The Mandalorian's straightforward plot allows it to focus on ‘Star Wars’ aesthetic but could be easily spliced into a blockbuster
‘The Mandalorian’ is just two episodes in and has already proven to be one of the most popular ‘Star Wars’ undertakings ever. Fans are raving about the show being the best work the franchise has produced since the original trilogy was released.
In a talk with Variety, Walt Disney Studios co-chairman and chief creative officer Alan Horn said: “'The Mandalorian’ is already proving to be a big thing, so if that series proves to be so compelling that we reverse engineer it into a theatrical release, a two-hour film or whatever, O.K.”
This wouldn’t be the first time the ‘Star Wars’ franchise has attempted something like this. ‘The Clone Wars’ was released as a full-length movie in with clips from the first season of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars,’ the popular animated series.
‘The Mandalorian’ is quickly gaining a fan following, and that’s just from the countries in which Disney+ has already been released. The series won’t be able to be seen online in most of the rest of the world for a few months yet. What better way to introduce people to the series than by releasing it as a movie, instead of a binge-watch of several hours?
‘The Mandalorian’ has a very simple, straightforward plot. It depends on mood and aesthetic a lot more than it does on the story. Even though the two episodes released so far are relatively short for a live-action series -- about half an hour each -- there is still a lot that can be cut from each episode that in no way detracts from the larger story.
'The Mandalorian', as a show, allows you to soak in the rich world offered by the ‘Star Wars’ universe -- but for those who want quick answers to the questions the show brings up, the show’s slow pacing can feel intolerably long. ‘The Mandalorian’ has everything it needs to be a blockbuster action movie instead of an episodic cinematic art piece - it has action, big-budget special effects, colorful characters and a star-studded cast.
Having the option to watch ‘The Mandalorian’ as either a TV series or a movie is certainly unique and giving fans that choice may bring in more people to the franchise than ever before. If ‘The Mandalorian’ is, indeed, made into a movie, Lucasfilm will have the good fortune to be able to have its cake and eat it, too.
The next episode of ‘The Mandalorian’ airs November 22, on Disney+.