‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ featurette reveals the magic behind the massive stop-motion Mama Crab (video)
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” is already hitting its midpoint with this week’s fourth episode, and while each individual chapter is shockingly short, easily clocking in at under 30 minutes excluding the end credits, it’s a light breezy affair with impressive production values and a bold adventurous spirit. And if that doesn’t sell you on the show, it also has a massive monster crab.
Disney+ is banking on this being a holiday-time hit and to give the series some extra tinsel on its Christmas tree, Lucasfilm has wrapped up a pair of new videos to share.
These fun featurettes take fans behind the scenes to reveal how the series’ monsters and robots were created and also join the main cast as they get to open “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”-related product gifts.
First up is the mini-documentary titled “Creatures & Droids,” which showcases all the practical effects created for the non-human inhabitants of this post-“Return of the Jedi” world. Besides contributions by ILM, legendary Academy Award-winning filmmaker Phil Tippett and his Tippett Studio team in Berkeley, California delivered a magnificent, 14-pound, 3-D-printed stop motion puppet for the Trash Crab aka Mama Crab beast to be introduced in an upcoming episode.
Here we’re given a cool behind-the-scenes peek at the talented animators who diligently worked on the terrifying sequence, which shows the crawling crustacean emerging over a rocky outcrop and unleashing a bellowing roar at the dwarfed group of kids below. This clawed creature became the heaviest stop-motion puppet Tippett Studio has ever built, even requiring a special harness to prevent damage.
Also featured is Legacy Effects’ puppetry work for the grouchy old droid SM-33, and their audio-animatronic magic crafted to bring the blue-skinned alien Neel to life.
Then we join Jude Law (Jod Na Nawood), Ravi Cabot-Conyers (Wim), Ryan Kiera Armstrong (Fern), Kyriana Kratter (KB), and Robert Timothy Smith (Neel) as they unwrap and respond to new products inspired by “Skeleton Crew,” such as Funko POP! bobblehead dolls, an Onyx Cinder Lego spaceship complete with mini-fig crew, and detailed “Star Wars” Black Series collectible action figures.
“Fantastic! I’ve been a collector of bobbleheads for years, and now I’ve got my very own,” Law exclaims upon opening his personalized present.
The novelty of having toys made in your likeness is not lost on anyone here and their genuine surprise and joy is evident. They should be hot items on gift lists this year!
“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” airs each Tuesday exclusively on Disney+.
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