If your kid is begging for a Baby Yoda for Christmas but you can’t find one anywhere, blame Donald Glover. The actor, singer, director and Atlanta native inspired Jon Favreau, creator of “The Mandalorian,” to keep Baby Yoda’s existence a secret.
While the two were working on “The Lion King,” a discussion began about music and pop culture.
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"We were talking about music and pop culture, and he was saying that what people really like now is to be surprised, because it doesn't happen that much," Favreau told The Hollywood Reporter. "When Beyoncé did an album, she would just put it online and everybody would react to it. Just putting it out there spurred a conversation that would become more viral and bring more genuine attention than any marketing."
Favreau said that inspired him to keep Baby Yoda a secret so as not to spoil the impact when the series premiered on Disney+. That desire for surprise means no merchandise of the cutest “Star Wars” character since the Ewoks was produced ahead of time.
"The way the cat usually gets out of the bag with that stuff is merchandising and toy catalogs and things like that," Favreau told Entertainment Tonight.
But it seems like the move worked, Business Insider reported. "The Mandalorian" is the biggest series in the world, based on demand data from Parrot Analytics. And the "Star Wars" series recently dethroned "Stranger Things" as the most in-demand series in the US after a 21-week streak.
Some character toys are available for preorder, but they won’t be shipped until April.
Glover, who grew up in Stone Mountain, is the writer, producer and star of "Atlanta" on FX. He has won multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards, and made history in February at the Grammy Awards.
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Glover, as his alter ego Childish Gambino, won both record and song of the year for “This is America” — the first time a rap song has won the coveted awards.
Oh, and he played young Lando Calrissian in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”
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