Despite still being less than a year away, Star Wars’ next movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, is already slated to make Hollywood history in several ways. Star Wars may have built its franchise on making movies, but as of late, Lucasfilm has been focusing primarily on live-action TV shows.
The Mandalorian was the highly successful launching pad for these TV shows, and as Star Wars prepares to head back to the big screen, The Mandalorian is yet again leading the charge with its spin-off movie. After a seven-year movie theater hiatus for Star Wars, here’s how the franchise’s next movie is already preparing to make history.
6
This Star Wars Movie Is Based Entirely On A TV Show
As mentioned above, The Mandalorian and Grogu is based entirely on The Mandalorian TV show itself, even borrowing the same тιтle with the addition of Din Djarin’s beloved green sidekick, Grogu. This movie is expected to pick up where The Mandalorian season 3 leaves off, making it a true spin-off of its own show.
Star Wars has turned movies into TV shows more than once before, from Star Wars: The Clone Wars getting an animated series of the same name to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gaining a prequel TV show in the critically acclaimed Andor. The franchise, however, has yet to ever turn a TV show into a movie – until now.
For The Mandalorian, it was only a matter of time. This Star Wars story is one of the franchise’s most successful in history, with both Din Djarin and Grogu alike becoming Star Wars icons in the last six years. The show has always had a cinematic feel, and soon, it will prove why it’s perfect for the big screen.
5
The Movie Features A Main Animated TV Show Character
Star Wars animation has become more important than ever before in recent years. The animated Star Wars TV shows have always been mᴀssive fan-favorites, and as the franchise pivots back to the movie theater, they’re not taking this appreciation for granted. That’s why one major animated TV show character is coming to the big screen.
Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, a key member of the Phoenix Cell in Star Wars Rebels, has quite a role in The Mandalorian and Grogu, as revealed in exclusive trailer footage and a still at this year’s Star Wars Celebration Japan. While Zeb isn’t the first animated character to appear in a live-action Star Wars movie, he still checks an important box.
Saw Gerrera, first introduced in The Clone Wars, famously appears in Rogue One, but Saw wasn’t a part of the main cast of characters in The Clone Wars. Zeb, on the other hand, is a major player throughout Star Wars Rebels’ entire run. His big-screen debut is thus a major stepping stone for Star Wars, especially animation.
4
One Of The Movie’s тιтular Characters Is An Alien Species
Star Wars has an almost dizzying collection of various alien species, many of whom have gained their own languages, culture, and other lore over the years. Despite this appreciation of brand-new alien species in the galaxy, human characters have always been at the center of the movies, with droids being their main sidekicks.
That will change with The Mandalorian and Grogu. Grogu’s name is right in the тιтle, proving that this adorable non-human has just as much of the spotlight as his human father. Grogu’s species, known for now as Yoda’s species, is still largely mysterious, but that hardly matters given how beloved he truly is.
Grogu’s co-starring role is something that’s often joked about, especially in interviews with Din Djarin actor Pedro Pascal, but it truly is a major step for Star Wars as a whole. The franchise is truly embracing more of the extensive lore it’s introduced, and is proving they’re not afraid to break their own mold and dig into their sci-fi aspects.
3
The Majority Of The Movie (If Not All Of It) Was Filmed In California
Los Angeles and Hollywood have long since been the heart of movie-making in the United States, but that’s not usually the case with Star Wars movies. All the other Star Wars movies ever made have been filmed primarily overseas, whether it be in Australia for the prequels or in the United Kingdom for the originals and sequels.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, however, housed most, if not all, of their production in California. A big motivating factor for this was the Volume soundstage, which was developed alongside The Mandalorian TV show itself. This digital set gives both the production more flexibility and the actors a chance to actually see their environments rather than blue or green screens.
This is a mᴀssively historical move for Star Wars, as it brings the franchise home to where the idea for this nearly fifty-year-old ongoing story first began. It’s not entirely surprising, given that The Mandalorian TV show was also filmed in California, but it’s still a major step forward for Star Wars and other franchises, too.
2
It Has The Potential To Set A Box Office Record For Star Wars
This is certainly a point that can be argued, but it stands to reason that The Mandalorian and Grogu has a good chance of breaking Star Wars’ box office record. As it stands, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the franchise’s highest-grossing movie of all time, having accumulated over $2 billion worldwide for the sequel trilogy’s introductory film.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is now in a similar position, being the first Star Wars movie to hit theaters in seven years by the time of its release, but it also has several other advantages. The biggest is in the тιтle: Grogu. The little guy has captured hearts worldwide, whether people have watched The Mandalorian or not.
Grogu capitalism, as it’s commonly nicknamed, should never be underestimated, especially in this case. Those who love “Baby Yoda” but have never gotten to see The Mandalorian without access to Disney+ or for other reasons will certainly find their way to a movie theater seat. For this reason alone, amongst many others, there’s definitely potential for a box office record.
1
It’s The First Star Wars Movie Without The Franchise In Its тιтle
Perhaps one of the most shocking things about The Mandalorian and Grogu, however, is that it’s the first Star Wars movie not to include the franchise’s name directly in its тιтle. The Skywalker saga has all been famously grouped together as an episodic story continuation, and the other spin-off movies have included the tag line A Star Wars Story.
This isn’t the case for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Although it does contain Star Wars in its logo, just as The Mandalorian TV show does, The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn’t have Star Wars anywhere in its official тιтle. This is a huge testament to just how successful The Mandalorian has become on its own.
The Mandalorian is one of the most important things Star Wars has ever created in recent years, and the fact that it’s able to have a movie hitting theaters without the franchise’s actual name on it proves that. Star Wars has no concerns about The Mandalorian and Grogu making history, and it’s easy to understand why that is.
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026.
