The last time we saw Rotta the Hutt, he was an adorable little baby nicknamed “Stinky” by Ahsoka Tano, but Jabba’s son has grown up and gotten absolutely ripped. The character is set to appear in The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Empire has dropped an exclusive new image showcasing him wielding some massive battle axes in the gladiatorial arena.
Rotta the Hutt
The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau teased that “[Rotta’s] in top form, fighting in the pits, a gladiator of sorts.” He added that Rotta is trying to get out of his father’s shadow. “When you’re trying to establish yourself and your name is famous, when you’re Jabba The Hutt’s kid, what does that do?” Favreau said. “How has that affected his trajectory? I get a kick out of that.“
Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) lends his voice to the character, and although we will hear him speak “a little bit of Huttese,” most of his performance will be in Basic.
Is Disney Worried?
The release of The Mandalorian and Grogu is just two months away, with the film set to hit theaters on May 22. However, it doesn’t feel like the movie is generating the excitement it should, especially as it will be the first new Star Wars movie in theaters in over six years.
A report last week mentioned that The Mandalorian and Grogu is “something of a question mark” for the studio. Additionally, given that the film is based on a streaming series, it “may not seem like a big-screen proposition for any but the most die-hard Baby Yoda lovers.“
This came on the heels of the film’s Super Bowl commercial, which felt like a real misfire. It leaned into a nostalgic, old-school Super Bowl commercial vibe, complete with narration by Sam Elliott and featured a pack of Tauntauns pulling Din Djarin and Grogu. This was the chance to introduce the film to one of the biggest audiences in the world, and it really should have been the proper trailer, which they ultimately released a week later.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that The Mandalorian and Grogu will be a fun time at the movies, but we also have Star Wars: Starfighter to look forward to next year.
