Lucasfilm has officially announced The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, a massive turnaround from just five years ago. In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion. It didn’t take long for Disney and Lucasfilm to announce the launch of the Star Wars sequel trilogy – but, however successful these may have been in terms of box office takings, they proved divisive.
The launch of Disney+ meant corporate priorities changed across Disney franchises, with a particular focus on creating Disney+ TV shows. Five years later, though, priorities are shifting once again; now, Lucasfilm is ramping up its Star Wars movie production. The Mandalorian & Grogu movie serves as a powerful symbol of these changes.
New Star Wars Movies: Every Upcoming Movie & Release Date
Here’s every upcoming Star Wars movie in development – including Rey’s New Jedi Order, the Dawn of the Jedi, and an exciting Mandalorian-era movie!
The Mandalorian Launched Live-Action Star Wars TV (As The Movies Halted)
The Mandalorian was essentially the flagship – not just of Star Wars TV, but also of Disney+ itself. The first episode released alongside the platform’s launch; Lucasfilm made the smart decision of keeping Grogu secret, and “Baby Yoda” promptly went viral. This was a major component in Disney+’s initial success, and to this day, the streaming service remains largely dependent on Star Wars and MCU releases.
The timing was notable, though, because this happened at the same time as the halting of Star Wars movies. Other Disney studios – such as Marvel – were expected to increase their output and produce both movies and TV shows. Lucasfilm, however, pivoted because of the divisive reaction to the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the box office failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story. This meant Star Wars evolved into a true transmedia franchise, with many successes – such as Star Wars:The Clone Wars season 7, Andor, and Ahsoka – following hot on The Mandalorian‘s heels.
The Mandalorian Is Now Bringing Star Wars Movies Back
Din Djarin and Grogu launched a new age for Star Wars. Now, with the announcement of a new movie called The Mandalorian & Grogu, they are ushering in another era of Star Wars movies. The Mandalorian & Grogu – currently expected to release in 2026 – will be a new beginning for Lucasfilm, swiftly followed by Rey’s New Jedi Order movie, a blockbuster by James Mangold exploring the Dawn of the Jedi, and a further movie set during The Mandalorian era. It means the future looks bright for Star Wars once again, and it’s all thanks to The Mandalorian & Grogu.
This is an amazing turnaround for Lucasfilm, a sign of how much things have changed at the House of Mouse. The movie projects struggled, but the studio pivoted to another content type, and is now using that to get back to the box office. This is even more remarkable given the stars of The Mandalorian & Grogu were complete unknowns back in 2019, and now they are household names. This can definitely be chalked up as a major success for Lucasfilm.
