Just over a year before The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters, its budget has been revealed, and this news has me feeling even more excited about what’s to come in Star Wars’ next movie. The Mandalorian and Grogu is set to continue the story of Din Djarin and Grogu from The Mandalorian TV show, following the beloved duo on their adventures working under-the-table for the New Republic rangers to target members of the Imperial Remnant.

Other details about The Mandalorian and Grogu have been hard to uncover, despite the fact that filming on the next Star Wars movie wrapped in December 2024. Its budget, however, has only just recently surfaced, proving that The Mandalorian and Grogu is the cheapest Disney Star Wars movie made thus far. This, at least to me, is an extremely promising sign about the movie itself, and there are a few different reasons why that is.

The Mandalorian Movie Proves Star Wars Has Learned To Manage Budgets

Their Experience With TV Shows Has No Doubt Helped Mᴀssively

For one, news about this budget is so exciting because it proves that Disney has learned from past Star Wars movies and TV shows. Whereas the past Disney Star Wars movies have all been made on mᴀssive budgets, with quite a few going over budget, The Mandalorian and Grogu has been able to use the technology created and perfected during the TV show’s run to find a proper middle ground, one more reminiscent of the first six Star Wars movies.

That’s not to say that Star Wars movies made on higher budgets aren’t as good, or that these bigger budgets always have to be a bad thing. Star Wars rarely ever has to worry about making that money back once the movies hit theaters, with Solo: A Star Wars Story being the only real example of a shaky box office for the franchise – and much of that had to do with the fandom’s tumultuous state at the time.

This lower budget, however, does seem like a step in a better direction. It also makes sense, too, given how things went for 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That movie actually ended up finishing under budget, which likely marked the first step in Disney’s Star Wars learning how to produce their movies in a more cost-effective way. The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s production operating on a lower budget would, to me, be an indication that the entire process of this movie has been smooth sailing.

Star Wars Has A Filmmaker Who Truly Knows How It’s Done

Jon Favreau Has Plenty Of Experience On Blockbusters Like This

Of course, a lot of these decisions also have to do with the person who’s at the helm of this movie: Jon Favreau. While Lucasfilm is stocked full of experienced, expert filmmakers, Favreau has tons of experience with both Disney and Marvel movies, and this budgeting is already proof that he’s carrying his lessons learned from those franchises into this film. This is especially true where technology is concerned; Favreau has worked with some of film’s most complicated tech over the years.

Serving as both the writer and director of The Mandalorian and Grogu, and executive producer along with Dave Filoni, Favreau has no doubt steered this project in the correct direction from the start. He would know by now, especially with his experience on The Mandalorian itself, how to balance outdoor sets with the use of the Volume, making for not only a cost-effective production but also a visually compelling one.

Budgets Don’t Mean Everything, But This Is Still A Hugely Positive Sign

We’re Getting Back To The Heart Of Star Wars

While it’s true that a movie’s budget doesn’t define the actual film itself, I still think it’s a very positive sign that The Mandalorian and Grogu managed its production on a budget that’s significantly lower than other Disney Star Wars movies. It’s my personal belief that the Star Wars sequel trilogy built up such mᴀssive budgets in order to create the spectacles Star Wars has long since been known for on the screen, but those same movies also proved that the spectacles alone aren’t everything.

A movie can look visually stunning, but if its story doesn’t deliver, then it won’t amount to much. That’s not to say the Star Wars sequel trilogy never delivered story-wise; Star Wars: The Force Awakens is especially a high-ranking movie for me. But there’s no denying how divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi was, even though it may undeniably be the most visually beautiful Star Wars movie we’ve ever gotten.

In any case, I think that The Mandalorian and Grogu operating on a lower budget is an excellent sign that Star Wars is taking a well-thought-out risk with this movie. They know how much they’ll need to create spectacles, something we’ve already witnessed in the exclusive footage shown at 2024’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, but they also know when to set spectacles aside for the story and its characters – a lesson learned from The Mandalorian season 3, too. The Mandalorian and Grogu is no doubt going to deliver, even on a smaller budget.