April 18, 2025: The Star Wars Celebration event in Tokyo was packed with surprises as director Jon Favreau, along with stars Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver, took the stage to reveal brand-new footage from the upcoming film, ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, according to Deadline.
In the newly revealed footage, fans got their first tantalizing look at Sigourney Weaver’s mysterious character, who was seen in a brief but impactful teaser. Action also took center stage with intense battle scenes against stormtroopers, showcasing the gritty energy fans have come to expect from the Mandalorian universe.
Adding to the excitement, the clip also introduced Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt, the son of Jabba the Hutt, marking a surprising and highly anticipated expansion of the Hutt legacy in the Star Wars canon.
Return of Iconic Elements
This new footage follows the last major preview shown at D23 in Anaheim in August, where fans caught glimpses of familiar and fan-favorite elements: towering AT-ATs marching through snow (a nod to The Empire Strikes Back), the return of the quirky alien technician Babu Frick from The Rise of Skywalker, and a live-action appearance of Zeb, the red, pointy-eared alien from Dave Filoni’s Star Wars: Rebels.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ is shaping up to be a major cinematic event and will be the first Star Wars feature film to hit theaters since 2019’s ‘The Rise of Skywalker’. The film is scheduled to release on May 22, 2026.
More Star Wars in the Pipeline
Meanwhile, another Star Wars project is already building buzz. According to Variety, Ryan Gosling is set to star in ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’, a new installment directed by Shawn Levy. The film is eyeing a fall production start and is slated for release on May 28, 2027.
With two major films on the horizon, Lucasfilm is clearly ramping up its big-screen Star Wars presence, promising fans a thrilling return to the galaxy far, far away.