Star Wars: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Grogu
From what went into bringing Grogu to life, to why Jon Favreau HATED "Baby Yoda"!
Though many eye-catching characters from the past and a whole host of new beings have most definitely made their presence felt in the galaxy far, far away and the pop culture landscape in general via Disney+'s first real small screen mega hit, The Mandalorian's true star has never been in any doubt.
Sure, Din Djarin and his following of "the way" has been compelling enough to follow and witnessing the likes of Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker stop by for a cup of blue milk has been a blast. Yet, each and every time a little green legend by the name of Grogu is gifted with some always-engaging screen time, a scene being well and truly stolen by the rechristened "Baby Yoda" is pretty much a certainty.
However, the actual name of this Yoda-like alien's race isn't the only little-known mystery surrounding this TV tyke, it must be said. In fact, aside from those who have devoted themselves to knowing everything there is to understand about this deceptively powerful sprog - your writer included, I'm afraid - many are unaware of everything from how much this beam of innocent light actually cost to forge to how old he really is.
But fear not, this padawan has you covered...
10. The Cost Of The Child
Hopping straight into the financial investment that went into committing to Lucasfilm and Disney's undoubted breakout star of their first-ever live action Star Wars series, Jon Favreau had to convince the House of Mouse paying the bills to dump an eye-watering $5 million on the table in order to fully realise his eventual vision for the ball of utter cuteness.
This staggering cost of creation found its way into public knowledge on the back of Adam Pally, who appeared in The Mandalorian via Stormtrooper cameo in the first season's final episode, recounting a tale of him decking the diminutive puppet a little too hard during one particular take.
As the comedy star would note to reporters at TCA later down the road:
“I remember the first take that I did when I punched it. They called ‘cut’ and Jon, who was watching on a monitor in his office, came down and said, “‘I just want to let you know that this is the hero and it costs, like, $5 million. I want you to hit it, but I want you to know that.'”
Understandably a little spooked by this revelation, a "nervous" Pally subsequently missed his punch during the next three takes.