Star Wars fans can finally schedule some time down for The Mandalorian as Disney has revealed the official release schedule and episode count for season 1 of the series. The first ever live-action series set within a galaxy far, far away is set to debut on the Disney+ streaming service, and it's been known for some time that the show will be available at launch. What wasn't clear is how the release would be handled thereafter. Now, we know and, as previously revealed, it's not going to be something fans can binge. This is, mostly, going to be a week-to-week adventure.
The Mandalorian season 1 will consist of eight episodes, with the season premiere set to drop on November 12 alongside the U.S. launch of Disney+. The following episode will then debut just a few days later on Friday, November 15. That will be the case for the next several weeks, as the following four episodes will also debut every Friday up until the final two episodes. Then, the penultimate episode will drop on Wednesday, December 18, with the season 1 finale set to arrive nine days later on December 27.
The unconventional release strategy has to do with staying out of the way of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which hits theaters on December 20. Disney and Lucasfilm don't want to be directly competing with themselves, so they are making sure the final two episodes don't arrive on the same day as director J.J. Abrams' finale to the sequel trilogy. While it's likely the release of an episode of television wouldn't take too much away from opening weekend, it still makes sense not to risk it and, for that matter, to not overstuff a single day with too much big content.
Following the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the movies will be taking a break until December 2022. That will give Disney and Lucasfilm a few years to explore the franchise on the small screen, to see what the appetite for this type of storytelling within this universe is. Aside from The Mandalorian, which centers on a lone gunslinger in the Outer Rim played by Pedro Pascal after the events of Return of the Jedi, Disney+ will also be home to a Rogue One prequel series centered on Diego Luna's Cassian Andor, and an Obi-Wan Kenobi series, with Ewan McGregor returning as the famed Jedi.
The Mandalorian is executive produced by Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and Dave Filoni (Rebels, The Clone Wars). Filoni also directed the pilot. The cast also includes Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Werner Herzog, Nick Nolte, Emily Swallow, Taika Waititi, Giancarlo Esposito and Omid Abtahi. Season 2 of the show is already in the works, but it's not clear when the sophomore season is expected to air. Disney+ is available for pre-order now. Those interested in getting in on this series from day one can head on over to DisneyPlus.com to sign up.