You might be waiting for The Mandalorian season 4 following the third volume's rather explosive finale, but it seems like Din Djarin and Grogu will be seen in cinemas next.
If you want to know everything about The Mandalorian & Grogu, the upcoming Star Wars movie from writer-director Jon Favreau, you've come to the right place.
On top of the many Star Wars Disney Plus shows coming our way (new and returning), the theatrical slate for the rest of the decade is slowly taking shape following several announcements at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While we wait for more Star Wars movie news and new series announcements, you can look forward to at least three new shows in 2024: The Bad Batch season 3, The Acolyte, and Skeleton Crew. And if you're a gamer, maybe check out some of the best Star Wars games of all time in order to master the Force.
Related: Star Wars streaming guide
The Mandalorian & Grogu release date
According to Lucasfilm's January 9, 2024, press release, The Mandalorian & Grogu (yes, that title might be definitive) "will go into production in 2024." The announcement also said Jon Favreau's movie "will lead" Lucasfilm's ever-evolving movie slate, so that means it'll be the first Star Wars movie in cinemas since 2019.
While we still have to wait a little while, The Mandalorian & Grogu movie now has a release date locked in for May 22, 2026.
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Another Star Wars theatrical feature is set to drop on Dec. 18, 2026, and that could very well be the Daisy Ridley-led Rey Skywalker movie if it doesn't hit road bumps (a common occurrence with Star Wars movies). However, even if Lucasfilm can meet that deadline, we have our doubts about the studio releasing two Star Wars movies less than 12 months apart after what happened to Solo: A Star Wars Story at the global box office.
What is the plot of The Mandalorian & Grogu?
The Mandalorian season 3 ended with Din Djarin, Grogu, and Bo-Katan (with the help of a Mandalorian army) seemingly destroying Moff Gideon and his Imperial followers once and for all, which led to the Kryze heiress reclaiming Mandalore for their people.
Following those events, Din Djarin struck a deal with the New Republic to help them hunt down and bring to justice other Imperial Remnant leaders, which definitely puts him and Grogu on a straight collision course with the main conflict introduced in Ahsoka's first season: Grand Admiral Thrawn returning to the known galaxy and planning (alongside other nefarious forces) to tear down the newly-formed Republic.
With the Dave Filoni-led event movie still a few years away (he must figure out Ahsoka season 2 first), it's looking like The Mandalorian & Grogu will bridge the gap between the TV series and the larger conflict on the horizon. Until we receive the first official plot details, it's safe to assume Star Wars' most iconic characters in recent years will be going after some Imperial baddies and maybe meeting with some friends along the way.
The Mandalorian & Grogu trailers
The Mandalorian & Grogu hasn't even entered production yet, so don't expect official first looks at the movie until 2025 at the earliest. We'll be updating this article with all the new material released by Disney and Lucasfilm as it comes, so stay tuned.
The Mandalorian & Grogu cast
So far, we can only assume that Pedro Pascal will be returning to play Din Djarin, the titular Mandalorian, alongside Brendan Wayne (most scenes with the helmet on) and Lateef Crowder (stuntman). Grogu needs no introduction and is a puppet, so no actor will be attached to the role unless he finally starts talking.
While we cannot predict who will join the Star Wars universe for the first time in the new movie, we can mention some names which could show up in the Mandalorian and Grogu's next story chapter due to their ties to the characters and where they are in the larger galaxy at the moment: Temuera Morrison (Boba Fett), Ming-Na Wen (Fennec Shand), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Emily Swallow (The Armorer), Carl Weathers (Greef Karga), Amy Sedaris (Peli Motto), Timothy Olyphant (Cobb Vanth), Omid Abtahi (Dr. Pershing), Katy O'Brian (Elia Kane), and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Carson Teva).
Of course, not everyone in that list must appear in The Mandalorian & Grogu, especially with Dave Filoni's event movie still moving forward, but they're all characters who can either add to Din and Grogu's journey or represent strong supporting roles. Stay tuned for casting news in the near future.
The Mandalorian & Grogu director, writer, and crew
The Mandalorian & Grogu will be directed (and probably written like most of the show) by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Jungle Book). The veteran filmmaker will also produce alongside Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and chief creative officer (and New Republic storytelling partner) Dave Filoni.
No further official details about people attached to the project have been released as of yet, though we can assume a good portion of the crew behind The Mandalorian will be part of the pre-production, production, and post-production team. It’ll also be interesting to see whether Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Oppenheimer) returns to work on the original score after letting Joseph Shirley (The Book of Boba Fett) take the reins in the third season of the series.
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Fran Ruiz is our resident Star Wars guy. His hunger for movies and TV series is only matched by his love for video games. He got a BA of English Studies, focusing on English Literature, from the University of Malaga, in Spain, as well as a Master's Degree in English Studies, Multilingual and Intercultural Communication. On top of writing features and other longform articles for Space.com since 2021, he is a frequent collaborator of VG247 and other gaming sites. He also serves as associate editor over at Star Wars News Net and its sister site, Movie News Net.