Baby Yoda, who has become an interplanetary mascot in the Star Wars universe in recent years thanks to the series The Mandalorian on Disney+, will soon have a dedicated film within the franchise, production company Lucasfilm announced on Tuesday.
The film will be directed by Jon Favreau, who was already at the helm of the series. In this series, viewers followed the adventures of a mysterious bounty hunter, Din Djarin, who is tasked with delivering a small green creature named Grogu to a sinister client, with whom he befriends.
With his oversized pointy ears and adorable big black eyes, this alien, who belongs to the same species as the great master Yoda from the original films, quickly cracked up fans, who were quick to rename him Baby Yoda.
"The prospect of bringing The Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting," the director said in a statement. It's not yet known if Pedro Pascal, who played The Mandalorian in the series, will return to his bounty hunter armor.
No official release date
The feature film also doesn't have an official release date just yet. The franchise's last adventure in cinemas dates back to 2019: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which generated more than a billion in worldwide box office receipts, despite unfavorable reviews.
Since then, several films have been announced, but it is unclear if they will really come to fruition. Productions initially entrusted to Kevin Feige - who came from the Marvel universe - and Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman) have been discreetly set aside.
Other films in the pipeline, under the leadership of directors such as Taika Waititi or James Mangold, are a priori still in the running. And another is set to see Daisy Ridley reprise her role as Rey, the heroine of the latest Disney trilogy. On Disney's calendar, the next Star Wars movie is scheduled for May 2026.