There have been rumblings online about Lucasfilm potentially bringing The Mandalorian to the big screen for months now, but as we first reported on SFFGazette.com, it's finally been confirmed.
Titled The Mandalorian & Grogu, Jon Favreau will step behind the camera to direct with the Iron Man helmer also set to produce alongside Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni. The plan from here is for production to begin later this year, presumably with a 2025 release in mind.
What does this mean for The Mandalorian season 4? Well, it's previously been rumoured that Favreau's scripts for that next batch of episodes evolved into a movie after last year's WGA strikes, so we can't discount that possibility. Then again, as Mando is such a big draw on Disney+, season 4 could still follow somewhere down the line. Only time will tell.
"I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created," Favreau said in a statement earlier today. "The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting."
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy added, "Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen."
In the press release, it's mentioned that The Mandalorian & Grogu will "lead Lucasfilm's ongoing feature-development slate," essentially confirming it will arrive before the Star Wars movies announced during Star Wars Celebration last April.
Those projects from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, and Filoni are all still on the way, with the latter filmmaker currently developing Ahsoka season 2 for Disney+. We expected a second batch of episodes and those have likely pushed back his movie plans, particularly after Hollywood essentially came to a standstill for most of 2023.
Disney needs some guaranteed box office hits after a rough couple of years and The Mandalorian & Grogu is bound to succeed in that respect. Both characters are massively popular with hardcore and casual fans and we're intrigued to see what this means for them moving forward. Season 3 ended with Moff Gideon finally defeated and Mandalore restored, meaning whatever story Favreau tells can serve as something of a fresh start for the duo.
You can take a look at the first piece of concept art for The Mandalorian & Grogu - which sadly doesn't reveal too much about what to expect - below: