Disney is set to sprinkle some Star Wars magic into this year's Super Bowl festivities with a brand new advertisement featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu.
But before you think this is just another generic trailer, let me clarify: it’s actually a custom-made, 30-second spot crafted by Jon Favreau, the director of The Mandalorian. This unique ad features a narrator whose deep, gravelly voice could easily belong in a Ford truck commercial celebrating American culture. However, in this case, it showcases our beloved Mandalorian and Grogu as they ride in a carriage pulled by Tauntauns.
Disney aims for this playful and nostalgic advertisement to rekindle the audience's fondness for these iconic characters, who first captured hearts over six years ago in the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian.
In creating this spot, Favreau employed live-action techniques and collaborated closely with the talented creature team and puppeteers from Lucasfilm, along with the visual effects wizards at ILM.
Pedro Pascal plays Din Djarin, a reluctant guardian of Grogu, a being sensitive to the Force who requires guidance. The film, set to be released on May 22 in theaters, also stars renowned actors Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White.
What’s particularly exciting about Mandalorian & Grogu is that it marks the first time a Star Wars feature film will grace the big screen in nearly seven years, following J.J. Abrams’ The Rise of Skywalker, which debuted in December 2019. This release comes during a transformative period for Lucasfilm, the company originally established by Star Wars creator George Lucas and later acquired by Disney in 2012. Just last month, Kathleen Kennedy, the long-serving president of Lucasfilm, stepped down, paving the way for her successor, Dave Filoni, alongside business executive Lynwen Brennan, to take the reins of the company.
The film is a product of Favreau's creative vision, as he directs from a script he co-wrote with Filoni. During last year's Star Wars Celebration, Pascal reflected on his unforgettable initial meeting with Favreau and Filoni in the writers' room. "I’ll never forget the first day that I got to sit down with Jon and Dave in the writers’ room, where they presented wall-to-wall story illustrations for the first season of The Mandalorian, all while I still didn’t know what character they envisioned for me," he shared. "I remember being blown away by the most stunning visual storyboards I had ever seen, and knowing that fans were going to be absolutely thrilled."
