Summary
At the Star Wars Celebration event back in April, Lucasfilm announced a newStar Warsmovie to be directed by Dave Filoni. While the details of the plot are being kept under wraps, this movie is expected to conclude the post-Return of the Jedistoryline set up byThe Mandalorianand its various spin-offs. There are plenty of otherStar Warsfilms in development – a movie about Rey’s post-Rise of Skywalkeradventures from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a religious epic about the dawn of the Jedi from James Mangold, a Lando movie from Donald and Stephen Glover (previously developed as a limited series) – but Filoni’s movie is arguably the most exciting, since it’s essentially a feature-lengthMandalorianfinale being released on the big screen. If rumors are to be believed, the movie is tentatively being referred to asHeir to the Empire, suggesting Grand Admiral Thrawn will be the villain.
The promise of seeing Din Djarin, Ahsoka Tano, Grogu, Boba Fett, Bo-Katan, andmaybe even Luke Skywalkertaking on Thrawn on the silver screen is a truly tantalizing prospect. But when Filoni was initially announced to be directing the project, it was a little worrying, because Filoni comes from TV. His head is in the TV space and his creative process has been developed in the TV world, so the Mando-verse movie could’ve turned out to be an extended TV episode instead of a big, cinematic movie that demands to be seen in a theater. However, the cinematic visuals ofAhsokahave put those concerns to rest and proven that Filoni can handle big-screen spectacle.
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Ahsoka’s Cinematic Visuals Prove Dave Filoni’s Mandalorian Movie Can Be Great
The flawless visual effects and mesmerizing cinematography ofAhsokahave proven that Filoni’sMandalorianmovie can reach its full cinematic potential. Unlike the other live-actionStar Warsshows,Ahsokamakes seamless use ofThe Volume technology. InObi-Wan Kenobi, the sprawling desert vistas of Tatooine never seem bigger than 10 square feet because the actors are clearly standing on a soundstage surrounded by TV screens displaying a fake, glossy desert environment. But inAhsoka, the spaces never feel so limited. Cinematographers Eric Steelberg and Quyen Tran shoot the StageCraft action in a truly immersive way that conveys the vastness of the CG settings.
Thrawn’s arrival in “Part Six: Far, Far Away” captures the foreboding scale of his monolithic Imperial Star Destroyer bearing down on an ancient temple. The moody lighting and misty atmosphere of the show’s lightsaber duels evoke the breathtaking samurai swordfights of a Kurosawa classic. The best sequences inAhsokawould’ve been mind-blowing on the big screen. Imagine seeing the Clone Wars flashback in a theater, with explosions piercing through the literal fog of war to illuminate unnerving flashes of Vader. Imagine if Thrawn’s grand entrance was projected onto a 30-foot screen and the cult-like Night Trooper chant came booming out of industrial-sized speakers.
What Will Dave Filoni’s Star Wars Movie Be About?
Much like every otherStar Warsfilm in development, there are no confirmed plot details for Filoni’s Mando-verse movie. But it’s fairly easy to see the direction they’re heading in withThe MandalorianandAhsoka.The Mandalorian’s season 3 finalehas reset the status quo and sent Mando and Grogu back to the simple lives of bounty hunters. But instead of hunting down criminals for the guild, they’ll be hunting down Imperial scum for the New Republic. One of the announcedMandalorianspin-offs,Rangers of the New Republic, was canceled after Lucasfilm fired Gina Carano, who was expected to star in the series as Cara Dune. Mando’s newfound work with the New Republic seems to be folding the plannedRangersstorylines into the flagship series. The movie could see Mando and Grogu calling in all the favors they can to go after the most valuable Imperial bounty of all: Thrawn.
The Book of Boba Fettended with Boba and Fennec giving up the crime lord lifestyle to pursue a greater purpose. Perhaps that greater purpose will be taking down what’s left of the evil Empire he once served. TheAhsokaseries has shown off the full scale of the Imperial Remnants andthe Night Troopers’ cult-like reverence for Thrawn. The titular ronin has been determined to defeat Thrawn since her live-action debut inThe Mandalorianseason 2, so she’ll undoubtedly be involved in Mando’s quest to vanquish the Imperial Remnants. There’s enough room in a feature-length runtime to bring in all the familiar icons from the Mando-verse for the showdown with Thrawn, even if some of them just provide a second-act stepping stone withStar Wars’ new favorite plot device: a star map.
While the “climactic story event” description provided by Lucasfilm seems to suggest Filoni’s movie will beStar Wars’ answer toAvengers: Endgame, it sounds more likeInfinity Warwith a sprawling ensemble of heroes banding together to take on a common enemy. The sky is the limit for Filoni’s movie, both narratively and aesthetically. Whatever story the Mando-verse movie has in store, based on the jaw-dropping visuals ofAhsoka, it’ll look incredible.
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