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Baby Yoda is headed to the big screen.

Jon Favreau is directing a new “Star Wars” movie, titled “The Mandalorian & Grogu.” It will go into production later this year.

Favreau created the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” which follows a helmet-wearing bounty hunter (played by Pedro Pascal) who starts the show on the run to protect a young, adorable alien named Grogu, better known by fans as Baby Yoda. It is unclear where the upcoming film will fit into the timeline of the live-action series, which has aired three seasons and is currently in development on the fourth.

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“I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” Favreau said in a statement. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.”

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“The Mandalorian & Grogu” is the first “Star Wars” movie in the works (with momentum, anyway) since 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which grossed $1 billion globally and served as the grand conclusion to the original nine-chapter saga. New installments in the space opera series, from director Patty Jenkins and “Marvel” producer Kevin Feige, were announced but never came to fruition. In the time since, “Star Wars” has launched two more live-action TV shows in the “Mando”-verse, “The Book of Boba Fett” and “Ahsoka,” plus the upcoming “Skeleton Crew.”

Favreau will produce “The Mandalorian & Grogu” with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and “Ahsoka” creator Dave Filoni. As he offers guidance on the upcoming film, Filoni will also work on the second season of “Ahsoka,” starring Rosario Dawson.

“Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen,” Kennedy said.

“The Mandalorian & Grogu” will lead Lucasfilm’s upcoming feature-length development slate, including separate “Star Wars” films directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, James Mangold and Filoni.

Though Disney’s release calendar is constantly changing, an untitled “Star Wars” movie is scheduled for May 22, 2026. A separate movie set in a galaxy far, far away is set for for Dec. 18, 2026, while a third “Star Wars” adventure is opening on Dec. 17, 2027. Disney hasn’t clarified the specifics of any of those movies.

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