Posted in: Disney+, Movies, Preview, Star Wars, streaming, TV | Tagged: disney, Grogu, lucasfilm, star wars, The Mandalorian

The Mandalorian & Grogu: Disney/Lucasfilm Eyeing 2026 Release Date

Lucasfilm, Jon Favreau, and Dave Filoni's big-screen adventure The Mandalorian & Grogu is expected to hit screens sometime in 2026.

Early last month, the word came down that Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm, were teaming up to bring the streaming series universe to the big screen in The Mandalorian & Grogu – expected to begin production later this year. Now – thanks to this afternoon's earnings report for the first fiscal quarter of this year, The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger was able to confirm that the film will hit the big screen in 2026. Based on a previous release calendar for Disney, that could be the premiere on May 22, 2026, or December 18, 2026 (though rumblings are leaning toward the December date). Whichever date, that should give them enough time to set up the second season of Rosario Dawson-starring Ahsoka and the fourth season of Pedro Pascal-starring The Mandalorian. Who knows – maybe a little "Boba Fett," too?

The Mandalorian Universe: Favreay & Filoni's 2023 Thoughts

During an interview with Empire, Filoni discussed what fans can expect from the film, the need to go big when moving to the big screen, and planting the seeds for some defining moments. Here's a look at some of the highlights:

Will the Film Wrap-Up Storylines or Have Its Own Story? "The way I look at it, there are [small] stories, and then there's the big story of the day, too. 'A New Hope,' 'Empire,' and 'Return Of The Jedi' tell the important parts of the tale that really define the history of the period. There are all kinds of sub-stories underneath that. We've been building all these small stories."

Moving to The Big Screen Means "Defining Moments" Are A Must: "To me, a theatrical experience has to have a big idea – a monumental moment in the time period that changes what's happening. What Tony [Gilroy] has done [in Andor] and what we did in 'Rebels,' everything then changes when Luke blows up the Death Star. You're looking for those moments that define an era, and that's what the films really should be about – whether it's characters coming together or a defining moment."

Filoni's Been Leaving Clues to What's to Come "Across Different Mediums" for Some Time: "There are little things along the way that I've built across different mediums, all in preparation for things that come later."

Based on what Favreau had to share during EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast, fans of the expanded "Star Wars" universe (comic books, novels, video games, etc.) might also have some familiar faces to look forward to seeing on the big screen, too. In the following highlights, Favreau explains why he and Filoni are interested in looking beyond the films & series, the importance of tapping into their "inner child" when mapping out the film, and how every decision about a character needs to serve the story – and not vice-versa.

Favreau Grew Up with Expanded "Star Wars" Universe: "When I was younger, we didn't have movies, but there were comic books, there were novels, things that are encompassed in the [expanded universe] or Legends. Clearly, there are decisions that have to be made to fit it all together, but for us, I think one thing we're in agreement about is that the characters — as special as they are — the story has to drive what characters are."

For Favreau, It's About Thinking as a Kid: "We joke that it's like we're playing with action figures, like, 'What's in the box? Let's play with what's in the box!' And that's what you do when you're playing, and you're a kid."

It Still Comes Down to The Story, First: "As we are getting deeper and deeper into this, you start to have to really map things out and figure out what that story is, and then have those characters fulfill what their growth cycle is and what their mythic hero's journey is. Those things have to fit together well. Otherwise, it won't feel like 'Star Wars.'" As Favreau sees it, that's a philosophy that "Star Wars" creator George Lucas would appreciate: "That's always been George's base. He's a student of Joseph Campbell. How does it fit into the narrative that has the hero's journey? And so as we have more and more characters line up, you have to figure out how those characters are arcing and if it feels ultimately like a Star Wars story."

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