Hyperspace Theories: Star Wars Returns to Theaters with THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU
A Star Wars movie is back in theaters for the first time since 2019! In this episode of Hyperspace Theories, Tricia Barr and B.J. Priester kick off our analysis of The Mandalorian and Grogu with a discussion of the major storytelling decisions underlying the film, which is directed by Jon Favreau and co-written by Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor (The Book of Boba Fett).
As the sixth movie of the Disney era and the first Star Wars film built upon source material from outside the preceding movies – specifically the three seasons of the Disney+ streaming series The Mandalorian as well as adjacent series The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka – the creation of The Mandalorian and Grogu faced a number of challenges not previously faced by theatrical Star Wars, including an imperative to produce the movie on a considerably smaller budget than the Sequel Trilogy releases while reviving fan and customer enthusiasm for Star Wars on the big screen and the ancillary merchandise revenue that has long accompanied Star Wars films. This context in the state of the franchise explains a number of key decisions about the story built for The Mandalorian and Grogu, including the desire to acknowledge the full range of previous Star Wars stories and fans, from the Original Trilogy and Expanded Universe to the Prequels, The Clone Wars, and Disney-era films, animation, and publishing. We also examine the themes found at the heart of the story, and the non-Star Wars cinematic influences on Favreau’s movie.
We then revisit a frequent aspect of the Hyperspace Theories podcast: examining how Star Wars’ longstanding association with the monomyth story structure shapes the tale being told in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Unsurprisingly, as a standalone film rather than a segment within a trilogy, The Mandalorian and Grogu readily aligns with the cinematic story structure expressed by Christopher Vogler, a distillation and updating of the classical monomyth found in the work of Joseph Campbell. This plot structure also guides the character arcs for The Mandalorian and Grogu, which features the two titular characters as well as significant character development for a third: Rotta the Hutt, who faces his own father-son thematic turmoil as well as pivotal choices about his path in life and the future he seeks for himself in the galaxy far far away.
Related Links:
- Fangirls Going Rogue: A Special Look at The Mandalorian and Grogu (April)
- Fangirls Going Rogue: Episode 26.4 Countdown to The Mandalorian and Grogu (April)
- Fangirls Going Rogue: Interview with The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni (May)
- Fangirls Going Rogue: Doug Chiang, John Knoll, and Ludwig Göransson Discuss Making The Mandalorian and Grogu (May)
- Fangirls Going Rogue: Episode 26.6 The Mandalorian and Grogu Behind-the-Scenes and Review (May)
Social Media:
- Tricia Barr (@fangirlcantina) Instagram | Threads | Blue Sky
- B.J. Priester (@redpenoflex) Instagram | Threads | Blue Sky
- Fangirl Zone on Facebook
Tricia Barr's novel, Wynde, won the 2014 Independent Publisher Book Award Gold Medal for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Ebook. She was also part of Silence in the Library's successful all-female creator science fiction and fantasy anthology Athena's Daughters, which is available now. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.
