The first clap will soon be launched for the film “The Mandalorian and Grogu”, sequel to the Star Wars series. The feature film will break with an old tradition concerning the intergalactic saga in cinema.
Last January, Lucasfilm surprised Star Wars fans by announcing the start of work on a The Mandalorian film. No season 4 for the series but a feature film which will be directed by Jon Favreau, big man of the Disney+ show.
Showrunner and co-writer of the series, the latter will therefore direct the film, which will begin filming this year. Appointed The Mandalorian and Groguthis will likely be the first Star Wars feature film since 2019 and the release of The Rise of Skywalker.
“I loved telling stories set in the rich universe created by George Lucas”declares Jon Favreau in the press release announcing the project. “The prospect of bringing The Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to film is extremely exciting.”
For the moment, no release date has been announced but 2026 is a possibility, according to Disney. Will The Mandalorian and Grogu be released before Star Wars New Jedi Order? The film starring Daisy Ridley is scheduled for May 20, 2026 and should also begin filming very soon. We will know more in the coming weeks.
Grogu and Mando turn their backs on the famous Star Wars studios
According to Deadline, this Star Wars film will have a particularity, breaking with a 47-year-old tradition! Indeed, The Mandalorian and Grogu will be filmed entirely in the United States, and more particularly in California.
Since 1977, Star Wars films have mainly been filmed in studios in England. George Lucas produced his saga at Elstree, Shepperton, Ealing, Leavesden and Pinewood studios.
For the prelogy, however, he made a detour to the Fox studios in Sydney, Australia (at the time, Harry Potter monopolized the Leavesden studios, forcing Lucas to find a solution).
The production had only gone to the United States for exterior filming, but never studio shooting in the country of Uncle Sam. For example, the exteriors of Return of the Jedi were filmed in California at the beginning of the 1980s.
This is therefore changing with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which should be shot 100% in studios in California. The reason is very simple: all the infrastructures of the series are based in this state. Filming will therefore be greatly facilitated, particularly with an already well-established technical team.
This is the way…of dollars
Furthermore, according to information from Variety and Deadline, the California Film Commission committed a significant sum of nearly $21.8 million to support the production. If the American state is investing so much money in this future work, it is not out of pure generosity.
Filming of The Mandalorian and Grogu is expected to generate more than $166 million in profit for local businesses. The work plan currently provides for 92 days of filming.
To produce the new Star Wars film, more than 500 technicians will be needed, not including many extras. Deadline and Variety mention 3,500 people. There are also 54 actors with speaking roles, which gives us a first idea of the scale of the film.
While waiting to learn more about the feature film, the series is still available on Disney+.