US journalists were shown 30 minutes of the first episode, and it's looking positive.
Given the amount of secrecy surrounding 'The Mandalorian', it shouldn't come as a surprise that US journalists were only shown a mere 30 minutes of the first three episodes.
While no plot details were revealed and the reactions didn't go into anything specific, the footage seen appears to be as tantalising as we've hoped. /Film, Collider, ET, Vanity Fair, Fandom and a number of US outlets were in attendance at the first press conference for the series, before being shown a selectively cut reel from the first three episodes, due to go live on Disney+ next month.
Just screened 27 minutes of footage from #TheMandalorian! Everything I saw looked incredible. Feels completely different than anything we’ve seen in the #StarWars universe! pic.twitter.com/6LOdiq0BAD
— Dorian Parks (@DorianParksnRec) October 19, 2019
From what we can gather from the tweets that went out last night, it basically confirms what we've already reported - that it looks expensive, is expensive, has more of a Western feel than sci-fi, and that Werner Herzog can do no wrong - even when he's playing a space gangster with his own private army of Stormtroopers.
Just saw 30 mins of #TheMandalorian. Uh...WOW. Feels more western than sci-fi - from the shootouts to the stand-offs to the vidalia onion stew a new droid character named “Gramps” is always doting over. We are entering a new phase of Star Wars and the future is looking bright!
— Ben Mekler (@benmekler) October 19, 2019
Early estimates have it that Disney coughed up a total of $15 million per episode, putting it well into 'Game of Thrones' territory and shows how seriously the House Mouse is backing the show.
When we spoke to Jon Favreau earlier in the summer about it, he said that he'd more or less been "left alone" to make the show, as Lucasfilm's eye was on getting 'The Rise of Skywalker' to completion.
The big question, of course, is when Disney+ will launch in Ireland and the UK. Initially, Disney announced that the service would launch here between October and March 2020, but stopped short of going into specifics. Obviously, the US launch on November 12th will tell a lot, but here's hoping we won't have to wait too much longer for it.
Just watched close to 25 minutes of footage from #TheMandalorian. It’s very cool and atmospheric - sometimes evoking the vibe of Rogue One (which I adore). The title character is instantly fascinating and there are great action and suspense moments, including some Predator vibes
— Eric Goldman (@TheEricGoldman) October 19, 2019
'The Mandalorian' launches on Disney+ on November 12th.