The Hollywood Reporter has released its list of “Hollywood’s Top 50 Most Powerful Showrunners of 2020,” and included in the list is director and creator of the Disney+ original show Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau.
THR looked through all writers-producers who aired original episodes of their scripted show between September 2019 – September 2020 justifies their choice by saying, making their judgments on “relative to slates, deal size, ratings, value to platform and studio, cultural impact and awards.”
They justified choosing Favreau by stating the following:
“Shepherded from the start by Favreau, the Mandalorian launch told the world that Disney+ isn’t just a hub for old cartoons when the show nestled itself into the zeitgeist with viral “Baby Yoda” and pleased oft-petulant Star Wars fans with its new spin on the deeply valuable IP. And with a surprise 15 Emmy nominations and a second season on deck for Oct. 30 — replenishing airwaves starting to feel a COVID content drought — its creator’s TV stock is likely to only keep rising.”
Season 2 of Favreau’s sensational space western is set to premiere on Disney+ October 30, and it is confirmed that he is already working on Season 3.
Related: Season 3 and a ‘Mandalorian’ Movie? Favreau Spills Details
Joining Favreau in this list are Showrunners from elsewhere beneath the Disney Umbrella, including Love, Victor creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and other Hulu show creators like Ramy Youssef (Ramy), Liz Tigelaar (Little Fires Everywhere), and David E. Kelly (Nine Perfect Strangers).
Star Wars director JJ Abrams also made the list. However, it was not for any TV shows produced and distributed under the Disney umbrella.
This list of showrunners stands out due to the challenges created by the pandemic and people’s reactionary concerns about it.
THR writes:
“Not even a year ago, it seemed as though almost anybody could sell a TV series in the free-spending Peak TV economy. Now, just to get a project up and running, one must possess the acumen of a surgeon general…TV’s most powerful producers aren’t just responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with script overhauls, frequent nose-swabs and meticulous scene blocking. They’re adapting to new normals that shatter and reset on a nearly daily basis…THR polled the creative class on everything from new precautions and rethinking police procedurals amid calls for social justice to life without agents and the shows that got them through lockdown”
While The Mandalorian was an escape into Geroge Lucas’ sci-fi fantasy world, unlike other shows on this list, there is little doubt that it and its little green star have made a significant impact on the show-watching culture at large. One can only hope that the upcoming second season is able to further elevate the show’s standards and prestige.
Over the past several years, Jon Favreau has left his mark on several areas of Disney, including helping get Tony Stark and the rest of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe off the ground by directing Iron Man and subsequently staring in the MCU as Happy Hogan. The Mandalorian showrunner has also directed two live-action Disney remakes, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King.
Do you think Jon Favreau deserves his spot on this list? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments!