‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ Is Heading to Theaters, Lucasfilm Confirms

in Entertainment, Star Wars

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) flies with Grogu in-hand in concept art for Lucasfilm's 'The Mandalorian & Grogu'

Credit: Lucasfilm

A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in 'The Mandalorian'
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: New Hero Will Lead Dave Filoni’s ‘Mando-Verse’ Crossover Movie

Lucasfilm took to social media Tuesday morning to confirm some exciting news pertaining to its hit Disney+ Star Wars spinoff, The Mandalorian. And now, it’s official: The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his tiny charge, Grogu, are embarking on a new adventure — to movie theaters.

According to a press release issued this morning, The Mandalorian & Grogu (TBA) will be directed by The Mandalorian co-creator Jon Favreau and will be produced by Favreau, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, and fellow co-creator Dave Filoni. And it sounds like we could be seeing our favorite father-son duo together onscreen sooner than expected, as it the film go into production in 2024.

Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) among other Mandalorians in 'The Mandalorian' Season Three
Credit: Lucasfilm

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“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” said Favreau of the project. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.” Meanwhile, Kennedy added, “Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen.”

In the same press release, Lucasfilm seems to have confirmed another exciting project: Season 2 of Ahsoka. Rosario Dawson’s first outing as the titular ex-Jedi fared well with casual viewers and fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels alike, laying the foundation for the New Republic’s conflict with former Imperial warlord Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).

Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in The Mandalorian Season 2
Credit: Lucasfilm

Readers were also reassured that the three movies confirmed at April’s Star Wars Celebration Europe — Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Rey (Daisy Ridley) film, James Mangold’s untitled Dawn of the Jedi project, and Filoni’s “Mando-Verse” crossover event — are still in the works at Lucasfilm, alongside The Mandalorian & Grogu, which “will lead Lucasfilm’s ongoing feature-development slate.” This could mean that we’ll be able to catch the new Mandalorian adventure in theaters as early as 2025.

While the upcoming Mando movie hasn’t received an official confirmation until now, reports that a feature-length film would replace The Mandalorian Season 4 date back to early December. Star Wars scoopers and Hollywood insiders have long debated the validity of these claims, with some insisting that the beloved space western would indeed return to Disney+ for a regular season. In Deadline‘s piece on the movie, the outlet noted, “It’s not yet been confirmed whether Pascal will reprise his role as the Mandalorian for the new film. At present, a fourth season of his hit series is also in development,” meaning a Season 4 is happening. However, it all remains a bit of a question mark.

Mando Chapter 22
Credit: Lucasfilm

It’s hard to say why Disney and Lucasfilm ultimately decided to move Mando to the silver screen, but it could be chalked up to the lingering effects of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which brought Hollywood productions to a standstill over the summer. Given that a feature is substantially shorter than, say, an eight-episode Disney+ TV show, this means The Mandalorian & Grogu will hopefully take far less time to film, putting it back on schedule after its September 2023 start date was postponed.

And time could be of the essence, considering Filoni’s crossover movie — which is currently slated for 2026 or 2027 — is likely depending on the events of The Mandalorian & Grogu for continuity. Filoni’s film will act as the conclusion of all Disney+ Star Wars shows under the “Mando-Verse” umbrella, including The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and the upcoming Skeleton Crew. Before his team-up flick can arrive in theaters, however, all of the pieces need to be in place, and compressing Mando Season 4 — if it is indeed being replaced — into a single movie is certainly an efficient way of getting there.

Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Carson Teva in The Mandalorian
Credit: Lucasfilm

Still, that doesn’t make the news of Din Djarin and Grogu heading to the big screen any less surprising, given the conflicting reports surrounding its development. Plus, Favreau has previously stated that he’s already written the entirety of The Mandalorian Season 4, meaning he either had to scrap those episodes to create an all-new movie script if the TV show is being replaced by the movie, or is simply adapting what he’s already penned into a tighter format — which, honestly, could do the property some good, given the pacing complaints surrounding Season 3.

For now, plot specifics for The Mandalorian & Grogu remain unknown, but with The Mandalorian Season 3 leaving our title characters with a fresh slate, the possibilities are endless. It seems likely that the film will pick up on some loose plot threads left from last season, including Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) reclaiming her homeworld of Mandalore and the mysterious Shadow Council, who will no doubt re-emerge from the, well, shadows now that Thrawn has returned to the known Star Wars galaxy.

Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) wielding the Darksaber in The Mandalorian "Chapter 24: The Return"
Credit: Lucasfilm

Grogu’s not-quite-a-Jedi training also still has to be addressed, as the youngling chose to end his coaching with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to return to his dad in The Book of Boba Fett. With the galaxy becoming an increasingly dangerous place, Grogu might have to channel his Force-sensitivity into something greater to protect the ones he loves. Could Ahsoka pick up his training? Luke? Rey? Or what about Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi)? Only time will tell.

Are you excited for The Mandalorian & Grogu, or do you wish Lucasfilm would’ve kept it a Disney+ series? Let us know in the comments below!

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