“Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian” Review by Josh Davis : Pop Culture Leftovers

“Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian” Review by Josh Davis

May 25, 2020 3:16 pm |

What does it take to direct a Star War? That’s the subject of the first episode of the new “Disney Gallery” limited series based on last year’s smash hit “The Mandalorian.”
The series premier deals with the four men and two women who directed season-one episodes: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, Taika Waititi, Deborah Chow and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Disney Gallery sits the directors at a roundtable to explore the creative process behind “The Mandalorian,” with each talking about what they brought to the show — from vast Stars Wars knowledge (Filoni), to fresh perspectives. Famuyiwa, Waititi, Chow and Howard were the first minority and female directors of a live-action Star Wars property.

Famuyiwa said Favreau’s pitch to the directors was to round up a “Dirty Dozen” or “Magnificent Seven” assemblage of diverse voices to help transform each episode into its own unique story.

Famuyiwa also talked about seeing the original “Star Wars” film in the theater — his first-ever movie experience — and said he enjoys creating stories about “misfits.”
“We’re making a series that’s connected, but we’ve each been given the freedom and the creativity to tell a story as we would, making a feature film,” he said.

Filoni, perhaps the person with the most “Star Wars” credits other than George Lucas himself, hilariously talked about first coming into the property as showrunner of “The Clone Wars” animated series. Filoni, who previously helmed properties like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” initially thought call to hire him was a practical joke.

Years later, Filoni would become a close protege to Lucas. He and Favreau, who helped launch the infinitely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2008’s “Iron Man,” were largely the driving forces behind “The Mandalorian.”

Chow came from a successful television background, with critically acclaimed credits including “Mr. Robot,” “Better Call Saul” and “American Gods.”

Howard, of course, is the daughter of Director Ron Howard, himself an old friend and disciple of Lucas. At one point, she tells a story about having lunch with Lucas and Akira Kurosawa when she was just 5 years old.

Waititi, meanwhile, brought playful abandon to the incredible season-one finale of “The Mandalorian.” An Oscar winner last year for “JoJo Rabbit,” he was called a “ringer” by Favreau for his role as writer and director of the $1 billion grossing feature “Thor: Ragnarok” in 2017.

Along with the roundtable format, the show also includes individual interviews with the cast and crew, as well as clips from “The Mandalorian” and its production.
For fans of “The Mandalorian,” the series, the first episode of this behind-the-scenes look is perfect companion and an excellent window into the diverse creative voices that made it such a breakout hit.

The series premier debuted on May 4, with seven additional episodes expected to air on Disney +.