STAR WARS Rumors Suggest Dave Filoni’s MandoVerse Movie May Not Stay a Movie

When Lucasfilm took the stage at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, the studio came in hot with the announcement of three brand-new theatrical Star Wars films.

There was Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Republic, and Star Wars: New Jedi Order. Nearly three years later, none of them have actually moved into meaningful production. Now, new rumors suggest that Filoni’s long-teased MandoVerse crossover might be heading for a major format change.

Right now, Lucasfilm’s theatrical slate is in a strange holding pattern. Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi is reportedly stalled due to the unconventional nature of its script and concept.

New Jedi Order has gone through multiple writers as the studio tries to lock in a story that works. And Filoni, who has since stepped into his new role as Lucasfilm co-president, appears to have had his film quietly pushed down the priority list.

According to a new report from Daniel Richtman, Filoni’s New Republic movie isn’t locked in as a theatrical release. It’s still technically alive, but its future may depend heavily on how The Mandalorian and Grogu performs at the box office this summer.

If that film doesn’t meet expectations, Lucasfilm could pivot and retool Filoni’s project into a limited Disney+ series instead. Richtman also adds that Ahsoka Season 3 “isn’t greenlit yet and may never happen.”

As always, this is still rumor territory, so it’s smart to keep expectations in check. That said, the logic tracks. The Mandalorian and Grogu is a big moment for Lucasfilm.

It’s the studio’s first attempt to move the Disney+ era of Star Wars storytelling fully into theaters. If audiences show up in force, it gives Lucasfilm confidence to keep building feature films set in the New Republic timeline. If they don’t, the studio may decide that this era works better on the small screen.

That potential shift is especially interesting given recent comments from Disney to Andor creator Tony Gilroy, where he revealed the company told him that “streaming is dead,”. Even so, Lucasfilm clearly isn’t walking away from Disney+ anytime soon.

The studio may be more focused on theatrical releases at the moment, but history shows they’re more than willing to adjust course. Planned spinoff films centered on Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi were both transformed into streaming series, and that strategy worked out just fine.

If Filoni’s MandoVerse story does become a limited series, it would likely function as a true endgame for the New Republic era. Lucasfilm has invested years into this interconnected storyline, including the long-hyped return of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

It’s hard to imagine the studio abandoning all of that groundwork without some form of resolution. Filoni and his creative team would almost certainly be given the runway to close things out properly.

Disney did abruptly shut down The Acolyte despite unresolved story threads, but the New Republic era is a different beast. The Mandalorian was the flagship series that helped launch Disney+ and redefine Star Wars on television. That alone makes it far more likely to receive a definitive ending, whether that happens in theaters or on streaming.

All eyes are now on The Mandalorian and Grogu. On paper, it should be a safe play. Star Wars still has massive brand power, with only one true box office stumble on its record.

That misfire, Solo: A Star Wars Story, also happens to be the last time Disney released a Star Wars movie during the summer season. Right now, excitement around The Mandalorian and Grogu feels muted, largely due to a marketing push that hasn’t really landed yet. There’s still time to fix that.

If the next wave of trailers and promos hits the right notes, this movie could set the tone for the future of Star Wars on the big screen. And depending on how that goes, Dave Filoni’s MandoVerse finale may either stay a movie or find a new life as the ultimate Disney+ event series.

Either way, the fate of the New Republic era is very much in flux, and the next few months are going to matter a lot.