Jeremy Allen White suggests Rotta the Hutt might have a bigger role in The Mandalorian and Grogu than we (or he) originally thought

Jeremy Allen White has revealed that Rotta the Hutt, his The Mandalorian and Grogu character, may have a larger role in the new Star Wars movie than we might have expected – and than he expected when he first signed up, too.

"[Director Jon Favreau] made it seem very chill. He was like, 'You're going to play Jabba the Hutt's son. You'll come in, it's just voice stuff, you know, we're not going to take any scans, you're not going to do any of that stuff. Just come in for half a day and read some stuff,'" White told the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

"And I was like, 'Yeah, absolutely.' But they hadn't shot any of the movie yet, really, so I'm just kind of reading some stuff, trying to put it together," he continued. "I remember calling him the night before… I was watching some of the movies before, getting ready, but I was like, 'Is there anything in particular you want me to watch or really, like, learn? Is there something I should know?' And he was like, 'No, just come on in and do the thing.'

This movie will be Rotta's live-action debut. He originally appeared in animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in which he's kidnapped by Count Dooku and rescued by Anakin Skywalker.

White added, "Then a year passed and they shot the movie, and he was like, 'We've got some more stuff for you to do. And I think I realized that they really fleshed that character out a little bit and I might be in more of that movie than I had realized originally."

Alongside White, Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin and Sigourney Weaver joins the franchise as a New Republic colonel. According to the film's official synopsis, "The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu."

The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22, 2026. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the other upcoming Star Wars movies and shows on the way.