The Mandalorian and Grogu‘s (2026) box office run may have landed below projections, but Lucasfilm is signaling that the franchise’s future remains very much intact, with a new animated special set to expand the property’s footprint on Disney+.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau and led by Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, opposite Sigourney Weaver’s Colonel Ward and Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt, represented the first theatrical Star Wars release since Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. The film closed its theatrical run with just over $340 million against a $165 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo — a result industry observers have characterized as underwhelming relative to the studio’s expectations for a franchise reentry.
Prior to the film’s release, Favreau had confirmed that a fourth season of the flagship Disney+ series existed in some form, with a narrative built more directly around the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, played by Lars Mikkelsen, within the New Republic timeline. That material was ultimately shelved in favor of the theatrical pivot, a decision the studio attributed to a desire for the film to be accessible to audiences unfamiliar with the series.
Three years after the show’s three-season run concluded, Lucasfilm is now turning to a different format to keep the property active.
New Special Set for Disney+ Release
Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group have confirmed LEGO Star Wars: The Mandalorian, an animated special premiering on Disney+ that will revisit “your favorite stories and characters from all three seasons” of the original series, according to Lucasfilm. The project continues an established line of LEGO Star Wars specials, which have typically leaned on parody and condensed retellings rather than new standalone storylines.
A teaser poster released alongside the announcement depicts Din Djarin and Grogu’s first meeting rendered in LEGO form, offering an early indication of how the special will adapt one of the franchise’s most recognized character introductions.
D23 Preview and Release Timing
Lucasfilm has confirmed that D23 attendees will receive an early look at the special, with an exclusive screening scheduled for Saturday, August 15, at 10 a.m. on the Hyperion stage — roughly two and a half weeks ahead of its wider Disney+ debut. The studio also confirmed that The Mandalorian and Grogu will begin streaming on Disney+ on September 2, aligning the film’s streaming premiere with the LEGO special’s release date. A full trailer for the LEGO project was unveiled during the D23 weekend.
Franchise Strategy Under Scrutiny
The Mandalorian remains one of Disney+’s most commercially successful original series, but its transition to theaters did not generate the box office response many within the company had anticipated. The film had been positioned to launch a new phase of theatrical Star Wars releases; its performance has instead reopened internal discussion about whether the franchise is better served by streaming distribution than theatrical release.
Lucasfilm continues to develop theatrical projects, including upcoming films from Dave Filoni and Star Wars: Starfighter, the 2027 release from director Shawn Levy starring Ryan Gosling. Still, the box office trajectory of The Mandalorian and Grogu underscores that even an established, well-regarded character does not guarantee theatrical returns at the scale Disney is pursuing — a factor likely to inform how the studio approaches future big-screen Star Wars projects going forward.
What direction do you think Disney will take the Mandalorian franchise in? Let us know in the comments down below!
