(Left) Male Actor in a Comedy Series, Jeremy Allen White, ‘The Bear’ 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards, Show, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, USA – 24 Feb 2024. Credit: Photo by Christopher Polk/Shutterstock for SAG. (Right) The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the Child in ‘The Mandalorian,’ season two, exclusively on Disney+.
Preview:
- ‘The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White has a role in ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu.’
- Pedro Pascal returned to star in the movie.
- Jon Favreau directed the film.
While production has now wrapped on the next ‘Star Wars’ movie, spin-off ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu,’ there is still news to report on the film.
The Mandalorian and Grogu are embarking on a new adventure — to movie theaters. Plot TBA. Read the Plot
With series co-creator Jon Favreau calling the shots, the movie sees the return of Pedro Pascal’s bounty hunter and his adorable green sidekick Grogu for more adventures in that galaxy far, far away.
Now, according to Jeff Sneider, we know that ‘The Bear’s leading man Jeremy Allen White will be part of the movie, providing the voice of Rotta the Hutt.
What’s the story of ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’?
‘The Mandalorian’ Season 4 Concept Art courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
The big announcement of the movie offered up no details on what the plot will be, but you have to figure it’ll continue the story of the characters’ journey from the show –– including Mando’s ongoing struggle with his cultural legacy and Grogu’s increasing Force powers.
Plus there are plenty of dangling plot threads just waiting to be expanded or tied up in a big screen outing.
Who is Rotta the Hutt?
Jabba the Hutt in ‘Return of the Jedi.’ Photo: Lucasfilm.
As his name suggests, Rotta –– original full name Rotta the Huttlet –– is the son of ‘Return of the Jedi’s sluglike crime boss Jabba.
Created by Dave Filoni, he made his ‘Star Wars’ debut in the ‘Clone Wars’ movie, there voiced by David Acord.
Nicknamed “Pedunkee Mufkin” (translated as Punky Muffin) by his father and also nicknamed “Stinky” by Ahsoka Tano, was a male Hutt and the son of Jabba the Hutt.
During the Clone Wars, he was secretly kidnapped by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which was orchestrated by Count Dooku with help from Ziro, Rotta’s great-uncle. The plot was meant to discredit the Jedi Order and scuttle negotiations between the Galactic Republic and the Hutts, but the Jedi were able to rescue him.
He was later kidnapped and rescued again. We do have to wonder what fate will befall him in the new movie, but the choice of White to provide his voice points to him being more of a grown character this time around.
Who else is in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’?
Sigourney Weaver as Hildy Good in Roadside Attractions’ ‘The Good House.’
A lot about the film is still wrapped in secrecy, but alongside Pascal (and now White, at least via a recording booth), we know that Sigourney Weaver is in the cast.
Deadline is also now reporting that Jonny Coyne will be reprising his relatively small role of Imperial warlord, who is part of the Shadow Council working with Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon.
He’ll likely have a bigger part to play in the movie, especially since Gideon was sidelined at the end of the most recent season of the show.
Related Article: ‘Alien’s Sigourney Weaver in Talks to Join ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’
What has been said about the new movie?
(L to R) Dave Filoni, Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm and Jon Favreau appears at the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California on August 09, 2024. Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney.
Here’s Favreau’s statement on the new movie:
“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created. The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”
And this is what Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said:
“Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into ‘Star Wars’ two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen.”
And Filoni recently told Extra about working on the movie:
“I’m very excited about it as well. Jon and I had a great time working on that, as we always do. It was great seeing Grogu. He’s become such a star, and it’s amazing how it’s evolved, what we can do now with the puppetry compared to Season One and where we are today in a film working with the team which I worked quite a bit with them on the puppetry. Legacy effects did a fantastic job, and what a wonderful little creation Grogu is.”
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) Director James Mangold, Dave Filoni, and director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
While the Mando movie is flying into first position, we do know that Dave Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in development from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but appears to keep hitting stumbling blocks and has been removed from the schedule for now.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
Where else have I seen Jeremy Allen White?
Jeremy Allen White in ‘The Bear.’ Photo: Courtesy of FX.
White these days is best known as –– and has received awards for –– driven chef Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto in cooking drama ‘The Bear.’
Before that, he was seen in ‘Shameless,’ ‘Homecoming’ and since he’s been in movies including ‘The Rental,’ ‘Fingernails’ and ‘The Iron Claw.’
More recently, he’s been filming the Bruce Springsteen pic ‘Deliver Me from Nowhere’ (as Springsteen) and ‘The Bear’s fourth season will be with us next year.
When will ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ be on screens?
The Mando movie will be rocketing into theaters on May 22nd, 2026, so we still have a bit of a wait for that one.
‘The Mandalorian’ season 3 starring Pedro Pascal premieres March 1st on Disney+. Photo: Lucasfilm.
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