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2:18PM – Before we get to the animation panel, let’s revisit some of the breaking stories we’ve had from today. Ash Crossan got to sit down with Kathleen Kennedy, where she talked about Ryan Gosling, Taika Waititi’s movie, and her own future. Meanwhile, Molly Brizzell got the chance to speak with Pedro Pascal about The Mandalorian & Grogu. Check out those stories below:
2:12PM – We’re back at the Celebration Stage, awaiting Lucasfilm’s Animation panel, celebrating its 20th anniversary and looking ahead to the future, with Dave Filoni (Chief Creative Officer) and Athena Portillo (Vice President, Animation Production).
We’ll be back live from the Celebration stage at 2:30am ET, for Lucasfilm’s Animation panel! Check out what happened during The Mandalorian & Grogu panel below.
The Mandalorian & Grogu Panel Roundup
That’s a wrap on The Mandalorian & Grogu, and the first major panel of Star Wars Celebration 2025. We got some great new footage, plus full confirmation of Shawn Levy’s Star Wars movie. The biggest takeaways:
The Mandalorian & Grogu Footage Description
A Big New Look At The Mandalorian & Grogu Has Been Revealed
Footage begins inside a walker, with an Imperial Officer asking “What’s going on back then, has the target been eliminated?. Walker three has gone.” There are stormtroopers, a lot of snow troopers, and a siren going off. Din Djarin bursts through the door and takes out a bunch of troopers with his blaster, and the action is awesome. He’s a one-man wrecking crew, making his way through the walker and destroying everyone in sight,. Then we see the walker being destroyed, on fire and ccollapsing into the snow in a burst of fire, with Mando and Grogu escaping. Sigourney Weaver’s character, who works for the New Republic, tells them it was “messy, very messy.” Followed by lots of quick shots: Weaver telling Din he “works for us,” the Razor Crest back flying over Nevarro, Din Djarin walking with Grogu and Zeb from Star Wars Rebels, more of the AT-AT fight (we see three walkers total, with one destroyed), Grogu swimming underwater(!), a Hutt (presumably Jabba’s son, Rotta, who is reportedly voiced by Jeremy Allen White in the movie) inside an arena, Grogu using the Force to destroy a droid, and then Grogu in the cockpit eating some snacks. He’s earned them. Phew!
9:37PM – We get to see some BTS images from the movie, including Pascal as Mando… without his helmet!
9:35PM – Weaver says she “got really lucky” to be part of this movie, and tells the crowd “this is for all of you.” Talks about watching the show after meeting with Favreau and Filoni, falling in love with Pascal, and that Grogu “stole” her heart. And now Grogu is coming out on stage too, in Favreau’s arms. It might be the cutest thing ever.
9:34PM – Pascal is asked if he ever expected The Mandalorian to connect with audiences in such a massive way. He deadpans: “Yes.” Then adds that when he saw the first storyboards for the show, he new it was going to connect with people.
9:33PM – After bringing out an Anzellan along with some droids, Sigourney Weaver is now here… and so too is Pedro Pascal. The noise here for his arrival is defeaning, and that’s just Molly next to me. The man is a damn rock star.
9:29PM – Favreau and Filoni talk about wanting to capture the feeling of playing with Star Wars toys, the fun and excitement of watching the movies when they were younger. Favreau jokes that Filoni is like the brother who will only let him play with some toys. They built a big walker set for the movie, which they got to be in. Kennedy jokes “these guys have never grown up.”
9:26PM – And now it’s time for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Kennedy and Filoni are back on the stage, along with co-writer and director, Jon Favreau.
Star Wars: Starfighter is coming to theaters on May 28, 2027
Levy’s movie gets a major update.
They showed the logo for the movie, which is named Star Wars: Starfighter, and confirmed it’s coming to theaters. The title reveal also included the sound of a lightsaber igniting, which could be a clue as to Gosling’s character.
9:22PM – Levy says this is a period of time that hasn’t been explored, and it features a collection of “all new characters.”
9:20PM – Gosling shares a picture of his Star Wars bedsheets from when he was a kid (I’m sure he still uses them now). Talks about his love of the franchise, and says there is “not a more perfect filmaker” for this movie than Shawn Levy. Says the script is “so good,” adding: “It has such a great story with great and original characters. It’s filled with so much heart and adventure.”
Shawn Levy Is Here! And So Is Ryan Gosling!
Shawn Levy says he starts shooting his Star Wars movie this fall. Confirms it’s a standalone adventure that “takes place a few years after the events of episode 9.” Levy and Kennedy have been discussing and developing this movie since 2022, and now it’s finally happening. And the rumor that Ryan Gosling is starring in his movie is “100% true.” Ryan Gosling comes out on stage, and gets a huge ovation. Oh my.
9:15 – Kennedy talks about the importance of Star Wars as a communal experience of going to the theater, and says in-development are movies from James Mangold, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Taika Waititi, and a trilogy from Simon Kinberg.
9:12PM – Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni (with a cowboy hat, of course) are now on stage, welcoming us all to Star Wars Celebration, with Kennedy teasing some “big surprises” to come this weekend.
9:09PM – Things begin with a montage of Star Wars movies and TV shows, from Luke Skywalker staring at the twin sunset to Mando finding Grogu, the prequels, the sequels, Rogue One, everything is in here. The biggest cheers in the crowd come for Ahsoka Tano (animated and live-action), Cassian Andor, and The Bad Batch! And now C-3PO and R2-D2 are on stage!
9:01PM ET, James Hunt – This is the way… to updates on The Mandalorian and Grogu. The crowd in Japan has been warmed up with several rounds of “Sweet Caroline” and a dance remix of the Imperial March, there are lightsabers waving everywhere, and the panel should soon be starting.
Hello there! Welcome to day one of Star Wars Celebration 2025, which we’re bringing to you live from Japan. The (usually) biennial event promises to be a major weekend of reveals, hopefully first looks at upcoming projects, and most of all, a coming together of people to celebrate Star Wars, from panels to cosplays and more. ScreenRant is on the ground in Japan, with host Ash Crossan, Star Wars editor Molly Brizzell, and myself, features editor James Hunt, all in attendance.
On the docket for Saturday are panels on Andor and Ahsoka, with special guests including Hayden Christensen set to be present for the latter, but day 1 is headlined by The Mandalorian & Grogu. The first new Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian & Grogu is scheduled for release on May 22, 2026.
Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, co-creators of the TV show, shared scripting duties on the project, with Favreau also directing. Both will be in attendance for the panel, which begins at 10am local time, 9pm ET, and 6pm PT. This should be the biggest unveiling yet of Lucasfilm’s next theatrical release, and we’re hoping there will be some footage, ahead of a likely trailer release online (with Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver on GMA on Friday), and a special guest or two. And if Pedro turns up here, my job becomes keeping Molly from hyperventilating…
After that, the other big panel on day one is a look back at Lucasfilm’s animation slate, celebrating its 20th anniversary. We can expect discussion of things like The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, but also a sneak peek at what’s coming next. We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates as they happen live, as well as news, features, interviews, images from the floor of cosplays, and more, so stay tuned to screenrant.com and @screenrant on X, Instagram, and Facebook to celebrate all things Star Wars with us.
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