'The Mandalorian and Grogu' and 7 other films with famous puppets
by Annie Martin · UPIMay 22 (UPI) --
The Mandalorian and Grogu, a new film in the Star Wars universe, opens in theaters Friday.
The movie is a sequel to the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, which follows the adventures of the bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), aka the Mandalorian, and his young apprentice Grogu, dubbed "Baby Yoda" by fans.
Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver join the cast in the new film, which sees the Mandalorian and Grogu take on a task for the fledgling New Republic.
Grogu, who is largely portrayed by a puppet designed by Legacy Affects, became an instant fan favorite upon his debut, inspiring merchandise, memes and more. In his honor, here's a list of seven other films featuring beloved puppet characters.
'Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back'
First introduced in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the character Yoda was brought to life by a puppet performed and voiced by Frank Oz in The Empire Strikes Back, Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and the original release of Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).
Hailing from the same species as Grogu, Yoda is an iconic, diminutive green character with pointed ears and three-digit hands. He was a wise Jedi mentor to both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker.
Yoda was portrayed with digital effects in later Star Wars films, including Episode II - Attack of the Clones, which sees him fight Count Dooku, and Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, where he takes on Darth Sidious.
The Empire Strikes Back is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
'Labyrinth'
The 1986 musical fantasy film is directed by famed puppeteer and Muppets creator Jim Henson.
Jennifer Connelly stars as Sarah, a teenage girl who must navigate a dangerous labyrinth in order to rescue her baby brother Toby from Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie).
Several fan-favorite characters are puppets created by Henson, including the chivalrous fox terrier Sir Didymus and the gentle giant Ludo.
Labyrinth is available to stream on Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Peacock.
'The NeverEnding Story'
Based on the Michael Ende novel, the 1984 film follows Bastian (Barret Oliver), a shy boy who enters the fantasy realm of Fantasia via a book after reading about the adventures of Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), a young warrior trying to save the kingdom's empress (Tami Stronach).
The character Falkor, a white "luckdragon" who helps Atreyu with his quest, was voiced by Alan Oppenheimer and created by Colin Arthur and his team, along with mechanical engineer Guiseppe Tortora.
The NeverEnding Story special effects director Brian Johnson remembered Tortora as a "brilliant" engineer in an interview with SciFiNow published in 2021.
The movie is available to stream on Prime Video, YouTube and Tubi.
'Gremlins'
Also released in 1984, the comedy horror film is written by Chris Columbus, directed by Joe Dante and executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates star as Billy and Kate, a pair of young people who must fend off a group of mogwai -- cute, mischievous creatures who transform into large and violent "gremlins" when exposed to water or allowed to feed after midnight.
Chris Walas created the animatronic mogwai puppets, including the beloved Gizmo, voiced by Howie Mandel.
Gremlins is available to stream on YouTube.
'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'
Spielberg directed the 1982 sci-fi fantasy film starring Henry Thomas as Elliott Taylor, a young boy who helps the alien creature "E.T." find his way back to his home planet.
Carlo Rambaldi designed the iconic animatronic E.T. puppet, which featured a wide face with blue eyes, a long neck and arms, and short legs.
E.T. was a hit upon its release, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time for the next 11 years, and receiving nine nominations at the 1983 Academy Awards.
The movie is available to rent on streaming platforms.
'The Dark Crystal'
Another 1982 release, The Dark Crystal is a dark fantasy film directed by Henson and Oz. Henson himself puppeteered the protagonist Jen, while Oz portrayed the characters Aughra and Chamberlain.
The Dark Crystal was the first live-action film to feature an all-puppet cast, created by Henson and his studio. The movie follows Jen and Kira, two Gelflings attempting to save their world by restoring the mysterious Dark Crystal.
Voiced by Stephen Garlick and Lisa Maxwell, Jen and Kira are small, elf-like creatures with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. Female Gelflings, including Kira, have wings.
The Dark Crystal is available to stream on Prime Video, Peacock and YouTube.
'The Muppet Movie'
The 1979 feature is the first big-screen movie to feature the Muppets, created by Henson.
Written by The Muppet Show's Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns, and directed by James Frawley, the film is an origin story following Kermit the Frog as he road trips to Los Angeles and meets Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and other beloved characters along the way.
Henson and Oz performed several of the puppet characters, while the live-action human cast included Charles Durning, Austin Pendleton and Scott Walker.
The Muppet Movie is available to stream on Disney+.
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John Williams (R), watches C-3PO, a human-shaped, protocol droid, take a hand at conducting the Boston Pops during rehearsal. Williams wrote the score for all six "Star Wars" films. UPI File Photo | License Photo