Jon Favreau admits The Mandalorian's jump to the big screen means they have to "up their game", and that even extends to a "leveled up" Grogu
The Force is strong with this one
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
It's not long until The Mandalorian heads to cinemas for its first big-screen adventure in The Mandalorian and Grogu. For co-creator and director Jon Favreau, that means going above and beyond to capture the attention of a willing audience used to streaming the Star Wars series on Disney Plus.
Speaking during a panel at the New York Toy Fair (H/T ScreenRant), Favreau said, "We gotta up our game now for the movie theater, and that means taller aspect ratios for IMAX, building sets that take full advantage of that… we have to notch everything up and then the storytelling as well."
Favreau added, "We want to take you on an adventure, and that adventure has to fill up the screen and has to be something where people at this moment in time, when so much is competing for your attention, that you're gonna stop what you're doing and you're gonna go to a movie theater."
Curiously, that even extends to a "leveled up" Grogu. The Mandalorian's adopted child, formerly known among Star Wars fans as Baby Yoda, had been training under Ahsoka Tano and Luke Skywalker but rejected the way of the Jedi to return to Din Djarin as a Mandalorian.
While the first Mandalorian and Grogu trailer only hinted at the scale of what's to come (the less said about its Super Bowl 'commercial' the better), a newly-announced 'Ice Planet Chase' figure hints that we're getting a death-defying set-piece involving Din and Grogu fleeing from an AT-AT.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, starring Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, and Sigourney Weaver, hits theaters on May 22, 2026.
For more, check out the other upcoming Star Wars movies in development, plus our Big in 2026 preview for Star Wars: Galactic Racer.
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
