At the moment in information we weren’t anticipating within the second week of 2024: The Mandalorian is getting a film. Titled The Mandalorian & Grogu, the film, in line with Lucasfilm, will start manufacturing this yr with Jon Favreau, who created the TV collection and served as showrunner, set to direct.
That is the best way, and doubtless indicative of what The Mandalorian ought to have been from the start. Whilst Disney tried to capitalize on its acquisition of the Star Wars franchise—and bolster Disney+ subscriptions—by churning out a lot of street-level collection, an amazing lots of them have felt like films already. Aside from, maybe, Andor, which is as a lot a political drama as it’s a Star Wars present, most of the Star Wars collection have misplaced steam mid-season. If a present like, say, E book of Boba Fett or Obi-Wan Kenobi had been trimmed all the way down to a 2.5-hour house opera, they could have struck a greater chord.
Bringing The Mandalorian & Grogu to theaters additionally looks like one thing of a hat tip to the place Lucasfilm needs to take the franchise sooner or later. Final summer time, Disney CEO Bob Iger indicated the corporate is likely to be seeking to spend much less on its mega-franchises. Making a film that includes considered one of a Star Wars present’s most beloved characters achieves that with out ramping up a whole galaxy-spanning movie—or trilogy of them—full of huge names. (One be aware on that: Lucasfilm’s announcement didn’t say whether or not or not Pedro Pascal could be reprising his function as Mando.) Add in the truth that a whole lot of The Mandalorian to this point has been shot on Lucasfilm’s digital set, StageCraft, and it’s a no brainer.
The deal with one character’s journey (or one character and his Child Yoda sidekick) additionally appears of a bit with the forthcoming Rey-focused function being directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel).
The flicks from Mandalorian author Dave Filoni and James Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Future) appear to be broader in scope, however Filoni’s, a minimum of, is meant to convey the plotlines of Ahsoka, The E book of Boba Fett, and The Mandalorian collectively. Whereas somebody like Luke or Rey has typically been the hero on a journey in a Star Wars film, they’ve all the time been joined by Hans, Leias, Finns, and Poes. Making a Mando movie, then, is a sign not all of them will probably be ensemble affairs on the identical degree. (It additionally offers this author hope that Shawn Levy’s forthcoming Star Wars film may simply be a buddy comedy that includes Jabba the Hutt and Salacious B. Crumb.)
In response to the film’s announcement, The Mandalorian & Grogu “will lead Lucasfilm’s feature-development slate,” which incorporates Filoni, Mangold, and Obaid-Chinoy’s films. No launch date has been set, however, as The Hollywood Reporter factors out, the studio does have a Star Wars function on the calendar for December 19, 2025.