This week’s announcement of The Mandalorian & Grogu movie added yet one more main undertaking to Lucasfilm’s already crowded Star Wars slate. Whereas we don’t have many particulars about The Mandalorian film at this level, what we do know reveals the place the studio is focusing its sources, and the place the Star Wars franchise is headed. It’s fairly clear that Lucasfilm is all in on the adventures of an cute little inexperienced puppet and his dad in addition to the creators who introduced him into the world within the first place. Nevertheless it’s additionally fascinating to have a look at what’s been sidelined on account of fast-tracking this undertaking.
Over the previous decade, Lucasfilm has shifted its focus from theatrical movies to authentic TV collection. Between 2015 and 2019 the studio produced 5 movies—the trilogy that concluded the Skywalker Saga plus the standalone movies Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story. That movie frenzy slowed to a halt, nevertheless, with the launch of Disney+ in 2019 (additional sophisticated by the pandemic and its impact on cinemas). The Mandalorian was one of many first authentic collection to debut on the platform, and was particularly designed to draw new subscribers. Different reveals adopted, together with The Guide Of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and Ahsoka. Nonetheless extra are on the way in which—a second season of Ahsoka was introduced similtaneously The Mandalorian & Grogu—but it surely’s beginning to appear to be Disney+ could not have a monopoly on new Star Wars content material.
By the point The Mandalorian & Grogu premieres it can doubtless have been at the very least six years since followers lined as much as see a Star Wars movie in a theater. We all know the undertaking goes into manufacturing in 2024, and though we now have no official phrase on a launch date there’s each indication it can soar forward of different tasks at present in growth.
All in on Favreau and Filoni
This week’s assertion asserting the brand new movie included a quote from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy that appeared to point the corporate is inserting all its chips on two explicit creators. “Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is an ideal match for the massive display,” Kennedy stated, including that The Mandalorian & Grogu would “lead Lucasfilm’s ongoing feature-development slate, together with movies helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold, and Dave Filoni.”
Favreau, as you might know, is the creator and govt producer of The Mandalorian. He’s additionally set to direct the movie. Filoni, at present the Chief Inventive Officer at Lucasfilm, is on board to govt produce. The 2 have labored collectively carefully on a number of Disney+ reveals as writers, administrators, and producers, so anticipate the brand new movie to hold on the continuity established in these productions. Filoni’s upcoming characteristic has been rumored to tie all of them collectively in an epic, Marvel-style staff up that might embody Mando, Grogu, Ahsoka, Boba Fett, and different characters from the TV realm.
What about all these different tasks in growth?
Ultimately 12 months’s Star Wars Celebration we discovered about three upcoming movie tasks, none of which have been The Mandalorian & Grogu. James Mangold is about to direct a characteristic in regards to the origins of the Jedi and the Pressure. Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will deliver Daisy Ridley again as Rey in a continuation of the Skywalker Saga with the tentative title Star Wars: The New Jedi order. And Dave Filoni is about to deliver the threads of a number of TV tasks collectively in a characteristic of his personal.
Curiously, although, previous to this week’s announcement, the one Star Wars movie formally on Disney’s slate with a reputation connected was the one director Taika Waititi is meant to be engaged on. As of final June, he had nonetheless not completed the script, which he’s co-writing with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917, Final Night time In Soho). Though that movie is at present scheduled for launch on Could 22, 2026, it wasn’t talked about in Lucasfilm’s announcement. Has it been canceled or postponed? We’re nonetheless ready for information on that entrance.
The studio additionally beforehand had an untitled Star Wars movie on the calendar for December 2026. That appears to depart 2025 open, so Mando and his foundling could have the 12 months all to themselves.
Disney+ continues to be key to Lucasfilm’s content material technique
There’s nonetheless loads of Star Wars content material to look ahead to on TV as properly, together with a second season of Ahsoka and probably one other season or two of The Mandalorian tied to the characteristic movie. The lead-up to Filoni’s movie may embody extra of The Guide Of Boba Fett, hopefully with some retooling to keep away from the pitfalls of the poorly acquired first season. There are additionally extra episodes of the Filoni-created animated collection The Dangerous Batch on the way in which.
This 12 months we’re alleged to be getting two new Star Wars reveals on Disney+ which might be outdoors of the Favreu-Filoni-verse (though each are on board as govt producers). First up will probably be Skeleton Crew, from Jon Watts and Christopher Ford (Spider-Man: Homecoming), starring Jude Legislation as a Jedi. Later in 2024 we’ll be getting The Acolyte from Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland. These appear to be following one other development we’re seeing in Star Wars tasks proper now, letting completely different creators with their very own voices put their stamp on the franchise. It definitely labored with Andor, which can also be due for a second season.
