‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ Reportedly Causing “Concerns” at Disney

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Okay, so I’m hearing some interesting things about the Mandalorian movie. Apparently, Disney’s a little worried about how it’s going to perform. It’s the first Star Wars film we’re getting in almost seven years, and it’s basically continuing the story from the Disney+ series. They originally planned a fourth season of the show, but scrapped that and decided to make a full-blown movie instead. Jon Favreau, who created the series, is directing, and it’s slated to come out on May 22, 2026 – which is a big weekend for Star Wars, historically. That used to be the release window for all the big Star Wars films, like the original and prequel trilogies.

According to a report in Variety, Disney executives were worried about the reaction to The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Super Bowl ad, which was a parody of the Budweiser Clydesdale commercials. The ad didn’t create the buzz Disney expected, and there’s concern the movie – based on a streaming series – won’t appeal to viewers beyond dedicated Star Wars fans and those who love Grogu (Baby Yoda). However, Disney is feeling more positive about Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy, set to release in May 2027. Early footage of the Ryan Gosling film reportedly reminded people of the fun, adventurous spirit of classic Star Wars movies.

‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Difficult Marketing Campaign


Walt Disney Pictures

As a big cinema fan, I remember when The Mandalorian and Grogu was announced back in January 2024, and honestly, it felt like it had a lot to prove. Disney had a rough 2023 with a few films not hitting the mark, and then suddenly they announced Moana 2 alongside this. It almost felt like they were playing it safe, relying on familiar properties. Even though Season 3 of The Mandalorian got a bit of a mixed reaction, it was still a huge draw for Disney+, and Din Djarin and Grogu are genuinely two of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe.

The initial reaction to the first trailer in September 2025 was largely negative. Many felt it was a hasty attempt by Disney to distract from the recent controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel’s departure, and the trailer itself seemed rushed and unpolished. Unlike the highly anticipated trailers for pre-pandemic Star Wars films, the teaser for The Mandalorian and Grogu failed to generate much excitement. While the Super Bowl advertisement was well-made, it didn’t win over viewers. The latest trailer, released on February 17, 2026, received a better response, but the film is still struggling to convince audiences why this story deserves to be seen in theaters.

Turning a successful TV show into a movie is often difficult. While some animated series like The Simpsons and South Park have created popular films during their run, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture revived the original series and spawned several sequels, not all transitions are successful. The X-Files movie, released when the show was very popular in 1998, was only a modest success, and the Entourage movie, which came four years after the HBO series ended, failed at the box office. Luckily, The Mandalorian and Grogu film was Disney’s least expensive Star Wars production, meaning it doesn’t need to earn as much money as other Star Wars sequels to be profitable.

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2026-02-25 23:08