The Star Wars character Grogu, who was dubbed by the public as “Baby Yoda,” is set to make his big screen debut for a new adventure set in the galaxy far, far away.
The cute alien, with strong Jedi powers, first appeared on the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” in 2019, alongside Pedro Pascal in the titular role.
He soon won the hearts of science-fantasy fans around the world, becoming the franchise’s most popular toy in years.
Lucasfilm announced on Tuesday that the first feature film based on “The Mandalorian” will start production this year.
Pascal is expected to return as the secretive bounty hunter, who is rarely seen out of his trademark helmet.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” will be directed by Jon Favreau, who created the streaming series.
Favreau is credited by many fans as reinvigorating the Star Wars franchise after the sequel trilogy, culminating with 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” divided legacy audiences, despite impressive box office results.
Favreau also famously kickstarted the enormously successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) when he directed the first instalment, “Iron Man” in 2008.
His other work includes 2016’s “Jungle Book” remake and the $1.6 billion grossing remake of “The Lion King” in 2019.
The toy of Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, became highly sought after when Favreau asked Disney to delay putting it into production in 2019.
The “Elf” director didn’t want to spoil the surprise of the character’s appearance in the first episode of “The Mandalorian.”
The latest streaming series in the Star Wars universe, “Ahsoka,” a spin-off from “The Mandalorian,” is available now on Disney+.
