Clearly, there are decisions that have to be made to fit it all together, but for us, I think one thing we're in agreement about is that the characters — as special as they are — the story has to drive what characters are."

For Favreau, It's About Thinking as a Kid: "We joke that it's like we're playing with action figures, like, 'What's in the box? Let's play with what's in the box!' And that's what you do when you're playing, and you're a kid."

It Still Comes Down to The Story, First: "As we are getting deeper and deeper into this, you start to have to really map things out and figure out what that story is, and then have those characters fulfill what their growth cycle is and what their mythic hero's journey is. Those things have to fit together well. Otherwise, it won't feel like 'Star Wars.'" As Favreau sees it, that's a philosophy that "Star Wars" creator George Lucas would appreciate: "That's always been George's base. He's a student of Joseph Campbell. How does it fit into the narrative that has the hero's journey? And so as we have more and more characters line up, you have to figure out how those characters are arcing and if it feels ultimately like a Star Wars story."

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