The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter and his young apprentice Grogu. A film by Jon Favreau, starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Alan White, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Jonny Coyne, Martin Scorsese, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hemky Madera, Shirley Henderson, Steve Blum, and Sigourney Weaver.
The MANDALORIAN and GROGU
Jon Favreau
(2026)
Directed by American filmmaker Jon Favreau from a screenplay he co-wrote with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, The MANDALORIAN and GROGU is a sci-fi adventure that serves as a continuation of the Disney+ TV series. Set in the Star Wars universe, the film follows the Mandalorian as he is tasked by the New Republic with a mission to Rotta the Hutt in exchange for information to find Commander Coin, an elusive former Galactic Empire commander.
This is the way.
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A film by Jon Favreau, starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Alan White, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Jonny Coyne, Martin Scorsese, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hemky Madera, Shirley Henderson, Steve Blum, and Sigourney Weaver.
Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire in Return of the Jedi, the story picks up immediately following the events of The Mandalorian season 3, in which Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) adopted Grogu as his apprentice. Now, the two work for the New Republic to hunt down warlords of the former Galactic Empire.
The Mandalorian is tasked by New Republic Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to track down Commander Coin, an elusive Imperial target whose face no one has ever seen. Their only lead comes from an unlikely source. The Hutt Twins, cousins of the infamous Jabba the Hutt, have agreed to guide them to him.
The Mandalorian and Grogu travel to Nal Hutta, the homeworld of the Hutt species, to meet the Twins in person. The Twins now rule over the Hutt Cartel, having assumed full leadership of its dealings. In exchange for information regarding Commander Coin, the Mandalorian must journey to the planet Shakari and rescue their nephew Rotta (Jeremy Allen White), the only surviving heir of Jabba the Hutt.
Upon arriving at the Outer Rim planet of Shakari, it doesn’t take long to find Rotta, who has become a famous gladiator in the local fighting pits. However, Rotta refuses to be rescued by the Mandalorian. He insists that he belongs in the arena, a place where the crowds cheer for him rather than fear him for being Jabba’s son. He mentions that after his final match, he will be granted his freedom, as promised by Lord Janu.
The Mandalorian learns more about Lord Janu from Hugo Durant (Martin Scorsese), an Ardennian fry cook who admits to paying the crime lord for protection, just like everyone else in the city. After some pressing from the Mandalorian, Hugo reveals that he occasionally drops his payments at the Salt Bar, located beneath the Golden Station.
At the Salt Bar, the Mandalorian confronts Lord Janu (Jonny Coyne) and offers to buy out Rotta’s contract. Lord Janu declines the offer, explaining there is no price high enough to buy Rotta out of his last fight. He reveals that Rotta is meant to die in an upcoming dejarik match, where he will face the deadliest creatures Janu has collected from across the galaxy.
While the movie is definitely a fun watch, it doesn’t quite match the massive expectations built by the first two seasons of The Mandalorian. Those early seasons set such an impossibly high bar. In the end, this film feels like it would have worked much better as a two-episode arc for the TV series instead.
I understand that Disney wants to capitalize on the massive success of Grogu’s merchandise, which is likely why they fast-tracked a Mandalorian movie instead of giving us more Andor.
“Baby Yoda” is undeniably their most recognizable IP in recent years. However, this film is weighed down by a half-baked script that leans too heavily on remnants of the original Star Wars trilogy. The resulting narrative just feels incredibly bleak.
Grogu is basically just there for comic relief. He looks cute, but his movements feel stiff. And he’s used to service an unconvincing plot twist. Rotta’s design is absurd, and his dialogue is remarkably plain.
Strangely enough, I actually kind of liked the first act, which kicked off the adventure like a classic noir detective story.
The MANDALORIAN and GROGU premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on 14 May 2026. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 22 May.
