Jon Favreau is bringing Star Wars back to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first movie in the franchise to reach the big screen since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. The film opens May 22 and continues the Disney+ series that turned Din Djarin and his young apprentice into the center of the galaxy’s next chapter.
Favreau directs and co-writes the film with Noah Kloor and Dave Filoni. Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin, Sigourney Weaver appears in the cast, and Jeremy Allen White voices Rotta the Hutt, as the story follows the pair after the Empire’s fall, with scattered Imperial warlords still threatening the galaxy and the New Republic asking them to help protect what the Rebellion fought for.
That makes the movie more than a new title on a release calendar. It is the franchise’s theatrical comeback after years in which Disney+ carried the load with The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, Andor and The Acolyte. It is also the first theatrical release under Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan after Kathleen Kennedy left Lucasfilm earlier this year, giving the film a symbolic burden beyond its plot.
Early reactions have made clear that the comeback is not landing the same way for everyone. Some called the film a thrilling adventure, a perfect summer movie and a lot of fun. Erik Davis said it was less about the lore and more a fun, freaky romp across the galaxy, and praised Ludwig Göransson’s score for its ‘80s synth-driven horror and action-thriller feel. Scott Mendelson described it as “a solid line drive past second base,” with the kind of charm that makes a viewer think, “Neat… haven’t seen that in a Star Wars before.”
Others came away colder. Germain Lussier called it “a longer, bigger episode of the show,” saying it has one or two standout scenes but is more interested in new locations and creatures than in the characters. Peri Nemiroff said live-action Hutts are hard to pull off and that Rotta’s dialogue could be too on the nose, though she added that he did grow on her. Jonathan Sim went further, calling it one of the weakest Star Wars movies and “an emotionless, predictable experience” with dull fight scenes and a long, colorless made-for-TV feel.
That split matters because this is the first Star Wars film to test whether the series can keep its grip on moviegoing audiences after years of streaming-first storytelling. The Mandalorian and Grogu is not trying to reset the franchise’s mythology so much as carry its most popular screen partnership into theaters. On May 22, viewers will find out whether that is enough to make the jump from episode culture to event cinema.
