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The irresistibly cute Baby Yoda is getting a movie. Here’s what we know about The Mandalorian & Grogu, from the initial announcement to the news of Jeremy Allen While joining the cast.
January 9, 2024: Save us, Baby Yoda feature film, you’re our only hope!
Star Wars HQ released a transmission January 9 announcing director Jon Favreau is working on a feature-film adaptation of The Mandalorian set to begin production later this year. The Mandalorian & Grogu will be the first Star Wars feature film since The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX) closed out the sequel trilogy in 2019, a month after The Mandalorian debuted on Disney+. The series, starring Pedro Pascal as Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin, has been a hit, owing in no small part (because there are no small parts, just small little alien puppet actors) to the irresistibly cute Grogu, a.k.a. the Child, a.k.a. Baby Yoda.
Since then, Lucasfilm’s focus has primarily been on its Star Wars streaming-series offerings, including The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and Ahsoka, which has a second season in development. This will be the first movie adaptation of a Disney+ series from this universe, and it seems like a great way to jumpstart the franchise’s next theatrical phase. There are also Star Wars films by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, and Dave Filoni in development, but none of them have a cute little green guy who eats frogs and moves merch. Think of the souvenir popcorn buckets!
In addition to directing, Favreau will produce the film alongside Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy. “I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” Favreau said in a statement. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.” Kennedy added that these characters are “a perfect fit for the big screen.” This Mandalorian & Grogu comes after last year’s news that Donald Glover’s Lando Calrissian spinoff will now be a movie instead of a series. May the box-office numbers be with them all.
May 11, 2024: Well, she’s definitely got enough space missions on her résumé: Sigourney Weaver is in talks to join the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu. TheInsneider was the first to report that the Alien star was considering the job, and The Hollywood Reporter later also confirmed the news. It’s not clear what character she would play if she officially signs on, but we wouldn’t mind seeing her yell, “Get away from Grogu, you bitch!” Do we think Jonesy and Baby Yoda would have been friends?
December 9, 2024: Sorry Baby Yoda, there’s a new toddler who will be stealing hearts and selling merch. Jeremy Allen White has been cast as Rotta the Hutt, Jabba the Hutt’s son and pride and joy. We also have a release date of May 22, 2026— they finished filming this month. It’s still a ways away, so we have plenty of time to figure out how White and Weaver will be interacting in the Star Wars universe; hopefully they’ll be friends.
This post has been updated.
