🎥Trailer Released for 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

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Good morning, Youtinians. Our friends at Lucasfilm kicked off the week with the surprise release of a trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, and our excitement is off the charts! If you haven't seen it yet, we've got all the details (and, of course, a link to see for yourself!).

— JG Carse, Emmi Conner, and Doc B

The Mandalorian and Grogu Trailer Released!

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost six years since a Star Wars theatrical release. We can rest assured that the wait is nearly over now that we can see the first official trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu!

What (and who) we see: 

In addition to Din Djarin and the other half of his Clan of Two, we get to see returning stars as well as some newcomers: 

• Zeb, a member of the Ghost crew in Star Wars Rebels, who we briefly saw in live-action in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, relaxing in a bar, has a more active (and perhaps more prominent) role.  

• Sigourney Weaver, who we learned earlier this year was joining the cast, appears as a New Republic officer (and perhaps one of the few people who can constrain Grogu’s appetite). 

Deep dive: 

• In addition to a new Razor Crest-style ship, the trailer suggests the film will feature a similar flavor to the show’s more recent seasons… coupled with a feature film’s budget. 

• Similarly, the newly released poster and logo have a “pulp” style that echoes the adventure serials that provided much of George Lucas’s original inspiration. 

What else we’ve learned: In conjunction with a consumer products conference this month in China, Disney released the following: 

We’re all fine here now — how are you? The trailer has all of us on the team stoked to see Favreau and Filoni bring the tone and vibe of The Mandalorian to the big screen! We’re just over a half year away from seeing Din and Grogu (and Zeb! And Sigourney Weaver!), and we can’t wait! Join the excitement in Discord and let us know your favorite part of the trailer!

Return of the Jedi!

Mark Hamill. He is Star Wars. We have spoken! He has played Luke Skywalker in live-action and voiced Darth Bane in The Clone Wars, Dobbu Scay in The Last Jedi, Boolio in The Rise of Skywalker, EV-9D9 in The Mandalorian, Luke in LEGO Star Wars specials, and countless other characters.

So, when he talks, we listen. And, he has done just that in a recent interview about his career with James Hibberd from The Hollywood Reporter. 

What were the takeaways?

• After the global success of Star Wars and acting as the titular character of Luke Skywalker, Hamill made a living voicing roles for radio, TV, and film.

• Voicing The Joker changed his perspective and career possibilities enormously. He was so thrilled that people would not even know it was him.

• After reprising the role of Luke Skywalker, his career has seen him step out of the recording booth with several prominent roles in BIG productions:

  • Arthur Pym in The Fall of the House of Usher

  • Professor Arnold Skemmon (Bert Kreischer’s father) in The Machine

  • The Life of Chuck

  • The Major in Steven King’s The Long Walk

Deep Dive 

• On AI Luke Skywalker, he stated. “What you’re asking is so hard to contemplate. Are we going to have to have something in our wills that comment on that, saying ‘I don’t want this done’? I have enough trouble trying to deal with the jobs that I do have than to start speculating about the future.”

• On de-aging for The Mandalorian, he shared, “The reason I did Mandalorian was that Luke had a beginning and an end. There was no middle.” 

• On the current leaders of the Star Wars narrative, he exclaims, “I think Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, boy, do they get Star Wars. They get it. They’re speaking the same language that George did….”

Jedi Masters — They’re Just Like Us!

• On collecting, he states, “I started collecting board games and comic books … Then it occurred to me: I just paid $1,500 (USD) for what was originally a 10-cent comic book… so, I stopped.”

• With career advice for those wanting to be in Star Wars in the future, Hamill shares, "Believe in yourself. Work hard. Never give up. And it will happen for you.”

We’re all fine here now — how are you? He just exudes awesomeness, does Mark Hamill. What a joy to read these quotes and get insight into his thinking and mindset after all his experiences and highs and lows in Hollywood. What is your favorite Hamill character? Jump on Discord and share your thoughts!

Spaceballs Sequel News

The year was 1987, and the fandom was still reeling from the death of the Emperor and Vader a few short years before in what most of us at the time thought was the last Star Wars film we’d see.

We craved more, and comedy film legend Mel Brooks did not disappoint!

What was Spaceballs? Brooks is a master of parodies, and in the 1980s, he set out to make a parody of contemporary sci-fi films. 

• Though it also includes references to Star Trek, Alien, Planet of the Apes, and other films, it primarily parodies the original Star Wars trilogy. 

• George Lucas agreed to the parody on the condition that there be no Spaceballs action figures, which led to a gag in the film about merchandising. Lucas later sent Brooks a note saying he loved the film. 

• Though it met with mixed reviews from critics, it became a cult classic and even appeared in a Star Wars YouTube channel video.

“I told you we’d be back.” Although Brooks’s character Yogurt (parodying, you guessed it, Yoda) mentioned Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money, there has been little serious talk of a sequel until now. 

• In June 2024, Amazon MGM Studios announced that a Spaceballs sequel was in development. 

• Back on June 12 of this year, Brooks posted this video clip (xCancel). True to form, the video featured a Star Wars-style scroll. 

• Brooks then appears on screen and says, “After 40 years, huh, we asked what do the fans want? But instead, we’re making this movie! May the Schwartz be with you!”.

• That same day, Josh Gad, who stars and is one of the film’s writers, confirmed the announcement on his Instagram account: "It is therefore the greatest gift of my life to now help take the reins and work alongside Mel and this incredible group to do a sequel to the movie that first inspired George Lucas”.

• The latest update is that principal photography began this month in Sydney! We’re quite sure the choice of filming location in Australia is a testament to our own Doc’s influence!

Familiar faces: Spaceballs 2 will see several actors return from the original film, including a big surprise!

• Bill Pullman returns as Lone Starr (a hybrid parody of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker) and Daphne Zuniga as Princess Vespa (a parody of Princess Leia). 

• Mel Brooks will reprise the role of Yogurt. 

• In big news, Rick Moranis will return as Darth Helmet (a parody of Darth Vader). The film will mark his return to on-camera acting after taking a long hiatus to focus on his children following his wife’s untimely passing. 

• In addition to these returning actors, Lewis Pullman (Bill Pullman’s son) will appear as Lone Starr’s son. Lewis has previously appeared in Top Gun: Maverick and Thunderbolts*. 

We’re all fine here now — how are you? As of now, we expect Spaceballs 2 to arrive sometime in 2027, though an exact release date has not been revealed. We’re sure that once it hits screens, it will be another Brooks comedy classic! Be sure to keep up with the Dispatch and The Youtini Show for the latest, and may the Schwartz be with you!

🛰️ In the Youtiniverse

🎙️The latest episode of The Youtini Show unpacks the new trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, but that's not all! Hear about the latest on-set photo from Starfighter and an exciting reveal in Rebuild the Galaxy! 

🎙️Join The Cosmic Force for a look at the first issue of Boba Fett — Black White & Red and a mission right out of The Clone Wars in Star Wars (2025) #5.

🎙️Jared and Freddy C hit the road for Legends Expo 2025 and have all the highlights, including an interview with author Sean Stewart on the latest episode of Legends Lookback.

✏️ Doc celebrates Andor's awesome job of filling in some space between saga films with relevant and impactful storytelling, and looks at some other areas storytellers could explore.

✏️ Jacob reviews Star Wars (2025) #5, which sees Luke and Han run up against a foe from yesteryear!

✏️Oz reviews Boba Fett — Black White & Red #1. Does Boba's first solo comic series in more than 10 years live up to the hype?

🧭 Smuggler’s Finds

Fresh Star Wars treasures, hand-picked by the Youtini crew.

• Just in time to hop on board The Mandalorian and Grogu hype train, snap up this Mission Fleet figure set! The collection includes Fennec Shand, Boba Fett, a Dark Trooper, Stormtrooper, and, of course, Mando and Grogu! At 2.5 inches, the figure features a series-inspired design and accessories.

• Make your walls a shrine to your favorite franchise with this set of posters from the Original Trilogy! Each measures 24x36 inches and is printed on quality paper.

• This is a special take on a special species. As part of their Star Wars collection, Swarovski Crystal offers this design depicting Wicket, the Ewok scout who befriends Leia on Endor. Its 349 facets feature black and brown crystal to give the figure an authentic look, including the iconic hood.

📆 Releasing This Week

• September 24

  • Doctor Aphra — Chaos Agent #4 by Cherish Chen

  • Hyperspace Stories: Codebreaker #4 by Ethan Sacks

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