Dave Filoni has offered new insight into how the upcoming The Mandalorian & Grogu film will connect to Ahsoka season 2. Directed by Jon Favreau and co-written by him and Filoni, the film will serve as a continuation of the Disney+ series. Filoni, who is also developing his upcoming Star Wars film set to be the culmination of his Mandalorian-connected series, has been carefully crafting the franchise’s interconnected arcs. As executive producer, writer, and director of several current Star Wars shows, including Ahsoka, Filoni is at the center of this ambitious storytelling feat.

Filoni sat down with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan at Star Wars Celebration 2025 to explain the challenges and ambitions behind bringing this interconnected saga to the big screen. While Lucasfilm has yet to announce a release date for Filoni’s unтιтled Mandalorian movie, the filmmaker shared how Ahsoka season 2 is progressing and also revealed that his unтιтled film would be deeply connected to Ahsoka, saying, “Until I fully understood season 2, I wouldn’t understand how the movie should go“:

Yeah, it’s interesting. You probably know from working with me over the years that I work in very big arcs and timelines. I always have a lot of things planned, but I’m always able to move things on that big board. And so Ahsoka season 2 was a plan that I had obviously off season 1, if I got to continue, and I had an idea of where that went and then a lot of things happened that were out of my control. That made a lot of challenges to actually accomplishing that.

But I was able to accomplish it and unpack where it went. But until I fully understood season 2, I wouldn’t understand how the movie should go, so all these things kind of grow out of each other.

As with many of Filoni’s projects, the story isn’t linear, as it’s built on arcs that evolve over time. From coordinating with Favreau to mapping out the larger narrative threads that pull characters like Ahsoka, Thrawn, and Grogu together, the filmmaker explained how he’s making sure the stories connect in a meaningful way that will culminate with his upcoming film. Check out the rest of what Filoni shared below:

As Jon [Favreau]’s finishing his movie, and I’m tracking all these elements as they’re coming together. So, Jon and I talk a lot about what’s happening in the future, where we need to go.

We also look down the road at what’s ahead of all of those things. It’s already done, so it is coming together. There are a lot of things I debate about in certain ways and I want to give fans the greatest experience I can when I get to that point. So we’ll have to see.

I have one idea that I like very much that I could tell you the opening, which I really like. So I hope I get to do that. But there’s a completely different version that involves nothing that I’m thinking of that would be equally as exciting. But I feel like that one I’m running out of time to do. And one day I’ll tell you what those two things are, maybe once I’ve chosen.

What This Means For The Mandalorian & Grogu Movie & Ahsoka Season 2

Filoni’s Unтιтled Movie Will Be The True Culmination of Multiple Stories

While The Mandalorian and Ahsoka run parallel tracks that will lead to a unified cinematic experience, The Mandalorian and Grogu will pick up after season 3, and will be Star Wars’ first film to be released in seven years. Din Djarin and Grogu will be at the center of a much larger galactic conflict that has been hinted at over seasons, meaning the stakes will be high both narratively and emotionally. Though Lucasfilm has not revealed much else about the plot, it’s likely the movie will address the growing threat of Thrawn, who looms large after his return in Ahsoka.

Filoni’s update also confirms that Ahsoka season 2 is not just a continuation of its тιтular character’s story, but it serves as a narrative anchor for the larger story he’s been crafting. By collaborating with Favreau and waiting to lock in the direction of his film until he understood where Ahsoka was going, Filoni underscores how every arc is being thoughtfully built toward one cinematic payoff. With Filoni and Favreau closely aligning their visions, the groundwork laid across Disney+ shows is shaping up to deliver a truly epic big-screen adventure that brings the Mandoverse to a powerful climax.

Our Take On Filoni’s Comments About Star Wars’ Future

The Franchise Is Moving In An Exciting Direction

Filoni’s thoughtful and transparent approach to building this universe is one of the strongest reasons to stay excited about the future of the Star Wars franchise. His deep respect for legacy characters, combined with a pᴀssion for creating new mythologies, continues to interest fans from all corners of the franchise’s fandom.

His teasing mention of having two different versions of the movie only adds intrigue to seeing how the stories will conclude. With The Mandalorian & Grogu coming out on May 22, 2026, marking Star Wars‘ return to the big screen since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, expectations couldn’t be higher to see how this new era will unfold.

Check out more of our Star Wars Celebration coverage:

• Star Wars Celebration: All Panels & Times
• Star Wars Celebration Live Blog Day 2 – Ahsoka & Andor Panel Updates
• Star Wars Celebration:Live Blog Day 1 – The Mandalorian & Grogu and Lucasfilm Animation Updates
• All 8 Things We Just Learned About The Next Star Wars Movie, The Mandalorian & Grogu
• Star Wars Starfighter Announced: Next Star Wars Movie Releases In 2027, Five Years After Rise Of Skywalker & Stars Ryan Gosling
• Darth Maul Returns In First Look At Maul: Shadow Lord, New TV Show That Fulfils George Lucas’ Sequel Trilogy Plans