There is no denying that ‘The Mandalorian’ was a huge smash when it debuted on Disney+ late last year, but as popular as the show was, it wasn’t seen as being particularly high-brow. So it came as a shock when the series was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards, including the prestigious Outstanding Drama Series, possibly the top award of the night.
As part of the Emmy campaign, series creator Jon Favreau discussed the approach that he took with the series and how that may have led to its incredible success.
“We wanted to really wind it back to the things that inspired the original Star Wars and really get it small in scale and tell simple stories, because part of what you inherit when you’re going to see Star Wars now is this whole history, because the stories have been told for decades, and it was nice, with the new medium, to be able to start with a new set of characters to introduce a new audience.
“But we always knew…and this is something I learned from…over at Marvel and working with Kevin Feige, is you always want to keep the core fans in mind, because they have been the ones that’ve been keeping the torch lit for many, many years, but these are also stories for young people and for new audiences. These are myths, and so you always want to have an outstretched hand to people who might not have that background. And so you’re really telling two stories at once. You’re telling the story for the people who are fresh eyes, and you’re telling the story for the people who’ve been there with the property and with the stories and the characters for so many years, and make sure that you’re honoring them, as well.”
‘Star Trek’, take note. ‘The Mandalorian’, as well as ‘Rogue One’ and ‘Solo’ were clearly set in the established ‘Star Wars’ universe and incorporated characters and ideas from existing movies and projects, but are largely self-contained. It’s a fine balance, and Favreau pulled it off quite well.
In the Outstanding Drama Series category, ‘The Mandalorian’ is up against ‘Better Call Saul’, ‘The Crown’, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, ‘Killing Eve’, ‘Ozark’, ‘Stranger Things’, and ‘Succession’. It is considered a dark horse, though.
The Emmys will be given out on September 20, during a virtual ceremony hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
Source: Deadline
