For the first time in Star Wars history, a Star Wars film will be shot entirely in California! Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and Grogu will shoot in California. The film will receive $21,755,000 in tax credits, which is one of the biggest allocations in the California Film Commission run program’s history.
Estimated to be hiring 500 crew members, 54 cast members, and 3,500 background players for 92 filming days in California this year, The Mandalorian & Grogu is expected to generate a record-breaking $166,438,000 in qualified expenditures and below-the-line wages. As fans of the Force know, while Mandalorian is aiming to be the first Star Wars movie to be 100% made in California, Return of the Jedi exteriors were filmed in the state back in the early 1980s.
What can we take away from this news? If the film is going to be filmed entirely in California, then that means you can expect this film to use the Volume for much of the shoot. This isn’t the greatest news, because sometimes the Volume can lead to some pedestrian looking backgrounds. I am sure they have scouted some areas in California for some scenes, so lets hope that some of it is shot outside as well.
The 92 filming days is interesting. That is roughly three months compared to a normal six month shooting time for a season of The Mandalorian. The film releases in May 22, 2026, which should give Favreau and company plenty of time to get this one right!
