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By Chronicle Staff February 17, 2026
LOS ANGELES — The wait for the return of the Jedi and the bounty hunter is almost over. Lucasfilm has officially pulled back the curtain on the final trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu, confirming that the fan-favorite duo will lead the franchise back to the silver screen this summer for the first time since 2019.
The high-octane trailer, which debuted earlier today, promises a cinematic scale that transcends its Disney+ origins, blending the gritty Western roots of the series with the grand operatic spectacle of the original trilogy.
New Allies and Classic Enemies
The footage offers a first detailed look at a star-studded ensemble. Sigourney Weaver joins the Star Wars universe as General Ward, a high-ranking New Republic officer who enlists Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) to neutralize the “cancerous” cells of the Imperial Remnant.
In a surprising turn for fans of The Clone Wars, Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) is confirmed to play a grown-up Rotta the Hutt (the son of Jabba). Once a helpless infant rescued by Anakin Skywalker, Rotta appears to have matured into a formidable underworld power-player, seen overseeing gladiatorial pits where Mando is forced to fight for his life against monstrous beasts.
The “New Republic” Frontier
Picking up where Season 3 of the hit series left off, the film finds Din Djarin and his apprentice, Grogu, operating as independent contractors for the fledgling New Republic. The mission takes them from the neon-soaked underworld of Nar Shaddaa to the icy peaks of a mysterious new planet where Mando is seen single-handedly bringing down an AT-AT walker—a sequence already being hailed by critics as a franchise highlight.
“The Empire is a dying animal, but it still has teeth,” Weaver’s character warns in the trailer’s haunting voiceover. The footage also teases the return of Zeb Orrelios (Star Wars Rebels) and a recurring role for the tiny, fan-favorite Anzellans (the same species as Babu Frik).
Cinematic Stakes
Directed by Jon Favreau and written alongside Dave Filoni, the film serves as a pivotal bridge between the small-screen “Mandalorian” and the larger theatrical future of the saga. With a score once again provided by Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson, the production marks a major pivot for Disney as it moves away from streaming-first strategies back toward the global box office.
“This isn’t just another episode,” Favreau noted at a recent press event. “This is the story we’ve been building toward since we first met that child in the desert seven years ago.”
The Details
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Release Date: May 22, 2026 (Memorial Day Weekend)
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Starring: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, Steve Blum
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Format: Filmed specifically for IMAX and 3D