Deadline reports that The Mandalorian & Grogu will shoot in California, a first for a Star Wars movie. Why? Well, it might have something to do with the Golden State paying Lucasfilm a whopping $21,755,000 in conditional tax credits!
That will keep Din Djarin in California, something we're sure Jon Favreau and the studio is fine with given that's where The Mandalorian's first three seasons were also based.
As the trade explains, this is one of the biggest allocations in the California Film Commission's history. It's not quite up there with Bumblebee's $22.4 million but is ahead of both Captain Marvel's $20.8 million and the $20.2 million secured by Quentin Tarantino for what's expected to be his final movie.
"Estimated to be hiring 500 crew members, 54 cast members, and 3500 background players for 92 filming days in California this year," the report adds, "The Mandalorian & Grogu is expected to generate a record-breaking $166,438,000 in qualified expenditures and below-the-line wages."
Most importantly, does this mean we'll get set photos? We're not banking on it thanks to The Mandalorian's usual reliance on The Volume, but the project is clearly taking shape and we're optimistic casting news and the like will start hitting the trades soon.
It's previously been reported that Favreau's scripts for season 4 evolved into a movie after last year's WGA strikes. However, as The Mandalorian is such a big draw on Disney+, new episodes could still follow somewhere down the line. Only time will tell.
"I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created," Favreau said in a statement when news of these movie plans first broke. "The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting."
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy added, "Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen."
Disney needs some guaranteed box office hits after a rough couple of years and The Mandalorian & Grogu is bound to succeed in that respect. Both characters are massively popular with hardcore and casual fans, and it will be interesting to see what sort of story this movie tells and whether it justifies the leap from streaming to theaters.
Are you excited for The Mandalorian & Grogu? As always, you can chime in with your thoughts in the usual place.