If George Lucas didn’t like Baby Yoda at first, he does now.
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) January 17, 2020
The Star Wars creator has always kept details about Yoda shrouded in mystery, including the name of his (and Yaddle’s) species, unlike Disney, which based an entire show — and two episodes of a spin-off series — around a bounty hunter’s relationship with Baby Yoda / Grogu. Disney has mostly ignored Lucas since acquiring Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in 2012 (a deal that he called “very, very painful”), but he did share his biggest concern for “The Child” with The Mandalorian producer Dave Filoni:
Filoni, who also acts as Lucasfilm’s executive producer and creative director, recalled discussions he had with Lucas about Grogu, a.k.a. Baby Yoda, who debuted in the first episode of Disney+’s The Mandalorian. “I had a talk with George, at one point, about The Child, and his main concern was that the kid has to have a proper amount of training,” Filoni said in the Star Wars: The Art of The Mandalorian (Season Two) art book.
It wouldn’t be Star Wars without flipping = training.
The Art of The Mandalorian (Season Two) also reveals how Lucas influences The Mandalorian, even if he only drops by for set visits. “So, what makes a strong Star Wars design? The guidelines established by George Lucas are simple: Design as if a child could draw it. Design for the silhouette. Design for the iconic logo. Keep it simple. Give it personality and make it believable,” artist Doug Chiang wrote in the book’s foreword.
The Mandalorian season three does not have a premiere date yet.
(Via the Direct and CBR)