Jon Favreau is doubling down on the success of his hit series The Mandalorian.
Variety reports Lucasfilm has enlisted Favreau to direct The Mandalorian & Grogu, which marks the first Star Wars film to go into production since 2019’s maligned Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker.
“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” said Favreau. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”
For those who haven't tapped into The Mandalorian since its first batch of episodes—or ever—it was revealed in Season 2 that the 50-something-year-old chap known as Baby Yoda is actually named Grogu.
The movie is expected to go into production later this year, with Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and recently-appointed chief creative officer Dave Filoni serving as producers.
"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," Kennedy shared.
The news arrives more than four years after Disney+ launched alongside The Mandalorian. Created by Favreau, the series has spawned the spinoffs Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett. The fourth and second seasons of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, respectively, are also in development.
Last April, Lucasfilm made a splash by announcing it had three marquee movies cooking. One will star Daisy Ridley’s Rey, picking up 15 years after the sequel trilogy and being helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel). Another, from Logan director James Mangold, takes place in the distant past and is fittingly titled Dawn of the Jedi. Finally, Dave Filoni is making a crossover flick set to unite the storylines of Disney+’s Mandalorian-adjacent series.
That said, Lucasfilm is notorious for announcing Star Wars movies and never making them, plus Bob Iger said mere months later that Disney is scaling back on its Marvel and Star Wars offerings.
