Jon Favreau Says Mandalorian & Grogu Channels The French Connection's Grit

So, Star Wars is finally coming back to theaters after what feels like forever (OK, since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker"), and if you've been missing the world of lightsabers and dramatic helmet removals, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" is the one to watch for. This is the 12th Star Wars movie ever—just let that number sink in—and Disney isn't messing around when it comes to connecting this thing to the rest of the franchise, both visually and thematically. But there's a twist: by all accounts, this one is going to be on the shorter side for a Star Wars film. Cue the outrage from people who judge movies by runtime.

The Story: Din Djarin & Grogu Get Yet Another Assignment

If you've watched "The Mandalorian" for three seasons on Disney+, you know how this goes: Din Djarin (that's the guy under the Beskar helmet) and Grogu (Baby Yoda, if you still refuse to call him by his real name) are nowhere near finished with their galaxy-wide travel plans. This time, they're teaming up with the shiny, still-bumpy New Republic on a mission to help save the Rebellion. Sounds like the same old Star Wars stakes, but apparently, they'll be running afoul of the Hutt clan (because you can't have a galactic crisis without Jabba's relatives getting involved) and a bunch of other aspiring big bads.

How It's Made: Nods, Homages, and "Kitbashing"

Here's where things get a little more layered. Director Jon Favreau recently let slip—while showing off the set to reporters—that "The Mandalorian and Grogu" doesn't just pull from the usual Star Wars playbook. Sure, it borrows from previous Star Wars films, but Favreau was quick to point out the franchise has always been a kind of cinematic mashup. George Lucas himself was notorious for borrowing style and footage from classic war movies, literally splicing in "The Battle of Britain" while working out shots for "A New Hope." Favreau admits he's still playing with the same toys.

"There's a sequence you'll see that we're thinking about 'French Connection,' for sure, as we're looking at a certain chase. George would cut with footage from old war movies, right? He'd be using footage from 'The Battle of Britain,' and we still did that technique too... It's almost more like little moments that echo things from other films."

Translation: A chase scene in this movie is directly influenced by the gritty car chases in "The French Connection" (no, seriously). And like Lucas, they're not above cannibalizing old movies to see how something "feels" before locking in the big-budget effects. It's basically Star Wars tradition at this point.

"Kitbashing" Culture and the Art of Borrowing

Favreau even steered into the term "kitbashing"—if you've ever built a model spaceship by smashing different kits together for fun, you already know what he means. For Star Wars, "kitbashing" is ancient history. The original 1977 film was famous for it, and here, Favreau is keeping that spirit alive. Cinematic imitation, he suggests, is less about lazy copying and more about building traditions. In his words:

"You're also inheriting a certain cinematic tradition when you're kitbashing cinema a little bit, but yet, keeping it original and making it its own thing... It doesn't feel like a pastiche or homage, because it's so underneath it. But it became a guiding light for us creatively to say it should feel like this anyway."

Put simply: Yes, you'll find echoes of older movies here, but they're so deeply woven in that it's more about tone and vibe than direct references. But sharp-eyed fans in the theater will probably spend the first viewing hunting for nods and subtle winks. (If you manage to spot them all, congratulations. You're truly committed.)

When to Expect It

Mark your calendars for May 22, 2026. That's when "The Mandalorian and Grogu" rolls into theaters. Until then, brace for more teasers, random leaks, and probably more interviews where Favreau explains why borrowing from old movies is actually an art form.