The Star Wars Celebration 2025 is in full swing in Japan, taking place in the Makuhari Messe Convention Center near Tokyo as we speak. There was no 2024 event, so Lucasfilm and Disney have a lot to unveil: new movies, new TV shows, updates on projects in development, and other announcements across other media. 4y6l5m

So, let’s get down to exactly what’s been confirmed.

The Mandalorian and Grogu comes to theaters May 22, 2026. #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/Z7DRuvkG7M

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025

Everyone’s favorite terse helmeted bounty hunter and his adorable green kid are coming to the big screen on May 22, 2026. Series mastermind Jon Favreau will direct and it appears there’s a chance this will effectively function as a feature-length fourth season of the TV show, potentially wrapping up the story (for now).

Exclusive footage shows Pedro Pascal as a maskless Mando and Grogu wielding the Force, together with confirmation that Sigourney Weaver will appear in a mysterious role and The Bear star Jeremy Strong will play Rotta, the buff gladiator son of Jabba the Hutt. Sure, sign me up.

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Shawn Levy. Ryan Gosling. A new standalone story coming from a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars: Starfighter is coming to theaters Memorial Day 2027. pic.twitter.com/uiTLfRA0fz

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025

We’d known Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling were teaming up for a Star Wars film for some time. Now we know what it is: Star Wars: Starfighter will be the first movie set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker and is billed as an “entirely new adventure” with “all-new characters”.

Gosling appeared on stage and said:

“Being here and seeing all of you [makes it] more inspiring to do it. There’s so much creativity and imagination in this room and there’s so much love. It’s such a great reminder of how much movies can mean to us, specifically how much these movies mean to us. ‘The force is a mysterious thing, but, as I’m here, the force is the fans. All we can hope for is, ‘May the fans be with us.’”

Other specifics are unknown, though it was underlined that this isn’t a sequel to The Rise of Skywalker but its own thing. Given the title Starfighter, we can probably assume a focus on space dogfights, but who knows? The movie will begin shooting in early 2026 for a May 28, 2027 release.

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The fandom for the Shadow Lord has already begun. Maul – Shadow Lord, a new animated series is coming to @disneyplus in 2026. pic.twitter.com/rxzk0E53jH

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025

Coming in the final moments of the Lucasfilm Animation showcase, this animated Disney Plus show focuses on The Phantom Menace villain Darth Maul and will show him training an apprentice. Star Wars animation mastermind Dave Filoni is behind the show, with longtime Maul voice actor Sam Witwer reprising the role. Further details are unknown, though it will premiere in 2026.

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Dave Filoni confirms that he “is still working with” Mortis and the World Between Worlds in AHSOKA pic.twitter.com/podcR8ePCw

— Star Wars Holocron @ SWCJ (@sw_holocron) April 18, 2025

Andor season 2 arrives on Disney Plus next week, with creator Tony Gilroy and star Diego Luna showing a sneak peek of some key events and how the show will tie into Rogue One. We also got some information on Ahsoka season 2, which will begin filming later this year. Star Wars Visions‘ third season is also on the way, with nine new shorts from various animated studios. The first episode of animated show Tales from the Underworld was also shown, focusing on Asajj Ventress.

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The new Darth Vader novel MASTER OF EVIL is set very shortly after the events of REVENGE OF THE SITH.

“This period is covered very well in Charles Soule’s Marvel comic…except there are gaps in the comics. And there is a particular gap in the comic that I don’t think Charles or… pic.twitter.com/dx9z4i8Acn

— Star Wars Holocron @ SWCJ (@sw_holocron) April 18, 2025

The Lucasfilm Publishing: Manga Mania! , revealed new manga adaptations and The High Republic stories. Notable releases include Star Wars: Master of Evil, a Darth Vader novel by Adam Christopher (Nov. 2025), and an updated Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy featuring characters like Avar Kriss (April 2025). A deluxe Doug Chiang art collection was also announced for December 2025.

The Celebration runs over the weekend, so if there’s anything else unveiled we’ll be sure to let you know.

The cast of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu continues to grow, and the latest addition is a major ⏤ I repeat, major ⏤ one. Yes, Chef: New reports have confirmed that Jeremy Allen White will be showing up during the next Star Wars film, and he’s going to be playing a, shall we say, gargantuan character.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is a spin-off movie set after season 3 of Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian. It will feature both of the show’s main characters and likely several other key figures alongside newcomers to the story, one of whom will be played by White. According to a report by Deadline, White will voice the character Rotta the Hutt. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because this character is the son of the iconic crime syndicate leader Jabba the Hutt.

You didn’t expect that, did you? Neither did we, but it’s great news for fans of the franchise, as the report says it won’t just be a small cameo, but a major part of the film. If it wasn’t already obvious, you won’t physically see White in this role ⏤ he’ll only be lending his voice talents, as Jabba doesn’t currently have any human children that we know of. I know, I know, White is one of the great physical specimens of our time. But we’ll just have to find a way to get nice and comfy listening to his brooding baritone.

We’re still a while away from The Mandalorian and Grogu being released in theaters, but the good news is that the film has already completed production. During the recent premiere event for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, writer Dave Filoni shared that filming the movie was a great time that allowed the crew to level up Grogu’s puppetry further than has been seen in the show ⏤ inevitably welcome news for Baby Yoda fans.

While details about the plot of the film have been kept under wraps, footage shown during D23 earlier this year included both Din Djarin and Grogu as the Mandalorian began to train his new apprentice. Sadly, that’s about all that it revealed, so we don’t have a lot to go off of yet.

Jon Favreau directed the movie with the assistance of Filoni in the writing department. Right now there are only a handful of confirmed cast for the movie, including Pedro Pascal returning as Din Djarin, of course, White, and also Sigourney Weaver. As we get closer to seeing the film’s release, you can of course expect the cast list to grow, but it’s quite impressive that production has gotten this far without any secrets spilling out. Star Wars must have those MCU-level NDAs in play, which wouldn’t be a surprise given that it’s also part of the Disney machine.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is set to be released in theaters on May 22, 2026. That’s still a long ways away, so don’t expect to see any full trailers for the movie anytime soon. The good news is that if you want to get your fix of Mando and Grogu in the meantime, you can always binge through the TV series again, which is available to enjoy now on Disney Plus.

The Mandalorian is one of the best Star Wars spin-off properties Disney has given fans yet, and its unique story is only going to get bigger with the release of the movie. Now we know exactly where The Mandalorian and Grogu film is in the production timeline.

The Mandalorian and Grogu was first announced in January of 2024, but since then, there hasn’t been too much information shared about the movie. While we knew that it was in production, we now have a clearer idea of how far the team has come.

During the premiere of Skeleton Crew, David Filoni shared an update for The Mandalorian and Grogu confirming that, yes, filming has been completed. While he wasn’t willing to divulge any specifics about when it was concluded, he was willing to share a lot about everyone’s favorite little green friend, Grogu.

“I’m very excited about it [The Mandalorian and Grogu], me and Jon [Favreau] 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 evolved what we can do now with the puppetry compared to season one and where we are now on a film working with a team, which I worked quite a bit with them on the puppetry like the effects and they just did a fantastic job, and what a wonderful little creation Grogu is.”

Okay, so now we know two things: The Mandalorian movie has finished filming, and Grogu should look more realistic than he ever has before. This is great news for fans who have fallen in love with the character, and for toy manufacturers, who are surely going to cash in big time with Grogu merchandise.

Details about this film are being kept under lock and key, so there’s no real information to share about its plot. Nor have we received any kind of trailer that would provide any insight into what will go down — however, some footage was shown at D23, 2024, which included Gorgu as Din Djarin’s bounty hunter apprentice, but outside of showcasing characters from the series, it didn’t reveal much.

Of course, we’re still quite a long way from the movie’s release so it’s not surprising that nothing has been shown yet. The Mandalorian and Grogu aren’t scheduled to arrive in theaters until May 22, 2026, so there’s still plenty of time for trailers and other press material to be released.

While we know a movie is coming, there’s no word on whether The Mandalorian season 4 is happening. It has been reported that the next season of the show was already in development, and intended to be released in addition to the movie, however, other reports claim it’s not happening. Regardless, fans can rest assured knowing that there is more of The Mandalorian on the way, and you can expect to see more of the famed bounty hunter in the coming 12 months.

You can stream the first three seasons of The Mandalorian on Disney Plus right now.

D23 has come and gone yet again, and the Mouse House proved to be as busy as ever as it showed off its plans for television, theme parks, and—the longtime bread and butter of the media giant—movies.

From Star Wars, to beloved franchises, to totally new films, to whatever the hell Dwayne Johnson is up to, here are all the film-centric announcements and reveals that reared their heads at D23 2024.

Toy Story 5, Incredibles 3, Zootopia 2, Moana 2, and Frozen 3 61271o

The sequel fare took up most of D23’s film spotlight, but with announcements like Toy Story 5 and The Incredibles 3 among those ranks, even the most ruthless proponent of originality can’t be disappointed.

Incredibles 3 was the biggest reveal, as this is the first we’re hearing about the film’s existence. Toy Story 5, meanwhile, named its director in Andrew Stanton, who gifted us Wall-E and Finding Nemo in the past. Other details on this unprecedented fifth entry in this unprecedentedly successful animated franchise include 50 rogue Buzz Lightyears and electronic toys as plot elements, and a Summer 2026 release date.

Elsewhere, Moana 2 (releasing Nov. 27 later this year), Zootopia 2 (releasing Nov. 26, 2025), and Frozen 3 (releasing 2027) had trailers, clips, and concept art to show off, respectively.

Disney’s not finished with their live-action remake venture by a long shot. Beyond getting our first look at live-action Stitch from the incoming Lilo & Stitch live-action remake (due in Summer 2025), we were also given trailers for the Rachel Zegler-led Snow White (March 21, 2025), and Mufasa: The Lion King (Dec. 20 later this year), the latter of which will be a completely new story set before the events of The Lion King.

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The award for the most out-of-left-field film announcement at D23 went to Dwayne Johnson, who revealed that he’s working together with Disney on a live-action Monster Jam movie. According to the movie star/khaki enthusiast, this “immersive” film will be told “from the POV of these incredible monster trucks. Eccentric and crazy drivers.”

It’s not immediately clear if this will be a narrative feature or a documentary, so we’ll just have to wait and see what Johnson’s cooking here.

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The third entry in James Cameron’s box office-busting Avatar series had its title revealed as Avatar: Fire and Ash. We already knew that we would be introduced to an antagonistic, fire-based Na’vi clan, but no other details beyond some concept art were released at the event.

Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters on Dec. 19, 2025.

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Disney isn’t just about remakes and sequels and brands; thanks to Pixar, the Mouse House had some updates on the original film front, including the first-ever reveal of Hoppers. Starring Jon Hamm, Bobby Moynihan, and Piper Curda, Hoppers follows Mabel, a young girl who can transfer her mind into a robotic beaver; an ability she uses to see what animal life is like. She later unites with a plethora of woodland creatures, including a high-ranking beaver named King George, to help protect their home from a real estate developer. Hoppers hits theaters in spring 2026.

Elio, meanwhile, got a D23-exclusive trailer as it prepares to hit theaters next summer on June 13, 2025. The sci-fi flick was originally supposed to release on March 1 earlier this year, but a change in leadership on multiple Pixar projects coupled with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike saw it get delayed.

The Filoni era of Star Wars is set to hit the big screen for the first time on May 22, 2026 with The Mandalorian & Grogu. Footage at the event showed off Grogu in his own suit of Mandalorian Beskar armor, which will surely do wonders for Disney’s merchandizing profits.

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Somehow, Hoppers wasn’t the biggest bodyswap-adjacent film announcement of the event. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, stars of 2003’s Freaky Friday, revealed the sequel’s title as Freakier Friday alongside some set photos featuring the duo. Freakier Friday releases in 2025.

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And, of course, the announcement that no one was queuing up for but still managed to be one of the most epic of the evening; Tron: Ares not only got some event-exclusive footage featuring the eponymous new antagonist, but it was also revealed that the film’s soundtrack would be composed by none other than Nine Inch Nails. Now, Tron may not exactly be known as a “strength to strength” franchise, but going from Daft Punk to Nine Inch Nails is a statement and a half.

Tron: Ares hits theaters on Oct. 10, 2025.

Star Wars is heading in an all new (but familiar) direction in the coming years. While Walt Disney has been fleshing out the galaxy far, far away with ample television offerings, its finally redirecting and sending The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin and Grogu to the big screen.

Disney officially announced that the film — aptly named The Mandalorian & Grogu — will go into production sometime in the Summer of 2024. Despite a 2026 release date, it’s still generating plenty of buzz.

It’s official, The Mandalorian movie will hit theaters May 22, 2026. The coveted Memorial Day release should mean that Disney gets some good numbers for the Jon Favreau helmed project. Favreau has shined as one of the fandom’s penultimate contributors over the last decade alongside Dave Filoni, and the duo is teaming up yet again for Mando. Kathleen Kennedy is producing the film along side Filoni and Favreau.

While Filoni is helping Favreau to further the best father-son relationship in the galaxy, the director will be working on his own pet project, Ahsoka season 2.

Kennedy’s name gives many Star Wars diehards a lingering sense of dread after the widely unpopular sequel trilogy. Despite the slew of negative backlash from recent Disney Plus offerings, the producer is still going strong within the company. The Summer of 2023 saw fake reports that the producer was being let go, but with her name still heavily attached to any and all things Star Wars, those rumors are all but debunked.

For her part, Kennedy seems to be taking a back seat, saying,

“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.”

The film is expected to begin production summer 2024 in Los Angeles.

It goes without saying that Pedro Pascal will be returning as the iconic Din Djarin, at least in voice. Fresh off an excellent year with The Last of Us and rumored to be the next Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four reboot, Pascal might be too busy to don his iconic armor. Not to worry, the actor has been using a body double for years. Though fans have learned to spot the difference, it doesn’t mean that Din has lost any of his panache.

So far, the series has seen Grogu stay relatively silent. Unless Disney decides to do something incredibly drastic and give our boy some actual lines, voice actor David Acord will likely return for those adorable baby-like vocalizations.

The series is still incredibly under wraps, but we’re hoping to see a return from some Mandalorian favorites like Bo Katan Kryze (Katee Sackoff), Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris), and The Armorer (Emily Swallow).

Per ScreenRant the Mandalorian movie was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023. The original announcement said the film would follow a fourth season of The Mandalorian and put Dave Filoni in the director’s chair. The Project is meant to tie Disney Plus series like Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and potentially even the Star Wars: Skeleton Crew together. Though the project aims to kick off this year, Disney has plenty of leg work before The Mandalorian & Grogu can take off.

This is a developing story and will be updated.