Jeremy Allen White has now given one of the better descriptions yet of what makes The Mandalorian and Grogu such a strange swing. Speaking in Empire-backed coverage surfaced this month, White said playing Rotta the Hutt gave him “a bit more freedom” than playing Bruce Springsteen, because Springsteen’s voice is so instantly recognizable. Rotta, by contrast, gave him more room to experiment — including, in his words, the fact that “my speaking voice changes [as Rotta].” That is a weird comparison on paper, but it actually tells you a lot about what kind of performance this is. Rotta Is Clearly Not Being Played as a Joke That matters because White is not just voicing some throwaway CGI creature. Lucasfilm has already confirmed that he plays Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian and Grogu, the upcoming theatrical Star Wars film opening May 22, 2026. Official material has also made it clear…
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Grogu Just Turned the Oscars Into a Star Wars Moment
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…
Matthew Willig Says He’s in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and That Is a Fun Little Casting Update for Mando Fans
Sometimes a Star Wars casting update does not arrive with a glossy Lucasfilm press release or a dramatic trade headline. Sometimes it just shows up because the actor is understandably excited and decides to say, more or less, “yeah, I’m in the movie.” That is basically what happened with Matthew Willig, who posted that he will be making an appearance in The Mandalorian and Grogu and thanked Lucasfilm for helping him fulfill “a kid’s dream.” This Looks Like More Than a Rumor at This Point The reason this one feels solid is that it is not just floating around as recycled fan chatter. Willig said it himself on social media, and Jedi News followed that up with a report tied to his upcoming Rebel Scum Con III appearance, stating that he is playing an as-yet unnamed Iktotchi character in the film. That takes this from “internet speculation” to something a…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Embo Returns in The Mandalorian & Grogu — And Yes, His Language Still Comes From French Smurfs Books
With The Mandalorian & Grogu bringing back fan-favorite bounty hunter Embo, one of the strangest and funniest pieces of Star Wars trivia is suddenly relevant again. Because while Embo may look like one of the coolest warriors in the galaxy… his mysterious language has one of the most unexpected origins in franchise history. Dave Filoni Created Embo’s Language by Accident When Dave Filoni and the The Clone Wars team were developing Embo, they faced a creative challenge:What should this silent, hat-wearing bounty hunter actually sound like? Instead of building a fully constructed alien language from scratch, Filoni did something far more improvisational. He recorded himself reading from his editor’s French Smurfs books — originally meant for his child — and used that as placeholder dialogue for Embo. The idea was simple:Use something foreign-sounding and slightly garbled to create a believable alien voice while they figured out a final direction. But…
“Weathers Apollo” — The Mandalorian & Grogu Trailer Includes Touching Tribute to Carl Weathers
Sometimes Star Wars hits you right in the feels — and this time, it’s a subtle moment that fans might have missed on first watch. A new shot from the latest The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer appears to include a quiet but deeply touching tribute to the late Carl Weathers. A Hidden Message in Aurebesh In one scene from the trailer, text can be seen written above a doorway in Aurebesh. When translated, it reads: “Weathers Apollo.” It’s a simple detail, but one loaded with meaning. Carl Weathers famously portrayed Greef Karga in The Mandalorian, becoming one of the show’s most beloved characters across its run. Before joining the Star Wars galaxy, Weathers was also known worldwide for playing Apollo Creed in the Rocky franchise — making the phrase “Weathers Apollo” an especially fitting tribute. Honoring a Mandalorian Legend Carl Weathers passed away in 2024, and his impact on The…
Martin Scorsese Officially Joins Star Wars — As an Ardennian in The Mandalorian & Grogu
In a twist nobody saw coming (but everyone secretly loves), legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese is officially stepping into the Star Wars galaxy. The iconic director will voice an Ardennian alien in the upcoming film The Mandalorian & Grogu, marking his first-ever appearance in a Star Wars project — even if it’s behind the mic. Yes, that Martin Scorsese. Taxi Driver. Goodfellas. The man who once famously critiqued superhero movies… now part of a galaxy far, far away. And honestly? This is kind of amazing. From Film Legend to Star Wars Cameo According to reports, Scorsese will lend his voice to an Ardennian — the same multi-armed alien species as Rio Durant from Solo: A Star Wars Story. The role is expected to be a voice cameo, but the significance is huge. Bringing in one of cinema’s most respected directors adds another layer of prestige (and fun crossover energy) to The…
The Mandalorian & Grogu Trailer Arrives Tomorrow — And It Already Looks Cinematic as Hell
Star Wars fans, clear your schedules. The first full trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu officially drops tomorrow, and if the early footage is anything to go by, this might be one of the most cinematic Star Wars projects we’ve seen in years. After dominating Disney+ with three seasons of The Mandalorian, Din Djarin and everyone’s favorite tiny Force user are heading to the big screen. And based on the preview clips floating around online, Jon Favreau and company are aiming big — very big. A True Big-Screen Star Wars Experience The early visuals from the upcoming trailer tease something that feels much closer to a full theatrical Star Wars film than a streaming spinoff. Wide landscape shots, detailed ship interiors, and large-scale action sequences all point toward a production designed specifically for cinema. We’re seeing sweeping planetary environments, cinematic lighting, and detailed close-ups that go well beyond the usual…
Sigourney Weaver Says She “Can’t Wait to Share This Journey” in The Mandalorian and Grogu
Veteran actor Sigourney Weaver is officially embracing the galaxy far, far away. In recent remarks shared online, Weaver expressed her excitement for her role in the upcoming The Mandalorian and Grogu, saying she “can’t wait to share this journey with you.” Her comments were made as part of promotional conversations ahead of Star Wars Celebration and various fan events, where cast and crew continue to tease what’s in store when Mando and Grogu make the jump from streaming to the big screen. A Legendary Career Meets a Legendary Galaxy Weaver’s involvement in The Mandalorian and Grogu marks a high-profile addition to the film’s cast. Known for iconic roles in franchises like Alien, Avatar, and Ghostbusters, she brings serious genre pedigree to Star Wars. The upcoming movie — set for release on May 22, 2026 — will unite Din Djarin and Grogu in their first theatrical adventure, with Jon Favreau directing…
Sigourney Weaver Cheekily Breaks Down What It’s Like to Hang with A Group of Grogus on The Mandalorian & Grogu
If you ever wondered what it looks like when Alien royalty meets the galaxy’s cutest little green Force-sensitive, Sigourney Weaver has given us the delightfully nerdy behind-the-scenes scoop. And it’s just as charming as Grogu himself. In a recent interview, the legendary actress—who’s joining the cast of The Mandalorian & Grogu—let slip a wonderfully specific detail: that filming with Grogu actually meant spending time with a whole group of them. Yep, not just one. A group. And according to Weaver, they each brought something special to the set. “There’s the Grogu that walks sometimes, and the Grogu that does weird faces, and then there’s another Grogu that does that, whatever it is — the Force?” Weaver laughed, recalling the mechanics behind bringing the beloved character to life. A Multi-Grogu Ensemble (Seriously) Here’s the fun part: Grogu isn’t just one puppet or CGI creation. On set, multiple performers and puppeteers work…
New Plot Details Reveal the Core Story of The Mandalorian and Grogu
A new plot description for The Mandalorian and Grogu offers the clearest picture yet of where the story is heading — and it firmly places the film at a pivotal moment in the Star Wars timeline. According to the newly revealed description, the galaxy is still dealing with the aftermath of the Empire’s collapse. Imperial warlords remain scattered across the stars, while the fledgling New Republic struggles to maintain order and protect everything the Rebellion fought to achieve. In the middle of that chaos stand Din Djarin and Grogu, drawn back into the conflict as unlikely but essential allies. A Galaxy Still Picking Up the Pieces Rather than jumping ahead to a stable era of peace, The Mandalorian and Grogu appears to lean into the uneasy transition period following the fall of the Empire. The presence of roaming Imperial warlords suggests a fragmented enemy — dangerous not because of unity,…
New Mandalorian and Grogu Trailer Reportedly Attached to Select Zootopia 2 Screenings
Disney may be quietly rolling out one of its biggest surprises of the year. According to early reports from moviegoers, a brand-new trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu is playing in front of select screenings of Zootopia 2. Yes — the first real look at Din Djarin and Grogu’s leap to the big screen may already be out there… just not online yet. And that’s exactly the kind of sneaky marketing Lucasfilm loves. A Strategic (and Very Disney) Trailer Drop When a major studio wants to test a trailer before unleashing it worldwide, it often attaches it to a specific film with a predictable audience. Placing The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer before Zootopia 2 checks every box: Disney gets to watch real-time audience reactions without the pressure of an immediate global release. It’s the same tactic they’ve used with Marvel previews, Pixar teasers, and even earlier Star Wars marketing. Why…
Jeremy Allen White Had No Idea Who Rotta the Hutt Was Before Being Cast in The Mandalorian and Grogu
Jeremy Allen White — the Emmy-winning star of The Bear and longtime favorite from Shameless — is joining the Star Wars galaxy in one of the most unexpected ways imaginable: by playing Rotta the Hutt. And according to a new interview, he had absolutely no idea who that was before he got the role. Source Yes. The man cast to voice Jabba the Hutt’s son learned about the character after being hired. And honestly? That might be the coolest part of this entire story. A “Wait… Who?” Casting Moment In the interview, White openly admits that he didn’t know Rotta even existed until the creative team walked him through the character. That’s right: no Clone Wars memories, no deep Hutt lore, no childhood trauma from the 2008 animated movie. Just a director telling him:“You’re going to play a Hutt.”And White going:“Great! …What’s a Hutt’s kid like again?” In a franchise…