For most of Star Wars’ history, there was a firewall between movies and television. On one side, there are nine flagship movies, plus supplementary adventures like Rogue One and Solo. On television, there are the old Ewok adventures, the animated shows, and the new Disney+ series. It’s very rare for the two forms to meet, although it does happen; in 2008, the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars launched the series of the same name, and introduced the world to Ahsoka Tano, who now has a live-action series of her own.
Now, another such crossover is unfolding. The Mandalorian and Grogu, currently scheduled for a May 2026 release, will move Mando and Baby Yoda from Disney+ to the silver screen. A recent casting announcement has revealed a surprising connection to that old Clone Wars flick, and one that could redefine a maligned character.
Variety announced that The Mandalorian and Grogu will feature The Bear star Jeremy Allen White as the voice of Rotta the Hutt, Jabba the Hutt’s son. Rotta is better known as “Stinky,” a baby Anakin and Ahsoka rescued in their first mission together, as shown in the Clone Wars movie.
But don’t expect Rotta to be an infant companion for Grogu; 33 years have since passed in the Star Wars timeline. Hutts can live up to 1000 years, so much like Grogu’s species, they grow slowly. However, because Hutts spend their first decades living in their parent’s brood pouch, Rotta was already over 50 when he debuted, so he should be well into his adolescence now.
Rotta was a controversial character. Unlike Grogu, who charmed viewers with his baby cooing, Rotta was a real handful, constantly belching and crying. It made him annoying to watch, but he’s presumably grown out of that teething phase.
Since Jabba is long dead at this point, it’s possible Rotta will serve as a gangster stand-in for his late father, but casting such a notable actor suggests he’ll stray from tradition and actually speak in Basic (Star Wars speak for English), instead of the traditional Huttese. Jabba’s uncle Ziro, for example, spoke Basic in The Clone Wars series.
Rotta’s inclusion in The Mandalorian and Grogu may seem random, but it’s a fun way to not only tie this TV-inspired movie in with its predecessor, but also revitalize an annoying character and give us a glimpse into the young slug-man he became. If Luke Skywalker could transform from a teen whining about power converters to a Jedi knight in just a few years, then this crying Hutt could grow into a crime lord over several decades. At the very least, he’ll probably be less stinky.
