THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU HOME VIDEO RELEASE

Join the Mandalorian and Grogu on their most thrilling mission yet when Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” arrives on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango July 21, and on August 25 the movie comes to 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.

Following multiple award-winning seasons on Disney+, this theatrical release motion picture sees the Mandalorian and Grogu facing new challenges and exploring uncharted corners of the galaxy. In "Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu", the evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu. "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" also stars Sigourney Weaver, with Martin Scorsese and Jeremy Allen White lending their voices.

The home video release includes the following bonus content in addition to the theatrical release of the movie:

FEATURETTES: 

• Crafting “The Mandalorian and Grogu”: Discover the craft behind an epic Star Wars adventure! Go behind the scenes with artists creating the stunning puppetry, miniatures, sound design, and visual effects that bring the worlds, characters, and creatures of “The Mandalorian and Grogu” to life. 
• Biomes—From Snow to Swamp: Voyage with director Jon Favreau and his crew to a pair of brand-new worlds that may seem a touch familiar to fans of the original Star Wars trilogy. Discover how the ingenious filmmakers constructed snowy landscapes and a living swamp from the ground up! 
• Welcome to Shakari: A bustling metropolis like Shakari cannot simply be found—it must be made. Join the film’s fabrication as they build an entire Star Wars city with a downtown warehouse, conjuring an epic playground for Mando and his young apprentice. 
• Dejarik for Real: Sometimes it’s the little things! Who can forget the Millennium Falcon’s charming holochess game introduced in 1977? Witness how the tiny creatures featured in the game were lovingly brought to giant-sized life for the Mandalorian’s big-screen debut! 

 AUDIO COMMENTARY: 

 Audio commentary by Jon Favreau: Watch the film with audio commentary by director Jon Favreau.

Collectible versions of 4K UHD will be available in a SteelBook and in the special Beskar Collector’s Edition (U.S. only), which includes special packaging and metal posters when the physical media release of "Star Wars" The Mandalorian & Grogu" arrives at stores on August 25. 

MANDOVERSE DROID PERFORMER COMING TO MOTOR CITY COMIC CON

Fans of the Disney+ Star Wars: The Mandalorian and its spinoff shows on the streaming service will be GEEKED to know that Chris Bartlett who is known for portraying droids within the "Mandoverse" will be a guest at the Spring edition of the Motor City Comic Con taking place May 16-18, 2025 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. He's known for playing the acting role of robotic characters known as droids and actually builds the costumes himself he wears for the productions. Anybody who is into cosplay has to love this guy!

Chris Bartlett has taken on the role of a number of different droids in a variety of The Mandalorian episodes as well as made appearances in Ahsoka and The Book of Boba Fett. One of the most popular Star Wars appearances by Bartlett has been as Q9-0 a protocol droid turned mercenary in the first season of The Mandalorian. He also has taken on one of the most iconic roles within the Star Wars galaxy as C-3P0 in Disney+ Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Chris Bartlett will be appearing all three days of Motor City Comic Con (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Hear his stories from behind the scenes of these Star Wars shows during a panel discussion at the Con where he will share insights and inspiration with fans. Which Star Wars droid do you think is his favorite? Ask him at Motor City Comic Con! He will also be providing autographs for $40 and photo ops for $50 during the event.

Tickets for admission to Motor City Comic Con are available online at MotorCityComicCon.com:

Adult admission tickets (ages 13 and up) 

Friday Pass $35* online purchase / $40 at the door 

 Saturday Pass $45* online purchase / $50 at the door 

 Sunday Pass $40* online purchase / $45 at the door 

 Adult Weekend Pass $100* online purchase / $110 at the door  

Children admission tickets (ages 6-12) Kids 5 and under are FREE all weekend with a paid adult.

Friday Child Pass (ages 6-12) $5* online purchase / $10 at the door 

Saturday Child Pass (ages 6-12) $10* online purchase / $20 at the door 

Sunday is Kid’s Day All children under 12 are FREE with a paid adult 

Child Weekend Pass (ages 6-12) $15* online purchase / $25 at the door

*Additional processing fees will apply with online ticket purchases. Online sales will end at 8:00am each day, May 16-18. After 8:00am tickets will need to be purchased at the box office.

UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT

Lionsgate sent some swag my way to highlight that Nicolas Cage's new film THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT will be in movie theaters this weekend. Pedro Pascal who has been playing the Mandalorian in the hit Disney+ streaming series joins Cage in this action/comedy "buddy" movie that I'm really looking forward to seeing. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language, sexual references, drug use and violence. A flick more suited for a date night with your spouse then a family outing to the movie theater. 

Nicolas Cage is in a role he has been living his whole life to play as Nick Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, actor Nick Cage accepts a $1 million offer to attend a wealthy fan's birthday party. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when a CIA operative recruits Cage for an unusual mission. Taking on the role of a lifetime, he soon finds himself channeling his most iconic and beloved characters to save himself and his loved ones.

For more information about the movie or to find showtimes, visit nickcage.movie 

IS FUTURE OF STAR WARS IN TELEVISION?

As an '80s kid, Star Wars fanship was all about the movie theater experience of watching the original trilogy of films on the big screen during my youth. That was complimented by playing with Kenner action figures re-enacting your favorite scenes and imagining new adventures for the characters with the toys. All in all being a Star Wars fan was all about the movies back then.

Sharing my passion for Star Wars with my children though hasn't really been about the movies at all though. It has been about enjoying the Star Wars experience on television. They've grown up being excited each week when we spent time watching together as a family a new episode of one of the Star Wars animated series. The kids have gone from youngsters to teens watching The Clone Wars, Rebels and now the Bad Batch. My kids are more invested in the cartoon characters of Anakin Skywalker, Ezra Bridger and Omega than anyone from the movies.

In fact, they've told me they don't even like the three "Disney" movies or any of the characters from those films. My son even describes the adventures of Rey, Finn and Poe as "just a money grab" and "those movies kinda suck."  Yet he is excited whenever a new episode of the live-action Mandalorian or Boba Fett tv show are released. With the success of these Disney Plus shows and future Star Wars movie releases in limbo, you have to wonder did Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrahams kill the future of the franchise when it comes to blockbuster theatrical releases? And if so, does it really matter with Star Wars having moved to new platforms for people to enjoy through streaming and video games?

Star Wars may be as popular as it has ever been based upon its television shows. While George Lucas prequel movies are still dreaded by many, the Clone Wars animated series have redeemed many of the characters from those movies. Darth Maul evolved into one of Star Wars best villains thanks to his role in Clone Wars and Rebels. When I think of Anakin Skywalker it isn't Hayden Christian's performance that comes to mind but rather the Clone Wars character voiced by Matt Lanter. And his padawan in Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano has become a fan favorite with her own live action tv series on its way. She is more popular with my son and daughter than Princess Leia! 

Clone Wars wasn't just sci fi fluff; it had stories with real plots to them complimented with great action. It was a show that adults could appreciate just as much as kids. My son and daughter loved watching this show just as much as I did. While my Star Wars fanship began with the movie A New Hope, theirs originated through watching Clone Wars with their dad every Saturday for a number of years.

It continued with Star Wars: Rebels which we would always make a special effort to watch together on Thursday evenings when new episodes debuted on Disney XD. This show provided them with new characters to embrace separate from anyone from the movies. Ezra orphaned by the Empire sending his parents to a prison camp discovers he has a connection with The Force. He meets up with a former Padawan orphaned from the Jedi Order by the Empire's purge. Together with other colorful characters they begin a Rebellion. 

For my kids, not the new Disney movies but rather Rebels is the equivalent of what the original trilogy movies where for me. They are more excited about news of another season of the most recent Star Wars animated series, Bad Batch, rather than any announcements of new movies being produced. Bad Batch is further enhancing the cannon of the Star Wars television universe by connecting the time span between Clone Wars and Rebels. This follows a group of elite clone troopers finding their way through a changing galaxy at the end of the Clone Wars and protecting a very valuable and rare asset, Omega, a youthful female version of their kind.

In addition to the animated series, we now have live action shows in the picture. The Mandalorian with Baby Yoda was fantastic! And it is incorporating elements of the animated series creating a television cinematic universe that while related to the movies can essentially stand on its own merits. Seeing Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Ahsoka Tano, Cad Bane, Din Djarin and Grogu together merging cartoons, live action tv and movies in a chapter of the Book of Boba Fett was so incredible! I have to say Cad Bane is one of my favorite Star Wars characters overall so I was geeked to see him.

With Disney investing millions of dollars into promoting their Star Wars movie characters in The Last Jedi films and new theme park lands, the question is will there be a conflict with the television shows that seem to embrace George Lucas' vision of a galaxy far, far away versus these other films which really don't seem to have been very well liked by mainstream audiences. How will this impact the Star Wars Lands that at Disneyland and Disney World that are branded around the new movies' characters? Do you think we've seen the last of Rey and her Resistance allies? 

Is the future of Star Wars stories now going to be television focused based upon a new generation of fans like my own children who are more invested in them or is there a future filled with new theatrical movie releases? Where do you see the franchise headed when it comes to future Star Wars adventures? 

BOBA FETT EE-3 NERF BLASTER

With a renewed focus on the Star Wars universe's most notorious bounty hunter due to the Disney Plus show THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT, Hasbro has created a Nerf blaster that I'd be so geeked to get my hands on. Modeled after Boba Fett's EE-3 weapon it is meticulously detailed to capture the look of the blaster as it is seen on the Disney Plus live-action Star Wars series. The only difference is this Nerf version fires foam darts instead of plasma bolts. 

The Star Wars Boba Fett EE-3 Nerf Blaster includes 3 drums, each with 4-dart capacity, so you can switch them out to reload Nerf Elite darts. This 30-inch Nerf blaster also has an electronic scope with an illuminated lens and makes series-accurate blaster sound effects. It comes fully assembled in premium packaging that is designed for displaying. 

To fire a dart, load a drum, prime, and pull the trigger. Simple as that! This will be so fun to play around with, especially if you are donning a Star Wars Black Series Mandalorian helmet while hunting your prey.

This post has affiliate links, which means this blog could earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn't cost you anything extra, ageekdaddy.com just has to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

AUGMENTED REALITY BABY YODA

As I was getting ready to call it a night on Christmas Eve, a commotion by our home's fireplace caught my attention. Could it be Santa coming down the chimney?! Nope ... it was Baby Yoda!

With the kids in bed for the night, Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian television show on Disney+ stopped by to be Santa's helper for the night in putting holiday gifts under our Christmas tree. Baby Yoda visited our house courtesy of augmented reality through the Google app. Download this free app for Apple and Android devices to have Baby Yoda stop by your place too!

Open this search engine app and look up "Baby Yoda", "Grogu", "The Child," or "The Mandalorian." Then select the "View in 3D" option that appears to see this pop culture sensation on your screen standing in your surroundings via your smart phone's camera. You can then take selfies with Grogu, videos of the lil creature exploring the landscape around you, or stage pictures of Baby Yoda doing fun things like checking out the presents under your Christmas tree. 

I was geeked to play around with Baby Yoda via the Google app. While the interactions are limited to The Child moving its head around and vocalizing some of the sounds Grogu expresses on The Mandalorian it was still fun to see a life-like version of the character that we could take pictures and video with around our house. 

STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT 2 NERF RIVAL

Nerf's RIVAL series of toy guns definitely aren't the foam dart blasters many of us associate with the toy brand.  These toys up the intensity of playing with them a notch from foam darts providing for a paint ball type experience without the mess.  Meant for teenagers and adults, Nerf RIVAL blasters project high-intensity rounds that have an incredible 100 feet per second velocity.  These are great for people who really enjoy getting competitive when it comes to Nerf blaster battles.

Star Wars fans who want to get into the Nerf RIVAL action won't want to miss out on getting themselves a Boba Fett inspired APPOLLO XV-700 + Face Mask set available exclusively from GameStop.  This STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II branded special edition Nerf set has a spring-action powered RIVAL blaster with a detachable magazine that can be loaded with the seven high-impact rounds that are included in the package.  It also comes with a Boba Fett face mask and an embroidered Mandalorian insigna patch.  All of the items in this BATTLEFRONT II video game themed Nerf RIVAL pack have a color scheme based upon the notorious Mandalorian bounty hunter from the Star Wars movies .. who happens to be one of my all-time favorite sci-fi characters!

In addition to all the great gear, the STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II Nerf RIVAL package comes packaged within a reusable box.  Flip open the box and there is an impressive image of Boba Fett inside on the lid.  When not using the equipment place it in the plastic sleeve inside the box and combined with the mural you have yourself a nice display case.  Or close it up and know your Nerf RIVAL APPOLLO XV-700 blaster, ammunition and face mask are all stored up in one place and ready to go the next time you want to use them.



Who here is a Deadpool fan?  Gamestop also has a Nerf RIVAL pack based upon the Merc with a Mouth from Marvel Comics.  You are sure to be a menace in any RIVAL competition sporting the duel KRONOS XVIII-500 blasters in this Deadpool themed Nerf set.  Each pistol has an easy to load magazine that holds five high impact rounds.  The set includes 10 rounds of ammunition and a specially decorated storage box that also makes a nice display case.  No face mask with this set but you get an extra pistol compared to the Boba Fett pack.

For more information about these themed Nerf RIVAL blaster sets, please visit gamestop.com