A behind-the-scenes documentary on The Mandalorian is coming to Disney+ next month in celebration of Star Wars Day. Marking Star Wars’ first foray into live-action TV, the streaming series proved to be a massive success when it debuted last fall, winning fans over with its revolutionary filmmaking techniques, compelling story, and Baby Yoda’s adorable antics. The Mandalorian season 1 set an exciting future for the show’s upcoming season 2, which reportedly will feature a live-action Ahsoka Tano and should unpack mysteries surrounding Baby Yoda and Moff Gideon’s possession of the darksaber.
Unfortunately, fans have to wait until October for The Mandalorian season 2, creating a void for viewers and Disney+ itself. While the streaming service has now eclipsed 50 million subscribers, its other original programming has struggled to make an impact comparable to The Mandalorian season 1. Looking to capitalize on The Mandalorian’s popularity, Disney+ is now taking audiences behind-the-scenes to explore the making of the show.
Today, Disney announced a new eight-part documentary series titled Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. The first episode will be available on Disney+ Monday, May 4 (Star Wars Day), with subsequent installments arriving on Fridays. The Mandalorian creator and executive producer Jon Favreau expressed his excitement about the documentary in a statement:
“’Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian’ is an opportunity for fans of the show to take a look inside and get to see a different perspective, and perhaps a greater understanding, of how The Mandalorian came together and some of the incredibly talented contributors throughout Season 1. We had a great experience making the show and we’re looking forward to sharing it with you.”
The Mandalorian made headlines for how it continued Star Wars’ tradition of pushing the technological envelope, evidenced mainly by the use of virtual production technology. Considering how innovative The Mandalorian was, it should be interesting to see a thorough breakdown of the show’s visual effects and other aspects that made it so memorable, like the cast, musical score, and more. The Mandalorian is ripe for a comprehensive documentary series, and each episode will smartly tackle “a different facet” of the show. While it’s unknown how long the installments will be, that approach should paint a complete, well-rounded picture of The Mandalorian, having something for everyone.
The timing of this release couldn’t have been better. Not only will it give fans something fun to check out on Star Wars Day, it should also (somewhat) help fill the void left by the absence of new movie releases amidst the coronavirus pandemic. With people desperate for things to watch, studios and networks are turning to documentary programming to give viewers something of note (see: ESPN moving up the release of Michael Jordan documentary series The Last Dance). Nobody’s saying Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian will provide a similar experience to seeing a blockbuster on opening night, but it will be nice to witness the magic of the galaxy far, far away coming to life.
