Star Wars is a long-running multimedia franchise that has cranked out content over the last four decades. From the iconic saga of films to the endless new shows hitting Disney+, Star Wars is a cow for new and exciting content to keep the audience interested. Thanks to the fact that the universe is set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars is able to invent new creatures that bend the imagination as to what could lurk beyond our very own world.
Many new and interesting creatures have been introduced to us. Between the teddy-bear-like Ewoks to the unknown species of Yoda and Grogu, Star Wars is the best place to introduce unique-looking characters. While some of these characters were simply humans in costumes, particularly in older films, George Lucas decided to splurge on a few and brought puppets into the equation for some of the most important characters, including Yoda and Jabba the Hutt. The question is: how much money did Star Wars spend on its puppets?
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The First Star Wars Puppet
Lucasfilm
The Star Wars universe is full of alien creatures from across the galaxy. Since the first film was released before the development of CGI, the only way for Lucas and his team to create the diverse sci-fi world he dreamed of was with the use of animatronics and puppets. Our first view of Jedi Master Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back is a one-of-a-kind puppet voiced and operated by Muppets tycoon Frank Oz. While the exact cost of the Yoda puppet is unknown, it’s assumed that the addition of the little green creature into the Star Wars universe would’ve cost hundreds of thousands at least. While fans were happy to see the addition of a main alien character, Lucas decided to up his game in Return of the Jedi.
The Cost of Jabba the Hutt
While the original Yoda puppet was brought in during Empire Strikes Back, the use of puppets only increased in the sequel Return of the Jedi. In the beginning of the film, C3P0 and R2-D2 head to Jabba’s Palace, a new setting that is full of strange creatures, including Jabba himself, who is a massive puppet. Jabba the Hutt was originally a human man in A New Hope, but was changed to be a giant alien creature. This giant puppet took a total of three months to build and was operated by seven different people, per The Atlantic, reaching a grand total of $500,000 in 1983, which equates to around $1.4 million in 2023. Jabba became an instant fan-favorite, but despite this, Lucas was not a fan of this humongous monster.
Grogu: A Return to Puppets
Since the release of the prequel trilogy in the early-2000s, puppetry was combined/replaced with extensive CGI. From creating creatures like JarJar Binks to the eight-foot-tall Kaminoans, the prequels set a whole new standard for the Star Wars universe’s creatures. That being said, not all new creatures were CGI, and in The Mandalorian, everybody’s favorite green creature Grogu AKA Baby Yoda is in fact a puppet. With huge brown eyes, adorable teeth, and ears too big for his body, Grogu stole the hearts of Star Wars fans everywhere. While this puppet is small, what it cost to build and operate him is not. At a whopping $5 million, Grogu’s animatronic puppet is the first of its kind to be without any operators. Jon Favreau made a point to explain to the actors who were meant to roughly handle the puppet exactly how much he costs.
Considering how big the Star Wars franchise has become, their budget has clearly skyrocketed, and this includes the puppet budget. Combining the cost of Jabba the Hutt, Grogu, and varying other puppets, Star Wars creators have likely spent over $10 million in the franchise. It’s unclear whether or not more puppets like Grogu will make their way into the franchise, or if more advanced puppets will come, but one thing’s for sure: the puppets sure are costly.
