The Mandalorian and Grogu will be the first Star Wars movie released in theatres in seven years, since Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019. It is certainly an unusual decision that the first new movie in such a long time is a continuation of a Disney+ show (that also started seven years ago), and director Jon Favreau says it's for the fans.
"In the show we had to make eight episodes in a year, here we've had years to make two hours. We had the time to create CGI characters, to build big sets, and give it the feeling for the big screen that the Star Wars had", explained Favreau to an audience of hundreds of excited fans in Madrid, including many disguised from the Spanish garrison of the 501st Legion. It was part of the promotional tour of the film, and fans were able to watch the first 27 of the 132 minute movie.
"We are not doing it for Disney+, we are doing it for a crowd like this", continued Favreau, explaining that, for many moviegoers, this will be the first Star Wars movie they are able to watch in a movie theatre, and stars characters that everybody knows, even if they haven't watched the show.
The fact that Favreau promises bigger physical sets, more prominent CGI characters and a "big screen feeling" should mean that the movie looks better than the already impressive Disney+ show. Younger fans will certainly be impressed, but will it be enough to convince more casual fans to go to the cinema? Early box-office projections suggest it may not be too big of a hit, with numbers closer to Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was a box-office bomb in 2018 making only $393 million (but had almost twice the budget than The Mandalorian and Grogu, estimated in $165 million).
Are you excited for The Mandalorian and Grogu?
