Sigourney Weaver to Star in The Mandalorian and Grogu
In a Deadline exclusive interview, Sigourney Weaver looked back on her career and where it’s headed in the future. Namely, among the sci-fi franchises that have made her famous, Weaver mentions starring in The Mandalorian and Grogu, the theatrical follow-up to the Disney+ Star Wars series that, at least for the first two seasons, was Disney’s most popular addition to the Star Wars franchise by far. This news follows reports from a few months back that Weaver was in talks for a role in Star Wars’ next big movie, which is set to arrive in theaters on May 22, 2026. Sigourney Weaver is known for originating iconic roles such as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise and Dana Barrett in the Ghostbusters film series. She also stars in the Avatar movies from James Cameron, which some people like for some reason. Sigourney Weaver has appeared in a plethora of dramas and comedies since the 1970s, in addition to the indelible mark she has left on sci-fi and some of its most iconic fandoms. In a testament to her impressive, long-standing career, this interview took place in the wake of Weaver receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival. I recommend the whole interview if you’re into Weaver’s work, but I only intend to comment on the Star Wars portion of the piece. Here’s the relevant excerpt:
DEADLINE: And the next movie you’re going to film?
WEAVER: I’m playing a role in The Mandalorian & Grogu [which will be directed by Jon Favreau]. I got to meet Grogu for the first time the other day. I’m filming that before I go to London for The Tempest at the end of the year.
DEADLINE: And then your work conquering all the major sci-fi franchises will be complete! Is it a fun part?
WEAVER: Very. I’m looking forward to it. I can’t say much about it right now but it’s fun to bounce between all these different universes.
It’s unsurprising that she has little info to offer regarding her upcoming role in The Mandalorian and Grogu; Lucasfilm is known for their airtight NDAs. It’s really cool that she has seen the Grogu puppet in person; I’m jealous. It would have been cooler and more exciting if she had been cast before The Mandalorian’s mediocre third season came out. Most people wholeheartedly loved the first two seasons, and there was a lot of excitement around the show in the wake of season 2, particularly following Luke Skywalker’s showstopping appearance. This isn’t Sigourney Weaver or the movie’s fault, but that third season has absolutely put a damper on things. I almost can’t believe how quickly Lucasfilm blew through so much goodwill.
However, I’m not saying there isn’t hope for The Mandalorian and Grogu. This is Star Wars’ (hopefully) triumphant return to cinemas, and I can only assume that Lucasfilm will pull out all the stops to make it worthwhile for fans. Casting respected actors like Sigourney Weaver is a good sign that they want to make this movie something special. The Mandalorian has always had fun cameos, but it sounds like Weaver will have a larger role in the film. Even in the area of cameos and side characters, I found season 3 to be the weakest, so I hope this is a big step up in that regard. I love Christopher Lloyd and Jack Black, but The Mandalorian clearly did not know what to do with them. I absolutely think Weaver has the chops to pull off whatever Lucasfilm and Jon Favreau put in front of her. The only question is whether they’ll blow it, especially seeing as it would be far from the first time. But who knows? I’m trying to look forward to this movie, and I will see it when it hits theaters.
What type of role can you see Sigourney Weaver playing in the Star Wars galaxy? Do you think she will make a good addition to the overall Mandalorian story? What’s your favorite character she has played? Let us know in the comments below!
Comments (2)
Ripley, Ghostbusters, GalaxyQuest, Wall-E, what a career she had. Does not get much better, but it’s enough.
Was watching CallMeChato’s video the other day asking if anyone even recalls Humphrey Bogart? Barely. He then mentioned a bunch of other legacy actors and I didn’t know most of them.
No matter the massive achievements, in a few generations, even the great ones are forgotten. It will happen much faster now because of the demographic changes and replacement populations imported.
Even the important people are not that important.
She was better in Avatar than I thought she would be. I forget about her normally.
You saw what happened with Borderlands. The fans literally laughed at that movie and called it geriatric. This is becoming an issue.
Go ahead, see if it works, but at what point do we start calling these older stars Hollywood’s version of vampires, feeding on roles that should have gone to the next generations?