The Oscars got an unexpected Star Wars detour when Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver took the stage with Grogu as part of a presentation tied to The Mandalorian & Grogu. Fantha Tracks highlighted the moment as a standout bit of crossover promotion, while The Hollywood Reporter noted that Weaver even played into her sci-fi legend status by “protecting” Grogu during the segment. Grogu Was the Real Scene-Stealer This probably will not shock anyone, but Grogu once again behaved like a tiny green celebrity with elite attention-stealing instincts. The Oscars appearance was not just Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver showing up as presenters. It was also a reminder that The Mandalorian & Grogu has one of the easiest marketing hooks in Hollywood right now: put Grogu on stage, and people will immediately pay attention. The Hollywood Reporter specifically singled out Grogu’s appearance as one of the memorable beats from the ceremony’s…
Star Wars Movies
J.J. Abrams Says He Wishes General Hux Had a Bigger Role in the Sequel Trilogy
General Hux may be one of the sequel trilogy’s clearest missed opportunities. That conversation is back after J.J. Abrams praised Domhnall Gleeson at the Oscar Wilde Awards and said, “I wish he had a larger role in what we did.” Abrams presented Gleeson at the 20th Oscar Wilde Awards in Hollywood this week. A Quote Star Wars Fans Will Immediately Understand It is a small quote, but it says a lot. Hux was introduced in The Force Awakens as a major First Order figure, with clear tension opposite Kylo Ren and enough presence to feel like a long-term villain. But by the time The Rise of Skywalker arrived, the character’s arc had narrowed sharply. Why Hux Still Gets Talked About Part of the reason fans still bring up Hux is simple: the setup was stronger than the payoff. Back in 2020, Domhnall Gleeson said he wished General Hux had “stuck…
Ludwig Göransson Just Won His Third Oscar — Which Is a Pretty Nice Flex Ahead of The Mandalorian and Grogu
Ludwig Göransson has now won his third Academy Award, taking Best Original Score for Sinners at the 2026 Oscars. That is already a big headline on its own. But for Star Wars fans, the timing makes it even better: Göransson is also the composer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, which hits theaters on May 22, 2026. So yes, Lucasfilm’s next big-screen Star Wars movie is arriving with a composer who just added even more hardware to the shelf. This Was Not Just Another Nomination According to Pitchfork, the Sinners win was Göransson’s fifth Oscar nomination and third win. The Academy’s own Scientific & Technical Awards page is obviously not relevant here, but multiple awards-night reports and winner lists all line up on the same point: he won Best Original Score for Sinners at the 98th Academy Awards. That puts him in a pretty absurd tier for a composer who still…
Exclusive Mandalorian and Grogu IMAX Footage Is Reportedly Playing in the UK, and It Sounds Like Lucasfilm Is Leaning Hard Into the Big-Screen Upgrade
One of the easiest ways to tell Lucasfilm knows The Mandalorian and Grogu needs to feel like a real movie is this: it apparently is not just pushing trailers anymore. According to Bespin Bulletin, an exclusive behind-the-scenes-style featurette has been playing at Odeon IMAX screenings in the UK over the last few days, giving audiences a little extra look at the film before its May 22, 2026 release. That alone is enough to make Star Wars fans perk up, because once studios start attaching exclusive footage to premium screens, they are not just selling a title — they are selling the idea that this thing belongs in theaters. The Reported Footage Sounds More Cinematic Than Routine Promo Filler Bespin Bulletin says the IMAX-exclusive material includes Din Djarin walking down a dark urban street at night, Din unmasked in a cave with water up to his neck, more shots of the…
ILM’s Award-Winning “Lama” Tech Is the Kind of Star Wars-Adjacent Magic Most Fans Never See
Not every big Star Wars story is a trailer, a casting reveal, or somebody saying one vague sentence in Empire and sending the fandom into orbit for three days. Sometimes the interesting stuff is deeper in the machine. That is the case with Industrial Light & Magic’s layered shading system Lama, which has now picked up one of the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards. ILM says 2026 marks its 39th Sci-Tech Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and this one goes specifically to the team behind Lama — a production-ready layered materials system that has become a key part of how ILM builds believable digital surfaces. This Is Not a Movie Award in the Usual Sense To be clear, this is not “ILM won an Oscar for one specific Star Wars project.” This is one of the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards, which recognize the tools…
The Mandalorian and Grogu May Be 2 Hours and 20 Minutes Long — But Treat That Runtime Carefully for Now
A possible runtime for The Mandalorian and Grogu is now floating around online, and for once it is not coming from some random account with a blurry screenshot and too much confidence. Odeon Cinemas is currently listing the movie at 2h 20m on its film page, which is obviously the sort of detail Star Wars fans will latch onto immediately. Because the second a runtime appears, the entire conversation becomes: is that good, is that too long, is that secretly perfect, and what exactly is Jon Favreau doing with all that time? Odeon Has It Listed at 2 Hours and 20 Minutes As of now, Odeon’s listing for The Mandalorian & Grogu shows a runtime of 2 hours and 20 minutes alongside the film’s May 22, 2026 release date. If that number holds, the movie would land in a very normal modern Star Wars feature range, which makes sense for…
Ryan Gosling Says Star Wars: Starfighter Has Its Own Great Story — and That Is Exactly What Fans Need to Hear
There is a very specific kind of Star Wars quote that instantly makes people nervous. It usually sounds like someone involved in a new project saying, “Trust us, it’s special,” which is Hollywood code for “we are not telling you anything useful yet.” Ryan Gosling’s new comments about Star Wars: Starfighter land a little better than that, mostly because they hit the exact concern a lot of fans already have. Speaking to Collider, Gosling said the film has “such a great story on its own,” that the characters are amazing, and that Shawn Levy has the tone locked in. That may not be a plot reveal, but it is a smart reassurance for a movie that really does need to prove it can stand on its own two feet. The “On Its Own” Part Is the Real Headline That is the phrase that matters most here. Not just that Gosling…
A New Mandalorian and Grogu LEGO Set May Be Bringing Rotta the Hutt Back Into the Spotlight
It looks like Rotta the Hutt might be heading back to LEGO Star Wars shelves later this year, and honestly, that is not a sentence many people probably expected to be reading in 2026. According to a new report from Bespin Bulletin, another wave of The Mandalorian and Grogu LEGO sets is reportedly on the way, and one of the leaked entries is currently labeled “Hutt and Droid.” The reported set is tied to an August 2026 release and is said to include 415 pieces for $49.99 / €49.99. The Big Hook Is Pretty Obvious: Rotta Bespin Bulletin says the current assumption is that this mystery set is connected to Rotta the Hutt, who is already known to be part of The Mandalorian and Grogu. The site notes that the film includes multiple Hutts and droids, but argues Rotta is the most likely fit here, especially given the movie’s trailer…
Sigourney Weaver Says Colonel Ward Goes Way Back With Leia — and That Suddenly Makes The Mandalorian and Grogu More Interesting
For a while, Colonel Ward felt like one of those Star Wars movie characters who exists mostly as a name, a uniform, and a lot of fan speculation. Sigourney Weaver was in, the trailers showed her looking important, and everyone more or less assumed she would be the serious New Republic authority figure who sends Din Djarin off to deal with a mess. Which, to be fair, still sounds true. But Empire’s new coverage adds one much better detail: Ward apparently has history with Princess Leia. And just like that, she stops feeling like generic “new character in a control room” material and starts feeling like someone with real roots in this era of Star Wars. Colonel Ward Is Not Just Some Random New Republic Officer According to the new Empire details relayed by Jedi News, Weaver says Colonel Ward and Leia “go way back.” That is the kind of…
Ludwig Göransson Says The Mandalorian and Grogu Is Going Bigger Than the Series — and Honestly, That Matters
One of the reasons The Mandalorian worked so well from the start is that it never sounded like safe, familiar Star Wars wallpaper. Ludwig Göransson gave Din Djarin a score that felt lonely, strange, dusty, metallic, and just a little mythic. It was not trying to be John Williams cosplay. It was doing its own thing. And now, heading into The Mandalorian and Grogu, Göransson is making it very clear that the movie is not just reusing the TV formula on a larger screen. Musically, at least, this thing is going much bigger. The big headline from Empire’s new coverage is the scale. In the Readly preview of Empire’s “Settling the score” feature, Göransson says the film uses a 105-piece orchestra, up from the 70-piece orchestra used for the series, and adds a 64-piece choir on top of that. He also says he had more time to work on the…
Empire’s Mandalorian and Grogu Coverage Just Made the Movie Feel a Lot More Real
For a while, The Mandalorian and Grogu has had that slightly weird Star Wars-project energy where everyone knows it exists, everyone knows it is important, but it still somehow feels a little abstract. Not anymore. Empire’s May 2026 issue is a full-on world-exclusive preview, built around new imagery and interviews with Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White, and it is very clearly the point where this thing stops feeling like “that Mando movie coming at some point” and starts feeling like an actual event. Empire’s issue went on sale March 12, and Lucasfilm’s official film page still has the release date locked for May 22, 2026. Pedro Pascal Apparently Found Out About the Movie the Same Way We Did The funniest detail to come out of the new coverage might be that Pedro Pascal was not sitting on some giant secret master plan all…
New Mandalorian and Grogu TV Spot Keeps the Plot Murky — But the Movie’s Vibe Is Getting Much Clearer
Star Wars marketing loves doing this thing where it gives you just enough new footage to make you lean forward, and then immediately refuses to explain anything useful. That is pretty much where we are now with The Mandalorian and Grogu. A new US TV spot has surfaced, Empire’s new cover story is feeding the hype machine, and while Lucasfilm still is not exactly laying the whole plot out on the holotable, the tone of the movie is starting to come into focus. The New TV Spot Is Small, But It Does Its Job The fresh TV spot is short and pretty cagey, so this is not one of those “suddenly we know the entire third act” situations. But it does add a little new footage and keeps hammering home the same basic idea: this is still very much a Din-and-Grogu movie first, even if the scale is clearly bigger…
Katee Sackhoff Won’t Confirm Bo-Katan for The Mandalorian and Grogu — But She Says Fans Haven’t Seen the Last of Her
You can always count on Star Wars red carpet interviews to give you the most carefully engineered non-answer in the galaxy. That is exactly what happened when Katee Sackhoff was asked about Bo-Katan Kryze and whether she shows up in The Mandalorian and Grogu. Sackhoff did not confirm it. She did not deny it either. Instead, she pulled the classic “can’t confirm or deny” move — which, in Star Wars terms, is basically the franchise equivalent of waving a beskar key in front of the fandom and then sprinting away. But here is the part that actually matters: she also said fans have not seen the last of Bo-Katan. And honestly? That is the real story here. Bo-Katan Is Not Exactly a Side Character Anymore At this point, Bo-Katan is way past being some deep-cut Clone Wars favorite that only animation nerds argued about online. She is one of the…
Kathleen Kennedy Confirms Grogu Still Won’t Speak in The Mandalorian & Grogu — and Says Filoni’s Lucasfilm Transition Was a 10-Year Plan
Kathleen Kennedy just dropped two very clean, very quotable Star Wars updates in a Variety interview — one about Grogu, and one about Lucasfilm’s leadership shift. And both are the kind of details that quietly tell you what era of Star Wars we’re walking into next. Grogu is going big-screen… and still won’t say a word Asked what it was like the first time she “heard Grogu speak,” Kennedy flipped the premise and used Grogu as the perfect example of a character that has to emote without dialogue. Her answer is blunt: audiences are going to fall even deeper in love with him on the big screen, and he never speaks a word. She also explicitly confirms Grogu won’t suddenly gain speech in The Mandalorian & Grogu — despite Yoda’s famous broken-English cadence. In other words: no “Grogu talks now” twist. No “cute sidekick monologue.” The character is staying in…
Jon Favreau Says Rotta the Hutt Is Basically the Adonis Creed of The Mandalorian and Grogu
There are a lot of ways to describe Jabba the Hutt’s kid. Slimy heir. Underworld legacy act. The galaxy’s weirdest case of nepotism. But Jon Favreau just reached for a much more unexpected comparison. In a new Empire spotlight on The Mandalorian and Grogu, Favreau compared Rotta the Hutt to Adonis “Donnie” Creed, the Creed franchise boxer who has to build his own identity while carrying the weight of a famous family name. Favreau’s quote gets right to the point: what does it do to a character when he is trying to establish himself while being known first and foremost as Jabba the Hutt’s son? That is actually a pretty smart angle. Rotta Is Not Just Back — He Is Apparently in “Top Form” Favreau’s comments suggest Rotta is not returning as some throwaway easter egg for people who remember The Clone Wars. According to the new details pulled from…
Star Wars: Starfighter Actor Daniel Ings Teases a “Punk” Vibe — and a “Tremendous” Ending
If you’re worried Star Wars: Starfighter is going to be another overly polished, committee-built space opera, actor Daniel Ings just dropped a description that suggests the opposite. In an interview highlighted by ScreenRant, Ings says the upcoming 2027 Star Wars movie has a “punk feel” and that the ending is “tremendous.” That’s… a pretty spicy choice of words for a franchise that usually lives somewhere between mythic fairytale and military sci-fi. What does “punk Star Wars” even mean? “Ings calling it punk” can be read a few ways (and yes, fans are already doing the “define punk” discourse speedrun): And honestly? That vibe would make sense for Starfighter if the movie is truly trying to stand on its own without leaning on legacy characters as a crutch. The “tremendous” ending tease lands in… interesting timing The reason Ings’ comment is turning heads isn’t just the hype — it’s the context….
Jessica Henwick Says Losing Rey Was “For the Best” — And Explains Why She Wouldn’t Have Survived the Instant Fame
Jessica Henwick has opened up again about one of Star Wars’ biggest “almost” casting stories: her audition for Rey in The Force Awakens. In a new interview tied to her upcoming projects (Vladimir and How to Make a Killing), Henwick reflects on the experience with a lot more calm than she had at the time — and says she now believes not landing the role was ultimately the right outcome for her. “I much prefer the slow burn” Henwick confirms she auditioned for Rey before the role went to Daisy Ridley, and admits it hit hard in the moment — but says the hindsight is very different. She explains that she doesn’t think she’s the kind of person who could have handled “that level of exposure that fast,” adding that she prefers building a career more gradually. For Star Wars fans, it’s a fascinating “alternate timeline” moment — especially because…
THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU Is Bringing Star Wars Back to Theaters — and Filoni Calls It a “Different Era” Than The Force Awakens
It’s been seven years since Star Wars last hit the big screen. The franchise closed the Skywalker Saga in 2019 with The Rise of Skywalker — and since then, the galaxy has lived on streaming. Now, Star Wars is officially pivoting back to cinemas with The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Empire’s new cover story frames it as a very different kind of theatrical comeback. Dave Filoni’s core point: this isn’t another “Episode VII moment.” It’s a film built around characters the audience already knows — and loves. “We’re in a completely different era of Star Wars now.” Filoni compares the theatrical return to The Force Awakens — but says the situation isn’t the same Filoni directly compares the scale of returning to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu to the cultural impact of The Force Awakens, while also stressing that Episode VII carried a unique weight: it was the start…
Ryan Gosling Says Star Wars: Starfighter Is a “Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity”
Ryan Gosling is opening up about what convinced him to step into the Star Wars universe — and it wasn’t just the franchise name. The award-nominated actor, known for roles in Barbie, Blade Runner 2049, and Project Hail Mary, revealed that he had avoided major franchise films for much of his career. That changed when Star Wars: Starfighter came along. In a recent interview, he described the project as something that finally felt right — a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” What Made This Star Wars Role Different Speaking with io9, Gosling said that what ultimately drew him to Starfighter was not simply joining a blockbuster franchise, but the vision, enthusiasm, and script presented by director Shawn Levy. “It was Shawn’s enthusiasm and his vision and the script… and it is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Gosling explained. He also admitted he had intentionally steered clear of long-running franchise fare before, because nothing had…
Ryan Gosling Explains Why He Finally Said Yes to Star Wars After Avoiding Big Franchises for Years
Ryan Gosling has spent most of his career doing something unusual for an A-list Hollywood star: avoiding major film franchises. No Marvel. No DC. No long-running cinematic universes. So when it was revealed he would lead a brand-new Star Wars movie, fans immediately had one question: why now? According to Gosling himself, the answer comes down to one person — and one script. “It Was Shawn’s Vision” In a new interview discussing his upcoming Star Wars film Star Wars: Starfighter, Gosling opened up about why this was the franchise that finally convinced him to step into blockbuster territory. “It was Shawn’s enthusiasm and his vision and the script,” Gosling explained. “I just avoided these things because they never felt right… and I’m glad I did because it was worth waiting for. It is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” That’s a pretty strong endorsement — especially from an actor known for being…
Millennium Falcon Ride Gets Mandalorian & Grogu Mission Starting May 2026
Big changes are officially coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge — and this time it’s not rumor or speculation. Disney has confirmed that Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will receive a major new Mandalorian-themed mission beginning May 22, 2026, tying directly into the release of The Mandalorian & Grogu in theaters. And yes — this is a full gameplay and story expansion. Din Djarin and Grogu Take Over Smugglers Run Starting May 22, 2026, guests boarding the Millennium Falcon will join Din Djarin and Grogu on an all-new mission across the galaxy. The updated attraction will focus on tracking down elusive ex-Imperial officers, bringing riders directly into a fresh Star Wars storyline connected to the upcoming theatrical film. This marks the biggest update to Smugglers Run since Galaxy’s Edge first opened — and it firmly places The Mandalorian era front and center inside Disney’s parks. New Destinations Across the Galaxy One…
Disney Insiders Concerned About The Mandalorian & Grogu Buzz — But Ryan Gosling’s “Starfighter” Is Getting Strong Early Praise
There’s growing chatter inside Disney about the future of Star Wars on the big screen — and not all of it is centered on The Mandalorian & Grogu. According to new reporting, some Disney staffers are concerned that the film’s unconventional Super Bowl marketing push didn’t generate the level of excitement the studio had hoped for. At the same time, early buzz around Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter is reportedly much more optimistic, with insiders praising Ryan Gosling’s performance and the film’s tone. Let’s break down what’s happening behind the scenes. Disney Reportedly Concerned About Super Bowl Reaction Disney used the Super Bowl to spotlight The Mandalorian & Grogu, the first Star Wars movie headed to theaters in years. Instead of a traditional trailer, the studio opted for a short, nostalgic-style commercial that leaned into humor and parody. While the creative approach stood out, it may not have delivered…
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Lightsaber Used by Rey Heads to Auction for Up to $100,000
A true piece of modern Star Wars history is heading to the auction block — and it’s not just any prop. The iconic lightsaber hilt used by Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now up for auction, with an estimated sale price between $50,000 and $100,000. For collectors and fans alike, this isn’t just a display item. It’s a genuine on-screen prop tied directly to one of the sequel trilogy’s most memorable moments. A Lightsaber With Major Star Wars Legacy The lightsaber hilt featured in the auction is the same weapon seen during Rey’s confrontation with Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens. It’s also the saber she later returns to Luke Skywalker — making it one of the most symbolically important props in the sequel trilogy. In many ways, the weapon represents the passing of the torch between generations of Jedi. Originally wielded by Anakin Skywalker and later…
Anthony Daniels Reflects on Star Wars Legacy in Nearly 3-Hour Icons Unearthed Interview
The Nacelle Company has dropped something special for Star Wars fans who love going deep into the saga’s behind-the-scenes history: a nearly three-hour interview with C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels as part of the Icons Unearthed series. If you’ve ever wanted the long, unfiltered version of Daniels talking about life inside the golden armor, the evolution of Star Wars, and what it’s like being the galaxy’s most talkative protocol droid for nearly five decades… this is it. A Massive Deep Dive Into Anthony Daniels’ Star Wars Legacy The full-length interview runs at just under three hours and offers a rare, extended look at Daniels reflecting on his time across the entire Star Wars timeline—from the original trilogy to modern Disney-era productions. Daniels is one of the few actors to appear in every single mainline Star Wars saga film, making him a living archive of behind-the-scenes stories, production chaos, and creative evolution….