Jon Favreau Celebrates His Star Wars Journey at the Premiere of the First LA-Shot Movie at the Chinese Theatre

At the premiere of The Mandalorian & Grogu on Thursday night at the TCL Chinese Theatre, director Jon Favreau highlighted the deep-rooted Los Angeles connections of the Star Wars franchise.

“This is where Star Wars, 49 years ago to the month, started,” Favreau remarked to the audience, noting that Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope had its debut at the Chinese Theatre on May 25, 1977. “We’re still telling Star Wars stories. The baton has been passed down to other filmmakers, but here we are. Hopefully, we’ll get some of that magic and some of the energy here.”

The TCL Chinese Theatre served as a fitting venue for the premiere, marking the first Star Wars film to be shot entirely in Los Angeles. During his address, Favreau expressed gratitude to the California Film Commission for providing $21,755,000 in conditional tax credits for the production—one of the largest allocations in the program’s history.

The production of The Mandalorian & Grogu engaged an estimated 500 crew members, 54 cast members, and 3,500 background actors over 92 filming days in California. It is projected to generate approximately $166,438,000 in qualified expenditures and below-the-line wages. While this is the first Star Wars movie fully made in California, it’s worth noting that exterior scenes for Return of the Jedi were filmed in the state during the early 1980s.

Returning to the Chinese Theatre for the film’s debut also resonated personally with Favreau, who recalled his own transformative experience with Star Wars.

“Back 49 years ago, I got to see Star Wars when I was 10 years old, and that movie changed my life from that first shot,” he shared. “My dad took me to see it. I sat by his side, he pointed things out, explained to me how cool it was that the X-wings had oil stains. He later taught me about [Akira] Kurosawa and all the influences…and opened the door for me to love not just Star Wars, but cinema,” he continued. “I sat by my dad’s side 49 years ago watching Star Wars the first time, and tonight I’m getting to sit next to my dad and watch this. So thanks for sharing with your son your love of movies and being a good dad, and this movie is about a guy who I like to think of as a good dad, too.”