The Mandalorian and Grogu comes out in May, six-and-a-half years after the divisive The Rise of Skywalker, which means there’s a whole generation of young kids who will get to experience a brand new Star Wars movie in theaters for the first time.
Director Jon Favreau is well aware of the opportunity here, telling The Associated Press: “I want to make the next generation feel the way about Star Wars that I did when I saw it for the first time.” For a whole group of six-and-a-half year-olds, The Mandalorian and Grogu is an opportunity to have a first-time experience of their own.
Favreau’s comments here echo those Lucasfilm co-CEO Dave Filoni issued in March, when he said The Mandalorian And Grogu benefits from launching without the weight of expectation that comes with introducing a new Star Wars trilogy.
The Rise of Skywalker came out in December 2019, ending the last trilogy of Star Wars films and the Skywalker era — at least, for now. The Mandalorian And Grogu, due out on May 22, is one of only two Star Wars movies with confirmed release dates (Ryan Gosling's Star Wars: Starfighter arrives on May 28, 2027). While there is a long list of Star Wars movies announced, there is significant doubt that many of them, if any, will actually be released.
As the first new Star Wars film in nearly seven years, The Mandalorian and Grogu launches under intense scrutiny not just from fans, but from box office watchers. The Rise of Skywalker disappointed many, but it still made over $1 billion during its theatrical run. But that was in 2019, before the pandemic accelerated the popularity of streaming. Box office is down over 20% from pre-COVID levels. Can The Mandalorian and Grogu hope to match the money made by previous Star Wars films? And if it struggles, what does that mean for the future of the franchise?
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
