Lucasfilm And Studio Ghibli Announce Animated Star Wars Short For The Mandalorian's Third Anniversary

Yesterday, Studio Ghibli surprised fans all over the world when its official Twitter account posted a short video indicating an upcoming collaboration with Lucasfilm. Fans of both Ghibli and "Star Wars" were quick to speculate about what the team-up might include, but now, we can officially confirm that it'll be a special short film following none other than Baby Yoda himself, Grogu.

The little green guy from "The Mandalorian" seems like a perfect fit for a team-up with the beloved Japanese animation studio that specializes in cute (and beautiful, emotional, just generally fantastic, etc.) cartoons. Studio Ghibli and Lucasfilm announced via a press release today that the project will be a short film entitled "Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies." 

Equally exciting is the news that it's dropping extremely soon: the short will appear on Disney+ beginning tomorrow, November 12, 2022, in honor of the third anniversary of "The Mandalorian."

When he first appeared alongside Pedro Pascal's space Western hero Mando, Grogu quickly became a squeal-inducing fixture not just in "Star Wars" canon but pop culture as a whole. Now, it's only right that he gets his own adventure with some equally cute Ghibli critters. A poster for the short was released alongside the title announcement, and it features a group of gray, spikey dust bunnies with big eyes that are reminiscent of the Susuwatari, or soot sprites, that appear in "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Spirited Away."

The poster also shows a sketched version of the baby of the hour himself, Grogu, wearing a cozy-looking robe and sporting a sweet smile that's dwarfed by his very big ears. The special is set to be directed by Katsuya Kondo, who has worked on Ghibli films including "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Ocean Waves." It will also feature music by Ludwig Göransson, the award-winning composer of "The Mandalorian" soundtrack, including its memorable title theme.

Studio Ghibli hinted that the collaboration may feature Grogu with a photo posted to Twitter this morning with the caption "This is the Way." Excitingly, the photo seems to feature the studio's most-recognized filmmaker, Hiyao Miyazaki, out of focus in the shot of a Yoda statue. While Miyazaki's name isn't mentioned in the press release for "Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies," he co-founded Studio Ghibli and is its most prominent director and animator.

For once, this "Star Wars" news doesn't require a years-long wait to come to fruition: "Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies" will premiere on Disney+ on November 12, 2022.