‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Opening Minutes Confirm Return of Opening Crawl

by

With just over a month until its release, The Mandalorian & Grogu could be a turning point for the Star Wars franchise and Disney. While Disney+ has seen a lot of Star Wars shows, the number of theatrical films has been surprisingly low. The mixed reaction to 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker likely caused a slowdown in plans for big-screen Star Wars movies.

But it sounds like The Mandalorian is headed in the right direction as he makes the transition to the big screen in the first Star Wars film released in six years, bringing back a beloved franchise trend. During MovieWeb’s recentset visit, select outlets and press were shown the opening footage of the movie. Thanks to this new look, we can confirm that The Mandalorian & Grogu will feature a classic opening crawl, reminiscent of all the mainline entries in the Skywalker Saga. This is an interesting choice, especially considering how other Star Wars films that have been released up to this point have not featured opening crawls.

The story begins with a text scroll, much like the original Star Wars films, explaining that the evil Galactic Empire has been defeated and the New Republic is working to bring the galaxy back together. But in the wild and lawless Outer Rim, a bounty hunter named Din Djarin and his young companion, Grogu, are still tracking down remnants of the old Empire.

Both Rogue One and Solo, which told stories within the Star Wars universe but outside of the main Skywalker saga, began with introductory text but didn’t use the traditional opening crawl seen in the core Star Wars films. The new film, The Mandalorian & Grogu, does include an opening crawl, suggesting that director Jon Favreau and Lucasfilm consider it a significant addition to the Star Wars story. Because the film is set decades before the recent Star Wars sequels, it has the potential to play a crucial role in the established timeline and overall canon.

The movie begins by showing that the Galactic Empire is gone and the New Republic is trying to bring the galaxy back together. The first season of The Mandalorian took place in a chaotic period in the Outer Rim, not long after Return of the Jedi. With three seasons of the show having already aired, the movie continues to follow Din Djarin and Grogu as they pursue remaining Imperial enemies while also assisting the New Republic in restoring peace and stability.

Marketing for The Mandalorian & Grogu suggests the movie will be a bigger, more expansive adventure than the TV show, taking place in new settings and introducing characters connected to the original Star Wars trilogy. It will be fascinating to see how the film’s story sets up future Star Wars movies. It also raises the question of whether other upcoming projects, like Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, will also draw on classic Star Wars themes and potentially even use an opening crawl to signal a return to the feel of the original 1977 film.

Read More

2026-04-21 15:32