Star Wars: The Bad Batch Press Conference - Dee Bradley Baker, Jennifer Corbett & Brad Rau Discuss New Animated Series
Now streaming exclusively on Disney+ since May 4th is “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” a new animated series.
“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in “The Clone Wars”) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.
“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” is executive produced by Dave Filoni (“The Mandalorian,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), Athena Portillo (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Star Wars Rebels”), Brad Rau (“Star Wars Rebels,” “Star Wars Resistance”) and Jennifer Corbett (“Star Wars Resistance,” “NCIS”) with Carrie Beck (“The Mandalorian,” “Star Wars Rebels”) as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer (“Star Wars Resistance”). Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer.
Recently, BlackFilmandTV.com attended a press conference which included Dee Bradley Baker (voice of The Bad Batch), Jennifer Corbett (Producer and Head Writer), and Brad Rau (Producer). Moderating the Q & A was Ash Crossan from Entertainment Tonight.
Ash Crossan: Can you tell us a little about each character?
Jennifer Corbett: Hunter is the leader of the pack. He’s got tracking skills and a heightened sense that helps him gauge the terrain. The next one is Tech, who is very technically oriented. He always has a handheld device that he’s working on and is super cool, super calm, and competent with all things technical. Then you got Wrecker who’s got incredible strength. Crosshair is the sharpshooter of the group, a contrary character and quite interesting in the dynamic. And Echo is a modified android clone from the Clone Wars episodes, who was brought on board with the Batch.
Ash Crossan: Who is your favorite character?
Brad Rau: Ash. I think so.
Dee Bradley Baker: It’s fun being Wrecker because he's so honest and so clear and funny. I have great affection for all of them. They are all remarkably interesting fellows. But Wrecker is probably the furthest away from me. He’s great fun.
Jennifer Corbett: I'm a big fan of Tech right now.
Brad Rau: Yeah. Dave's awesome. I've known Dave for a long time. When he was starting Clone Wars, I first met him up at the Skywalker Ranch, and I happened to just be starting my own animation studio at that time. So I was unable to join the force of the Clone Wars. It was one of my regrets that I rectified later on in Rebels, to join as an episodic director. And then on Resistance. He’s an awesome guy, a good friend. Really good. I couldn't think of a better mentor. Especially for Star Wars. The stuff he tells us every day is fantastic. And amazing. Just collaborating with him and being able to work with you, Jen, so closely on this show's been awesome. It's been a dream come true.
Ash Crossan: During this period, Order 66 takes place and the days leading up to it. This show shows yet another unique angle on those days. Can you talk a little bit about what’s happening in the galaxy when we pick up this show and the challenges that the Bad Batchers are going to face?
Jennifer Corbett: This time is one of the reasons I got so excited about this show, other than the oddball group of characters. But I just found it intriguing and engaging to watch a series we’ve seen in the Clone Wars where it’s the height of the Clone Troopers doing what they’re meant to do and what they were created for. And the question became, “What happens after the war is over? What happens to clones when all they know is being soldiers?” Especially for the Bad Batch, who do things differently in the Republic. How do they fit in once it becomes the Empire? Because these are two very different regimes. How do they react to this new environment and the new way of doing things and new way of following rules? Which isn’t their favorite thing to do.
It was interesting to talk about the transition from the Republic to the Empire and what that looks like because it’s not what we saw in the original trilogy, where it’s the dominance of the Empire. It’s the early stages. I found it interesting to show planets and places that were happy that the war is over. They don’t really understand the implications of what an Empire actually means. And it’s laying the groundwork for what everyone knows the Empire will be later on.
Ash Crossan: We are introduced to a new character named Omega. She seems important. What can you tell us about her and how important she will be to the story? And Dee, I would love to know more about the dynamic here between Hunter and Omega because I’m getting those Mandalorian/Baby Yoda-like, reluctant-dad-in-armor vibe.
Dee Bradley Baker: It’s a fascinating relationship that unfolds. Because at first, of course, the team is their own sealed unit. They’re certainly not used to having anybody else along or working with anybody else. Although they did bring along Echo and brought Echo on board after he proved himself to them, and they came together on that. Yeah, it’s interesting, in terms of the story and the writing, to have this personal relationship with the younger character and to see how that changes and how they accommodate that. It works because it’s more of an uncle/niece, or a father/child, dynamic, but not entirely. Omega is her own interesting character. It’s interesting to see all of that unfold. But I think it connects you to the story in a personal way. So it’s not just an action story, as Star Wars never is. There’s a personal story that’s also playing out as well, that connects you to the entire story.
Ash Crossan: Your performance as the Clones has always been incredible. Do you approach Clone Force 99 (The Bad Batch) any differently than you did in the Clone Wars in Season 7 now that they’re headlining their own series?
Dee Bradley Baker: Clone Force 99 is another step beyond what I’ve been asked to do in the Clone Warsseries. The tricky part for them is that the differentiation is much tighter between characters. It has to be decisive, and it has to be clear. The Bad Batch are much further apart from each other, which oddly makes it a little bit easier to jump from character to character. For me it feels like I’m jumping from rock to rock on a stream. I can see the rock. The writing is clear. And that’s what I jump to. I can see them, and I feel like I know them, and it helps that they’re further differentiated vocally and also in terms of their personality and their mood, shall we say? It comes off looking more like a magic trick than it does maybe with the Clones, but it’s still a fascinating process as a voice actor to have these scenes where I’m just talking to myself, just switching from character to character to character as we go through the script, which is typically how we do it. We just go straight through it.
Jennifer Corbett: And it’s impressive to watch him do it in the room. When we first started, I thought he was going to go one character at a time. Watching him act out a scene with himself, with all of these Clones, there’s no pause. He just goes right into it. I was blown away. And each time we do one of these record sessions, I’m just amazed at Dee’s talent.