The Mandalorian problem: does new Disney+ Star Wars show, with its movie-quality production, spell the end for cinema?

The Star Wars universe now has its own live-action TV series on Disney+, with each episode reportedly costing US$15 million to make

That the show is arguably indecipherable from the films in terms of production quality hints at as many cons as there are pros

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‘The Mandalorian’ is indistinguishable from the Star Wars films in terms of production values – but is this a good thing? Photo: DPA

Published: 3:00pm, 20 Nov 2019Updated: 4:05pm, 10 May 2022

The distinction between movies and television has always seemed obvious.

For one, movies tell a self-contained story (at least, they did before the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and television tells a story over multiple instalments.

But, of course, that’s not what most people are actually debating. They’re generally discussing the quality of production, storytelling and acting. The better a TV show is in this regard, the more likely it is to be referred to as a multi-episode “movie”.

Though many have come close, no show has really achieved a level of quality that fits that designation. No show until, perhaps, The Mandalorian.

‘The Mandalorian’ follows the story of a gunslinging bounty hunter. Photo: DPA

The series, which represents the shiniest bait Disney is using to lure people to subscribe to its new streaming service Disney+, is Lucasfilm’s first live-action Star Wars TV show. Though that world has appeared on the small screen in the past, it has been in cartoon form, making it immediately distinguishable from the movies. Walk in on someone watching The Mandalorian, however, and you might think they’re watching a rerun of one of the films.