MANDO & GROGU RETURN
T
he summer movie season launches with the highly anticipated new installment in the cinematic Star Wars universe. That’ s right— Grogu, affectionately known as“ Baby Yoda,” is making his long-awaited big screen debut. And that’ s just the beginning.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Directed by Jon Favreau Rated PG-13 • May 22- in Theaters
The first Mandalorian film in the Star Wars
By Lori Vernon
The Mondalorian & Grogu
saga launches directly from the conclusion of season three of the acclaimed TV series. Production was halted in 2023 due to the SAG- AFTRA strike, but during the hiatus, Lucasfilm reassessed its strategy and ultimately shifted focus to a Mandalorian feature film. In the aftermath of the Empire’ s collapse, the fractured galaxy faces threats from scattered Imperial warlords. The newly formed New Republic, determined to uphold the legacy of the Rebellion, recruits legendary
Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin( Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice, Grogu. Their urgent mission: rescue Rotta the Hutt( Jeremy Allen White) to secure vital intelligence from the Hutt clan that could tip the balance in the New Republic ' s favor.
Hokum
Directed by Damian McCarthy Rated R • May1-InTheaters
When novelist Ohm Bauman( Adam Scott) retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance force him to confront dark corners of his past.
Animal Farm
Directed by Andy Serkis Rated PG • May 1-InTheaters
From visionary director Andy Serkis comes a satirical allegory of revolution and power. Animal Farm traces how a movement for equality is systematically corrupted. As the pigs consolidate control, truth is erased, dissent is crushed, and the farm descends into a ruthless dictatorship— fulfilling Orwell’ s warning about the dangers of communism.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
Directed by David Frankel Rated PG-13 • May 1-InTheaters
Almost twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel— Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon that defined a generation.
Deep Water
Directed by Renny Harlin Rated R • May 1-InTheaters A group of international passengers en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. Now they must work together in hopes of overcoming the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage. Stars Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley.
The Sheep Detectives
Directed by Kyle Balda Rated PG • May 8-InTheaters
Every night, a shepherd( Hugh Jackman) reads aloud a murder mystery to his sheep, pretending they can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it. But it turns out the human world isn’ t as simple as it appears in books.
Mortal Kombat II
Directed by Simon McQuoid Rated R • May 8-InTheaters
In the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise, the fan favorite champions— now joined by Johnny Cage himself( Karl Urban)— are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holdsbarred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
12 illinoisentertainer. com may 2028