The Mandalorian actor reveals Baby Yoda cost the Star Wars team a huge amount of money
Turns out, Baby Yoda cost a few million to have on set
Ever wondered how many millions of dollars it takes to fabricate a creature from a galaxy far, far away? Well, thanks to actor Adam Pally, we now know exactly how much it cost The Mandalorian team to produce the physical Baby Yoda prop seen in the show.
First, spoiler warning. Pally only spoke about the price of Baby Yoda in relation to a minor plot point in the final episode of season 1. If you haven't seen The Mandalorian, but want to know how much a real Baby Yoda costs, just know it was $5 million – and when you finally see the final episode you'll get to read this great anecdote about how that huge figure came about.
Still here? Then you have witnessed a stormtrooper punch Baby Yoda – officially known as The Child – in the final episode. Underneath those visors were Happy Endings actor Adam Pally and Saturday Night Live alumni Jason Sudeikis.
Speaking at the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour, Pally was asked about thumping the youngling. “I remember the first take that I did when I punched him,” he said, according to EW. ” They called ‘Cut!’ and [showrunner] Jon [Favreau], who was watching on a monitor in his office, he came down from this office and said, 'I just want to let you know that this is the hero Yoda [the main prop used for close-ups] and it costs, like, $5 million. So while I want you to hit it, I just want you to know that.' Because I think I took a big swing at it. And the next three takes I missed because I was so nervous.”
Asked about working alongside the multi-million dollar Baby Yoda, Pally joked: “I gotta tell you, the truth is that Baby Yoda is a bit of a diva. He’s constantly vaping.”
Before The Mandalorian season 2 arrives later this year, check out all the new TV shows coming our way in 2020.
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Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.