One of the best things to come out of theStar Warsfranchise isDisney Gallery: The Mandalorian.
Disney+’s much-anticipated behind-the-scenes doc chronicles the making of the firstStar Warslive-action TV series — and how executive producer and writerJon Favreauand his team brought the instantly iconicBaby Yodato life.
Like the originalStar Warsbefore it,The Mandalorianis responsible for introducing new technological innovations that will forever change how Hollywood produces television and film. As a result,Disney Gallery’s deep-dive into how the landmark series uses a mix of new digital production tools and analog practical effects is the type of content that makes us want to take an even deeper dive into the making of one of our favorite franchises. Here are ten more essential behind-the-scenes docs and special features that reveal how Lucasfilm made that galaxy far, far away come to life.
The Beginning: Making Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
AKA “The One WhereSteven SpielbergandGeorge LucasPlay With a Life-Sized Battle Droid.”
The centerpiece ofThe Phantom Menace’s DVD release,The Beginningis a very thorough, warts-and-all chronicle of the firstStar Warsprequel. (The all-access pass viewers have to the production is a sharp contrast to the top-secret way Disney often handles this franchise and its Marvel properties, with the exception ofThe Last Jedimaking-of doc.)
There are no corporate overloads to appease or protect here as the documentary takes a fly-on-the-wall approach to the first Prequel’s production struggles and successes, as it became the firstStar Warsmovie to beta test then-new advances in CG visual effects while also relying on the tried-and-true practices pioneered by the Original Trilogy’s VFX work. Watching a candid George Lucas direct his first film since 1977’sStar Wars, and gain insights into his process (and the sometimes problematic nature of it), is worth watching.
How to Watch It:On thePhantom MenaceDVD/Blu-ray or onYouTube.
The Director and the Jedi (2018)
DirectorAnthony Wonke’s feature-length chronicle of how writer-directorRian Johnsonand company madeThe Last Jediis an exceptional piece of filmmaking.
Johnson and producerRam Bergmangive Wonke unfettered behind-the-scenes access to what would become the most controversialStar Warsmovie ever made, with highlights including rarely-seen production aspects like watching the filmmaking duo signing off on the final approved budget. If you ever wanted to know how one gets a sea cow puppet to a remote island location, or watchMark Hamill’s reaction toFrank Ozonce again bringing Yoda to life, Director has got you covered. This doc feels like the type of standard supplemental material fans used to get on DVDs in the early 2000s that has since become a lost art.The Director and the Jedimakes a strong argument for bringing that practice back.
How to Watch It:On the Blu-ray or on Disney+
The Skywalker Saga (2020)
The Rise of Skywalker’s making-of-doc attempts to replicate some ofThe Director and the Jedi’s success and, like the trilogy capper it chronicles, comes off as a decidedly mixed bag. The feature-length doc is full of behind-the-scenes observations that mostly stick to just past surface-level insights, which is disappointing given that director and co-writerJ.J. Abrams’ movie wraps up over 40 years worth ofStar Warsstories. (But, this aspect is not surprising, however, given Abrams’ “mystery box” approach to making movies.)
What should be an in-depth, epic chronicle of constructing and filming the final chapter to one of the most unique and essential sagas ever made for the big screen instead feels like an uneven, super-long EPK presentation. Though we are grateful for the sections that highlight all the Easter Eggs hidden inJohn Williams’ cameo and how the production executed the Babu Frik puppet.
How to Watch It:On the Blu-Ray or on Disney+
Empire of Dreams (2004)
Released in 2004 to coincide with the original Star Wars trilogy’s DVD debut,Empire of Dreamsis a feature-length, in-depth look at how George Lucas and filmmakers made the original trilogy in a way that would change how movies would be made moving forward. The real draw here is the B-roll from the sets ofA New HopeandThe Empire Strikes Back, as well as the vintage interviews withHarrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and the lateCarrie Fisher. Watching Lucas and his cast on the set, making some of the original trilogy’s most iconic scenes, is still goosebump-inducing 16 years later. (This doc can also be found on Disney+).
How to Watch It:On Disney+ or onYouTube.
SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Mark Hamill hosts this 1980 making-of TV special, providing key narration behind ILM’s process of bringing the iconic sequel’s visual effects to life. We could watch an entire mini-series devoted to the making of the AT-AT assault on Hoth, but we appreciate that the first half ofSPFXis devoted to the work required to make it come to life. The second half, though, is where the doc truly shines — with behind-the-scenes insights on stop-motion animation, constructing and filming on the life-sized Millennium Falcon, and working with the original Yoda puppet.
How to Watch It:OnYouTube.
Elstree 1976 (2015)
Star Wars: A New Hopechanged more than just the lives of the people that watched it in May 1977.Elstree 1976takes the unique angle of profiling ten background players fromStar Wars: A New Hopeand catching up with how the movie changed their lives and careers. Think of it as aStar Warsdoc by way ofMichael Apted’s7 Updocumentary film series.
Elstreeproves ultimately more engaging as a concept than in the execution of it; at the same time, the doc succeeds at putting a much overdue spotlight on those cast members in the periphery that helped make movie history.
How to Watch It:On Netflix or for rent on various VOD platforms.
Within a Minute: The Making of ‘Episode III’ (2005)
DirectorTippy Bushkin’s feature-length doc about the making ofRevenge of the Sithfocuses on the making of a key sequence from the film’s climatic lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan (Ewan McGreggor) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen). In doing so, it delivers a more streamlined and informative version of whatThe Beginningattempted.
So many stakeholders have to weigh in on a film with as many moving parts as Episode III, and the insightWithin a Minuteprovides into the decision-making process for one moment of the complicated film arguably provides more instruction than four years of film school. Watching the sequence go from prep to final production serves as a microcosm of the entire experience of making a blockbuster.
How to Watch It:On the DVD or Blu-Ray.
The Toys That Made Us: Star Wars (2017)
Netflix’sThe Toys That Made Usis more than well-made nostalgia porn. It’s the first doc of its kind to profile the politics and production of how toys became the literal tools of our imagination. Their segment on Kenner’s first-generationStar Warstoys, and that toyline’s lasting legacy, offers a fascinating look back at how merchandising forever changed the filmmaking and marketing business.Toys That Made Usalso wisely puts front and center the toyline’s four-decade emotional impact on people of all ages, from the designers to the collectors. A must-see.
How to Watch It:Exclusively on Netflix.
The People vs. George Lucas (2010)
Swiss filmmakerAlexandre O. Philippemakes a comedy-documentary hybrid about filmmaking and fanaticism, and how fans struggle finding a balance with both at the expense of often alienating those in either camp. Since fandom has conflated theStar Warscreator with his creation, Philippe puts fans’ inability to see George Lucas in any other light due to the heavy shadow his crowning achievement casts.
Laughs ensue, but sometimes of the tragicomic variety asThe People vs. George Lucastakes an insightful and poignant perspective about how the audience’s investment in a property they didn’t create often feels like ownership. Especially when its fans are as integral to its success as those that actually made it.
How to Watch It:Available to stream on Amazon Prime, Pluto TV, and for rent on various VOD platforms.
Classic Creatures: Return of the Jedi (1983)
This CBS TV special from 1983, hosted by Carrie Fisher andBilly Dee Williams, explores the making ofReturn of the Jedi’s abundance of impressive creature effects and the equally-impressive professionals responsible for wrangling them into movie history.
Jabba the Hutt and the Ewoks are given considerable screentime, as we’re offered glimpses of hundreds of pieces of concept art on the way to the final product.Classic Creaturesalso serves up anecdotes straight from Lucas and other members of the production team as the movie was being made.Creaturesis a slow-burn love letter to ILM’s practical effects heyday, making a strong argument that those working in that field are the closest things the movie business has to actual miracle workers.
