The Mandalorian and Grogu

As Lucasfilm’s first theatrical feature from the Star Wars galaxy in seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu continues the story of bounty hunter turned freedom fighter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his endearing companion, Grogu. The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of the movie’s namesakes.

Working once again with director Jon Favreau, Industrial Light & Magic utilized practically every tool in its visual effects arsenal for the first Star Wars production ever to include sequences shot natively in IMAX. The ILM StageCraft virtual production workflow allowed the filmmakers to virtually scout entire yet-to-be-constructed sets inside the physical studio space as well as preview near-final shots in a simulated movie theater, all with Apple Vision Pro devices. Meanwhile, ILM continued its innovations in its LED volume capabilities with new levels of synchronicity between live actor performances on set and interactive trigger effects on screen.

In its traditional CG pipeline, ILM created an elaborate speeder chase sequence, a monster-laden area battle, a suspenseful duel between Din Djarin and a terrifying Dragonsnake, and a climactic aerial attack among other classic moments. In addition to Grogu and a bevy of other creatures, Rotta the Hutt proved a barrier-breaking depiction of his iconic species, with a new range of physical and emotional performance provided by ILM’s animation team in collaboration with actor Jeremy Allen White.

ILM also championed the hybrid effects approach in The Mandalorian and Grogu, with over 30 shots of the fabled Razor Crest starship created using motion-control cinematography of two hand-built miniatures. This included shots created on a stage with a mini-LED volume and exterior shots captured at Skywalker Ranch. ILM’s 50-year-old, first-ever Y-wing miniature, Red Jammer, was also utilized for a handful of shots, marking its debut appearance on screen.

With ILM’s executive creative director John Knoll as production visual effects supervisor in partnership with production visual effects co-supervisor Justin van der Lek, The Mandalorian and Grogu featured work from the San Francisco, Vancouver, Sydney, and Mumbai studios in collaboration with external vendors, including Tippett Studio, who created a stop-motion sequence which ILM integrated with other live action and CG elements.

Watch The Mandalorian and Grogu on Disney+.

Read more about The Mandalorian and Grogu here on ILM.com:

Something Old, Something New: John Knoll on the Visual Effects of ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’

“Every shot was a puzzle to decipher”: How ILM Created the Dragonsnake in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

Holograms No More: Bringing the Dejarik Creatures to Life in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

Inside the ILM Art Department: ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’