Draft:The Mandalorian & Grogu

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The Mandalorian & Grogu
Directed byJon Favreau
Screenplay by
Based onStar Wars
by George Lucas
Produced by
Starring
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release date
  • May 22, 2026 (2026-05-22)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Mandalorian & Grogu is an upcoming American space Western film directed by Jon Favreau and co-written by Favreau and Dave Filoni. Produced by Lucasfilm and set to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is part of the Star Wars franchise and a continuation of the Disney+ television series The Mandalorian. The film stars Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin / The Mandalorian.

Favreau and Filoni had written the fourth season of The Mandalorian by February 2023, but production on the season was delayed by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. During this time, Lucasfilm re-evaluated their plans for the franchise and decided to prioritize a Mandalorian film over the season. The film was announced in January 2024, and is scheduled to begin filming in June in California.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 22, 2026.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Background[edit]

Director Jon Favreau pitched an idea he had for a Star Wars television series featuring Mandalorians to Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in 2017.[4][5] Dave Filoni, executive producer on the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, had also been conceiving a Mandalorian-focused series, and Kennedy suggested that he and Favreau work together on their ideas.[5] This led to the creation of The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars television series, which debuted with the launch of the streaming service Disney+ in November 2019.[6] Shortly after the premiere, Walt Disney Studios CCO Alan Horn said a film featuring the series' titular bounty hunter, Din Djarin, could be developed if the series was a success.[7] The next month, Favreau said there was an opportunity to explore the series' characters in Star Wars films or spin-off television series.[2]

The Mandalorian's bounty at the start of the series is "the Child"—colloquially known as "Baby Yoda" by viewers—an infant of the same species as Yoda, created with animatronics and puppetry (augmented with visual effects). He becomes the Mandalorian's ward,[2] and is revealed to be named Grogu in the second season.[8] In September 2020, The Mandalorian co-star Giancarlo Esposito said the second season lays the groundwork for "the depth and breadth that's going to come in season 3 and season 4".[9] The next month, Favreau and star Pedro Pascal said they were open to the Mandalorian appearing in a Star Wars film, but Favreau was in no rush to do this.[10] Favreau began writing the fourth season by late May 2022,[11] and completed the scripts with Filoni by February 2023.[12] Filming for the season was scheduled to begin that September, but this was delayed by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[13][14][15] In November, Filoni revealed that he was now chief creative officer at Lucasfilm and would be directly involved in the planning of future films and series.[16]

Development[edit]

While production on the fourth season was delayed by the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Lucasfilm re-evaluated their plans for the franchise and decided to prioritize a Mandalorian film instead.[15] The studio announced the film, titled The Mandalorian & Grogu, in January 2024. Favreau was set to direct, co-write with Filoni, and produce with Kennedy and Filoni.[3][15] Filming was expected to begin in June.[1] Pascal celebrated the announcement on Instagram by sharing concept art for the film.[17] He was expected to reprise his role as the voice of the Mandalorian, but it was unclear whether he would be physically portraying the character (whose face is generally hidden with a helmet),[1] and some questioned whether his schedule had room for the production.[17] It was also unclear whether the fourth season would still be made because there was potential for future Mandalorian stories to instead be told through film sequels if the first film was a success.[15] During an earnings call in early February, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the film would likely be released in 2026 and would start a new slate of Star Wars films.[18]

In February 2024, California allocated the production $21,755,000 in tax credits from the state's filming tax incentive program, one of the biggest allocations in the program's history. The film was expected to be entirely produced in the state, a first for the Star Wars franchise, and would generate over $166 million in qualified expenditures and below-the-line wages there.[19] In April, Disney scheduled the film for release on May 22, 2026, filling the May 2026 date that the studio had previously reserved for an untitled Star Wars film.[20]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in June 2024,[1] in California and is expected to take 92 days.[19] It will film under the working title Thunder Alley.[21] The film will feature approximately 54 cast members, 3,500 background extras, and 500 crew members.[19]

Release[edit]

The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 22, 2026.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e McPherson, Chris (February 11, 2024). "'The Mandalorian & Grogu' Movie Eyes Summer Production Start". Collider. Archived from the original on February 11, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Giardina, Carolyn (December 5, 2019). "Why Jon Favreau Chose Baby Yoda: "We Don't Know a Lot of Details About His Species"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (January 9, 2024). "'The Mandalorian & Grogu': Jon Favreau To Direct And Produce 'Star Wars' Pic For Lucasfilm". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Keegan, Rebecca (December 19, 2019). "In Baby Yoda, Hollywood Sees Its Past, Present and Meme-able Future". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Breznican, Anthony (February 19, 2022). "Star Wars: The Rebellion Will Be Televised". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Whitbrook, James (April 11, 2019). "The Mandalorian Will Premiere on Disney+ November 12". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Thorne, Will (November 13, 2019). "Disney Studios Chief Alan Horn on Scorsese v. Marvel, Challenges in a Changing Business". Variety. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Thorne, Will (November 27, 2020). "'The Mandalorian': What's Ahsoka Tano Been Up To? Baby Yoda's Big Reveal and More Burning Questions From 'The Jedi'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Pearson, Ben (September 21, 2020). "'The Mandalorian' Season 4 is When "You're Really Gonna Start to Get Answers", Says Giancarlo Esposito". /Film. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (October 15, 2020). "A 'Mandalorian' Movie? Pedro Pascal and Jon Favreau on the Future of the Newest 'Star Wars' Franchise". Variety. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Eisenberg, Eric (May 29, 2022). "Jon Favreau Confirms He's Working On The Mandalorian Season 4 While Opening Up About Star Wars Crossover Opportunities". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Bonomolo, Cameron (February 20, 2023). "The Mandalorian Creator Teases MCU-Style Star Wars Story". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (May 15, 2023). "'The Mandalorian' Season 4 Start Of Production Likely To Be Delayed Due To Writers Strike". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Bonomolo, Cameron (June 1, 2023). "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 4 Production Pushed Back Amid Writers' Strike". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d e Kit, Borys (January 12, 2024). "The Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision Newsletter". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Moreau, Jordan (November 21, 2023). "Dave Filoni Is Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm, Will Be 'Planning the Future' of 'Star Wars' Films and Shows". Variety. Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Brizzell, Molly (January 9, 2024). ""Hey Mando!": Pedro Pascal Celebrates The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie Announcement". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Anderton, Ethan (February 7, 2024). "The Mandalorian And Grogu Will Land In 2026, Kicking Off A New Wave Of Star Wars Movies". /Film. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d Patten, Dominic (February 26, 2024). "'The Mandalorian & Grogu' Lands One Of California's Largest Tax Credit Awards Ever; First 'Star Wars' Flick To Be Shot In Golden State". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 5, 2024). "'Mandalorian & Grogu', 'Moana' Live Action & 'Toy Story 5' Stake Out 2026 Release Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Production Weekly – Issue 1391 – Thursday, February 29, 2024 / 178 Listings – 38 Pages". Production Weekly. February 29, 2024. Archived from the original on March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.

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