Jon Favreau, executive producer on The Mandalorian Disney+ series, has stated that he expects production on the third season of the live-action series to begin sometime before the end of this year. It was reported back in August that the COVID-19 pandemic would not have a major impact on the eventual production of Season 3 and based on these latest comments from Favreau, it appears that it will not.
Soon enough, [Pedro] Pascal will slip on his character’s signature helmet once more. Executive producer and showrunner Jon Favreau told Variety that “The Mandalorian” is “on schedule” to start production on Season 3 of the series “before the end of the year” — after Pascal wraps shooting in Europe on the feature film “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” with Nicolas Cage.
“We’re operating under the assumption that we’ll be able to go forward,” Favreau said. He noted that the innovative production technique pioneered for “The Mandalorian” — with wall-sized video panels for location backdrops — puts the show in a unique position within the industry.
“We’re in very small situations and oftentimes we have a lot of characters in masks,” he said. “And we also have a lot of digital work that augments things. So we’re a show that’s probably well-equipped to be flexible based on the protocols that are emerging surrounding work restarting.”
Reports surfaced back in April that a third season for The Mandalorian was currently in development followed shortly by news that visual effects legend Phil Tippett had been brought onboard to work on Season 2 and Season 3.
Favreau also had this to say on the subject of The Mandalorian storylines being developed together for delivery via the current streaming service and possibly the theatrical movie platform:
The first Disney Plus series produced by Marvel Studios, “WandaVision” with Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, is due to premiere later this year, with several more to follow in 2021, and Marvel chief Kevin Feige has said that their storylines will intertwine with the Marvel Studios theatrical features.
Could the same happen with “The Mandalorian”?
“The line is blurring now,” said Favreau. “Things that you would have only seen in the movie theater, you’re seeing on streaming, and I think it could go the other way as well.”
Whether that means Pascal’s tight-lipped bounty hunter could end up on a movie screen remains a tantalizing if uncertain possibility. Favreau said he’s in “no rush” to push the show beyond a streaming series. “But we’re definitely open to it,” he added, “and excited to see where the story leads us and have that flexibility — because there’s no rulebook now.”
The Mandalorian Season 2 is set to premiere exclusively on Disney+ on October 30.
