Star Wars: ILM Launches TV Division, First Project Will Be ‘The Mandalorian’

The Star Wars saga is known not only for its impressive storytelling, but also for its groundbreaking special effects, thanks in large part to Industrial Light & Magic. The special effects studio has announced that it has launched a TV division, ILM TV, whose first project will be Star Wars: The Mandalorian.

“It’s not often you get to create a new division at Industrial Light & Magic”, Rob Bredow, Executive Creative Director and Head of ILM, shared in a statement. “We are seeing a real convergence in our creative approach used on films and in our immersive entertainment division ILMxLAB, and now we’re proud to be able to offer these ILM innovations in a way that’s suitable for streaming and television work to creatives around the world.”

While this announcement doesn’t shed new light on what audiences can expect from the first live-action Star Wars TV series, we at least know that the look of the series will rival that of the saga’s films. With series like Game of Thrones seeing a noticeable increase in production value throughout its tenure, ILM’s announcement is sure to relieve Star Wars fans to know that the scale of the new show will rival that of the films.

This isn’t the first time ILM has worked on a TV series, having broken into small-screen storytelling with The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

“We are extremely excited to be re-igniting ILM’s involvement in this market and to showcase the team’s expertise, unrivaled technology and production management globally,” VFX Supervisor Hayden Jones added. “The television and streaming segments have grown exponentially in recent years and we are seeing substantial demand for high caliber visual effects that can be delivered on schedule and within budget, all of which lie at the core of our teams’ expertise and proven track record.”

The upcoming series will reportedly consist of 10 episodes, budgeted at a production value of roughly $100 million for the first season. This price tag rivals a season of Game of Thrones, though the partnership between Lucasfilm and ILM could see a bigger bang for the buck.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.

The series is currently shooting and will debut sometime next year on Disney’s new streaming platform.

Are you relieved to know that ILM will deliver the effects for the series? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

[H/T ILM]