‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ to Be the Cheapest Star Wars Movie Since 2005

‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is a Star Wars movie directed by Jon Favreau, co-written with Dave Filoni, and follows the Disney+ series ‘The Mandalorian.’ Starring Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White, and Jonny Coyne, it’s produced by Lucasfilm and will be distributed by Disney.

Originally planned as the fourth season of the series, the project shifted to a movie due to delays from the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes. Filming started in California in August 2024 and wrapped by December, with the film set to release on May 22, 2026.

Pedro Pascal returns as Din Djarin, the Mandalorian bounty hunter, alongside Grogu, his young companion, brought to life with animatronics and visual effects. Sigourney Weaver joins the cast, while Jeremy Allen White plays Rotta the Hutt, the son of Jabba. Jonny Coyne portrays an Imperial Warlord, and characters like Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios and the Anzellan species also make appearances.

Not that many details related to the plot are available at this moment and most of what we got are speculations and rumors.

We don’t have plot info but we do have some numbers related to the movie’s production. Disney is making The Mandalorian & Grogu with a budget of $166.4 million, which is much lower than other recent Star Wars movies. The film also received a $21.75 million tax credit from California, helping to reduce costs.

This will be the first Star Wars movie in seven years when it hits theaters in May 2026. While Disney hopes it will be a big success, they are being more careful with spending compared to past films.

For comparison, The Last Jedi had a budget of $317 million, while The Rise of Skywalker and Solo each cost $275 million. Even Rogue One was $200 million, making The Mandalorian & Grogu the cheapest Star Wars movie since 2005’s Revenge of the Sith.

This is likely due in part to the movie reusing many elements from the show, but it could also be a sign that Disney is looking to cut costs on Star Wars productions. Last year’s The Acolyte had a staggering $160 million+ budget for only 8 episodes but flopped spectacularly, leaving many fans wondering where all that money went.

With Star Wars no longer the guaranteed box office hit it once was, cutting costs seems like a smart financial move.

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