Baby Yoda, AKA Grogu, is set to make his big screen debut in the new Star Wars movie.
Director Jon Favreau has been tapped to helm The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will go into production later this year. “I loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” Favreau said in a statement. “The prospect of bringing The Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is very exciting.”
Plot details are still under wraps, but Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy described the story as “perfectly suited to the big screen.”
Since his introduction in the self-titled Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, played by Pedro Pascal, has become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed new characters in the Star Wars universe. It was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at the Emmys with a fourth season on the way.
In addition to creating the series, Favreau wrote and directed several episodes. He is also known for directing Iron Man and The Lion King.
The film marks one of several Star Wars films on the way after the decision was made to focus more on exploring the universe on the big screen rather than the small screen. “You are withdrawing not only to focus, but also as part of our cost containment initiative,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said last year. “Spend less on what we make, and make less.”
Daisy Ridley is set to return as Rey in a film by Canadian-Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who will become the first woman and first person of color to direct a Star Wars film. “We are now in the year 2024, and it is time for a woman to step forward and shape a story in a galaxy far, far away,” she said.
Other future films are scheduled to come from James Mangold, Donald Glover, and Taika Waititi. “It's going to piss people off,” Waititi said of his film.
Lucasfilm has also announced and then canceled a host of Star Wars projects in recent years including films from Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige and Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.
The last Star Wars film was 2019's Rise of the Skywalker, which grossed $1 billion worldwide but received mediocre reviews.
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