Star Wars' 'The Mandalorian & Grogu' debuts with Disney park events

The new Star Wars film The Mandalorian & Grogu opened in theaters on 22 May 2026, premiering at the TCL Chinese Theatre where director Jon Favreau thanked California tax credits and highlighted the film as the franchise’s first fully‑LA‑shot feature. Disney promoted the release across its parks: new story missions on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, themed food and merchandise, a free Animation Academy class teaching guests to draw Grogu, and a nightly projection show called “The Curious Child.” An anime short titled Okaeri, Star Wars was released online in Japan as part of the campaign. A behind‑the‑scenes video showed the animatronic Grogu puppet’s internal mechanics, surprising fans. Pedro Pascal said he will continue as Din Djarin “as long as my body can” and acknowledged speculation about his character’s future. A teaser trailer hinted at a possible death for the Mandalorian, sparking debate. Early audience reactions are mixed, with some praising its fun, pulpy adventure and others feeling it resembles an extended Disney+ episode. Box‑office forecasts expect a modest opening, under $100 million in the U.S. weekend.