Although the video started to trend once again on February 18, 2026, after being posted again by Rotten Tomatoes, the video is actually from Star Wars Celebration Japan on April 18, 2025. The emotional moment is of Pedro Pascal reacting to the newly unveiled and highly advanced animatronic Grogu while promoting The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is set to hit theaters on May 22, 2026.
Pedro Pascal praises Jon Favreau and teases Din Djarin’s evolution
In the now-famous video that has gone viral, Pedro Pascal becomes visibly emotional while talking about his longtime dream of getting to make this film and take on the role of Din Djarin on the big screen. “I personally love Grogu just about as much as the world. He’s captured all of our hearts. I think he represents innocence, curiosity, and wisdom, and also a kind of vulnerability that needs to be protected because you know that he would do it for us. And so I’m with everyone else. I’m in love. And the relationship becomes more complex, as all relationships do.”
He bravely says that this film could be “one of the greatest adventure movies in the canon of all of cinema,” even going so far as to draw comparisons to the 1977 film Star Wars. He also praises Jon Favreau for being able to achieve this kind of cinematic scale that surpasses what they were able to achieve on Disney+.
A big part of Pedro Pascal’s emotional moment also came from being on stage with Sigourney Weaver, who plays Colonel Bishop, a high-ranking New Republic officer who serves as a counterpoint to Mando’s bounty hunter instincts. He talked about being starstruck while on stage with her and how she is one of the defining movie stars of his generation. Sigourney Weaver also talked about how she had to not laugh out of character because of how emotionally believable the animatronic Grogu was.
As part of the event, Pascal also provided a cryptic response when asked if there would be a scene in which Din takes off his helmet in the film. While not providing any spoilers, he did hint at a major shift in the relationship between the father and son characters. This has led to speculation that perhaps Din will be able to move past his interpretation of his creed in order to be there for Grogu.
The renewed interest comes at a time when production on the film is wrapping in London. The film is moving into post-production and scoring with Ludwig Göransson. The first teaser is likely to drop during the 2026 Super Bowl window.
Those who attended the celebration have also provided reports on some of the exclusive content that was teased for the film. This includes Zeb Orrelios and Rotta the Hutt making an appearance. Additionally, there was a snowy scene that featured an AT-AT and a jetpack rescue. Whether any of this makes it into the film is to be determined.
