It’s been years since we’ve seen a (new) Star Wars project hit the big screen, but that’s all about to change soon.
The last Star Wars film to grace movie theaters was Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019), which didn’t exactly go down well with fans or critics. While it managed to take home $1.077 billion at the box office, it hit a measly 51% on Rotten Tomatoes where it was lambasted for its “frustrating lack of imagination.”
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In the years since, Lucasfilm has shifted its priorities to the silver screen. With the debut of Disney+ came a new era for a galaxy far, far away – one primarily dominated by The Mandalorian/Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his little green sidekick, Grogu (AKA Baby Yoda).
The Mandalorian first debuted in 2019, where it was met with acclaim in all the areas where Rise of Skywalker wasn’t. While its subsequent seasons haven’t quite stuck the landing as well, the show – which follows a lone bounty hunter in his mission to protect the Force-sensitive Grogu – remains the crown jewel in the Star Wars canon right now.
With films inevitably proving more profitable than TV shows, however, it seemed obvious that Lucasfilm would eventually shift Din Djarin, Grogu, and co. to theaters. That announcement came in January when the studio revealed that it had dropped plans for a fourth season (at least temporarily) and would instead release The Mandalorian & Grogu as its next theatrical project.
Very little has been confirmed about the film yet, other than the fact that it will see the return of Mandalorian and Grogu (shock, horror) and be directed by showrunner Jon Favreau with a script co-written by him and Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni. However, a new report has provided a surprising update about the film.
According to the Making Star Wars YouTube Channel, The Mandalorian & Grogu will start filming this May. Yes, as in any day now.
“I talked to two different cats, both believe that filming is actually going on in May,” the channel said. “In May, there will be filming done. I’m not saying it’s May 1, I’m not saying it’s May 31, but it’s somewhere in there that things will be filmed for that specific movie.”
Pedro Pascal’s body double, Brendan Wayne – who provides most of the physical work for Din Djarin – previously suggested that filming could start in June. Making Star Wars noted that “that was probably the initial start. The ‘if we don’t meet our milestones start date.’ But it sounds like things are going swell is how it sounds. So we might have a Star Wars movie filming in the next couple of days, so to speak.”
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Fans had previously thought that the filming start date was June 17, as per info provided by the Film & Television Industry Alliance’s production tracking service. Even if the date has changed, the location has assumedly stayed the same; the Film & Television Industry Alliance claims that The Mandalorian & Grogu will be filmed in Los Angeles using ILM’s StageCraft technology and the Volume in soundstages at Manhattan Beach Studios, just like the first three seasons of the show.
If this is the case – and filming doesn’t shift location at any point – this will be the first Star Wars movie filmed entirely in California. Past installments in the franchise have been filmed on location in the likes of Jordan, Ireland, Bolivia, Mexico, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, and England’s Pinewood Studios.
The Mandalorian & Grogu is currently scheduled for release on May 26, 2026. The next Star Wars film after that is thought to be the long-awaited return of Daisy Ridley as Rey in an as-yet-untitled film following her character’s efforts to rebuild the Jedi Order.
Lucasfilm isn’t done with Disney+ just yet, though. Its next show, The Acolyte – which is set at the end of the High Republic era – will debut on the streaming service on June 4, 2024. The second season of Andor is penciled in for the summer, while Star Wars: Skeleton Crew – a coming-of-age story set in space – will also premiere later this year.
Related: Another Surprise ‘Mandalorian’ Project Coming, Report Says
There are also whispers that George Lucas – AKA the brain behind Star Wars itself – could return for a live-action series on the platform at some point (although considering his previous comments on returning to a galaxy far, far away after selling Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012, we’d take this rumor with a grain of salt).
Are you excited for The Mandalorian & Grogu? Let us know in the comments!
This post REPORT: Next ‘Star Wars’ Project Gets Shock Update appeared first on Inside the Magic.
