Disney's The Mandalorian

Behind Star Wars/YouTube

Disney’s new ‘Star Wars’ series had a budget the size of the final ‘Game of Thrones’ season

That's $15 million per episode.

 

Nahila Bonfiglio

Internet Culture

Posted on Jul 14, 2019   Updated on May 20, 2021, 8:45 am CDT

Star Wars fans have mixed thoughts on Disney’s upcoming series The Mandalorian.

While many fans welcome any new Star Wars addition with open arms, some recent installments of the franchise have viewers approaching with caution. When Disney announced The Mandalorian in late 2017, even longtime Star Wars fans were uncertain. News that Disney and Lucasfilm spent a massive amount of money to create the series, however, has some fans re-thinking their apprehension.

The first footage of Jon Favreau’s live-action Star Wars series debuted at Chicago’s recent Star Wars Celebration. Attendants noticed something promising: The series actually looks pretty great. Considering the cost per episode, however, this news comes as no surprise.

Each episode of the upcoming series cost approximately $15 million to create, according to the Wall Street Journal. That’s nearly the same amount HBO spent on the most recent season of Game of Thrones.

While better funding doesn’t always equal better quality, the news was met with enthusiasm from fans. Star Wars is too ambitious to do right without proper funding, and pulling off a show like The Mandalorian was never going to be easy.

The upcoming series takes place five years following the events of Return of the Jedi. It will follow a lone Mandalorian fighter, played by Game of Thrones’ Pedro Pascal, on his adventures through the galaxy.

The Mandalorian will be released on November 12 on Disney+.

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*First Published: Jul 14, 2019, 2:54 pm CDT