Hasbro announces animatronic Ultimate Grogu

Our friends at Hasbro have sent over details regarding an animatronic Ultimate Grogu to celebrate Star Wars Day and the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu on the big screen.

Few characters have defined modern pop culture quite like Grogu. First capturing hearts on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, the breakout Star Wars character’s story is set to continue on the big screen in the upcoming film Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu starring Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. Hasbro is bringing that cultural phenomenon to collectors’ shelves with Ultimate Grogu, a meticulously crafted 1:1 scale animatronic designed for collectors, fans, and cosplayers alike.

“Our goal with Ultimate Grogu was to make fans feel like he’s truly part of their world,” said Adam Biehl, Head of Disney Action Brands at Hasbro. “Our design and development team spent hours studying how the character came to life in The Mandalorian series, striving to capture his personality and movements in a way that honors what Lucasfilm delivered in entertainment. Powered by our long-standing collaboration with Disney Consumer Products, we’re launching the most life-like, interactive, and expressive Grogu character Hasbro has ever created.”

The Ultimate Grogu features built-in motors, sensors, and microphones to deliver over 250 animations and sounds. The animatronic boasts three different modes of play which include endearing movements like waving, giggling and even “toddling” forward, in ways that make him incredibly life-like. Crafted with premium materials and authentic detailing, the figure includes accessories and tailoring true to the fan-favorite character’s screen appearance.

As Claire Goolsby, one of the Hasbro electrical engineers who worked on the toy, explains:

“One of the things that we’re excited to bring to life in this product is directional audio sensing. He has two microphones in him that are strictly listening for noise. When we’re in a less-crowded environment, those will be active, and he’s going to turn left or right or toward the center to really make him feel like he is part of your dinner table, your game night, or any sort of action.”

Ultimate Grogu is available for pre-order now on Hasbro Pulse, Amazon, and Fan Channel retailers, with two pre-order options launching simultaneously. The first option with standard packaging will begin shipping in early 2027. For fans looking to receive sooner, a limited run of First Edition quantities featuring special edition packaging and a collector card will ship in late 2026.

Pre-order Ultimate Grogu at Amazon (affiliate link).

Are you getting an Ultimate Grogu? Let me know in the comments below.

Roger Sweet, creator of He-Man, has died

Roger Sweet, the senior toy designer who created He-Man for Mattel, has died. He was 91.

Mattel infamously passed on Star Wars in the late seventies, paving the way for Kenner's stellar success. In the wake of George Lucas' space opera dominating toy aisles around the world, Mattel searched for its own IP after licensing the short-lived original series of Battlestar Galactica.

Sweet had the power!

Sweet kitbashed a more muscular Big Jim action figure, and a legend was born. He-Man. The rest is pop culture history, and Sweet's legacy lives on in a new live-action movie coming this summer.

Masters of the Universe is directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee) from a script by Chris Butler. It stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes as Teela, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Malcolm/Fisto, and Jared Leto as Skeletor.

Masters of the Universe is in cinemas on 5th June 2026.

Are you looking forward to Masters of the Universe? Let me know in the comments below.

Behind-the-scenes of The Mandalorian and Grogu

With only a few weeks until Star Wars is back on the big screen, Adam Savage (MythBusters) goes behind-the-scenes of The Mandalorian and Grogu with director Jon Favreau.



Read the official synopsis:

"Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu marks the return of Star Wars to the big screen, the culmination of a journey that began when we met these now iconic characters six years ago. Tested visited the production, where director Jon Favreau walked Adam Savage through practical sets housed within Quonset Huts–the very ones built during the same mid-century aviation and hot rod boom that inspired George Lucas’s aesthetic sensibilities."

The Mandalorian and Grogu, based on the fan-favourite characters from The Mandalorian on Disney+, embark on their most thrilling mission yet in The Mandalorian and Grogu, an all-new family-friendly Star Wars adventure filmed for IMAX and opening exclusively in cinemas on 22nd May 2026.

Are you looking forward to The Mandalorian and Grogu? Let me know in the comments below.

Celebrate Star Wars Day in IMAX

Over 25 minutes of footage from The Mandalorian and Grogu will be shown for free at selected IMAX cinemas on Star Wars Day.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted what looked like an INT-4 Interceptor in the footage shown at CinemaCon, and a pair of them appear in a poster by UK-based artist Matt Ferguson. This is a Mini-Rigs deep cut from Kenner's original Star Wars toy line!



The Mandalorian and Grogu, based on the fan-favourite characters from The Mandalorian on Disney+, embark on their most thrilling mission yet in The Mandalorian and Grogu, an all-new family-friendly Star Wars adventure filmed for IMAX and opening exclusively in cinemas on 22nd May 2026.

Are you looking forward to The Mandalorian and Grogu? Will you be attending the free special screening in IMAX? Let me know in the comments below.

Shawn Levy on Star Wars and AI

Director Shawn Levy spoke to Variety about editing Star Wars: Starfighter and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creative process.

The much-anticipated standalone Star Wars movie set 5 years after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, starring Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams, Matt Smith, Mia Goth and Aaron Pierre, doesn’t hit cinemas until 28th May, 2027. This coincides with the 50th anniversary of George Lucas' space opera.

“I’m in the beautiful sanctity of the edit room,” Levy said at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony. “We don’t come out until next year, and so it’s a rare movie where I don’t have a release date looming. So I’m in the dark quiet of the edit room, finding the best possible shape for the film.”

From the sound of it, AI will not be a significant tool in finding that shape. “To date, I’ve not incorporated AI in any meaningful way in any phase of my storytelling process, but I have no doubt that in the course of my career we will see its integration,” Levy said.

A prolific director and producer, Levy’s projects have included Stranger Things, Deadpool & Wolverine, Free Guy and The Adam Project.

“To the point that many smarter people than I have made, it’s about integrating these technologies responsibly and with still the primacy of the creative voice and not a potential replacement for that voice because I think that what you get from creative voice and vision is singular and irreplicable, but if we can use these emerging AI capacities to support storytelling in still a kind of creative and human first workflow then I think it’s something to embrace, not fear.”

Regulation is key, Levy said. “I spend a part of every day trying to increase my fluency around the regulatory options surrounding [AI],” he said. “I think it’s going to be essential, but I think to hide our heads in the sand and pretend that it’s not going to be not just an emergent but an essential part of our lives, not just filmmaking lives, [but] lives, I think that would be naive and foolish.”

Are you looking forward to Star Wars: Starfighter? Let me know in the comments below.

He-Man has the power in Masters of the Universe

Mattel Films and Amazon MGM Studios have dropped an international trailer for Masters of the Universe.



Read the official synopsis:

"After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia, where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe."

Masters of the Universe is directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee) from a script by Chris Butler. It stars Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Adam/He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes as Teela, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms, Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Malcolm/Fisto, and Jared Leto as Skeletor.

Masters of the Universe is in cinemas on 5th June 2026.

Are you looking forward to Masters of the Universe? Let me know in the comments below.

Star Wars Celebration goes to Hollywood

For the first time since 2006, Star Wars Celebration returns to Los Angeles for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars.

"Experience epic panels, hundreds of exhibitors, exclusive merchandise, legendary guests, and surprises around every corner together with the Star Wars community.

Be part of Star Wars history as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary alongside thousands of fans from across the galaxy. Come face-to-face with iconic heroes and villains, and hear from the creators who brought them to life on screen.

From once-in-a-lifetime reveals to moments that will give you chills, this is where the entire Star Wars community comes together to celebrate the stories, characters, and fandom that unite us all.

Whether you walk the path of the light side or the dark side, there’s a place for you here. This is the Celebration you’re looking for."

Star Wars Celebration Los Angeles 2027 will run from 1st to 4th April, 2027. Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, will be in cinemas on 28th May, 2027.

Tickets go on sale on 6th May!

Are you hoping to attend Star Wars Celebration Los Angeles in 2027? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Star Wars celebrates Star Wars Day

The biggest event in the galaxy is returning on 1st May 2026! May the Force be with brick-builders as the LEGO Group unveiled the LEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter (75442), a brand-new Ultimate Collector Series (UCS) building set revealed in celebration of Star Wars Day.

Created to mark the fan holiday, this 1,809-piece masterpiece invites adult fans to embark on an immersive building journey to recreate the sleek, silver-hulled N-1 Starfighter as seen in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian Season 3.

Designed with authenticity at its core, the model uses advanced LEGO building techniques and special silver Drum Lacquered elements to capture the ship’s distinctive Naboo-inspired silhouette and intricate detailing. From its elongated fuselage to its exposed engine elements, every curve has been carefully recreated to deliver a striking collector’s centrepiece worthy of any Star Wars display.

The set includes a Mandalorian LEGO Star Wars minifigure, equipped with blaster pistol, and a Grogu figure to accompany the finished build. Once complete, fans can showcase the starfighter on a display stand with an information plaque, choosing between two dynamic orientations - side-on to highlight its elegant profile or facing forward for an action-ready stance.

The Mandalorian and Grogu, based on the fan-favourite characters from The Mandalorian on Disney+, embark on their most thrilling mission yet in The Mandalorian and Grogu, an all-new family-friendly Star Wars adventure filmed for IMAX and opening exclusively in cinemas on 22nd May 2026.

Discover LEGO Star Wars on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Are you getting the LEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter? Let me know in the comments below.

The Daleks' Master Plan special screening

The Daleks' Master Plan, starring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, has been an overwhelming success with fans (myself included) when two recently discovered episodes dropped on BBC iPlayer over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

It was such a thrill to watch the first three episodes of the classic serial with my dad, who had introduced me to Doctor Who during the Fourth Doctor's era.

Film is Fabulous! has announced that a special screening will be held at HOME Manchester:

"NEWS: Manchester Doctor Who Event

Film is Fabulous! is delighted to confirm that a special screening of three Doctor Who episodes will be held at HOME Manchester on Saturday, 23rd May 2026. The event will offer fans of the classic series the chance to experience the first three episodes of “The Daleks’ Master Plan”, two of which were recently recovered from a private film collection.

The RECOVERED Doctor Who Special will begin at 5pm, and close at approx. 8pm. The programme will include:

Introduction: Toby Hadoke

Screening: The Nightmare Begins (Broadcast: 13th November 1965)

Discussion: Hosted by Toby Hadoke, with John Franklin and Prof. Justin Smith.

Intermission

Screening: Day of Armageddon (Broadcast: 20th November 1965)

Discussion: Hosted by Toby Hadoke, with Tim Burrows and Gavin Rymill.

Intermission

Screening: Devil’s Planet (Broadcast: 27th November 1965)

Discussion: Hosted by Toby Hadoke with Peter Purves.

Film is Fabulous! is a charitable trust dedicated to preserving film collections."

For further information and to donate, visit Film is Fabulous!

Have you watched The Daleks' Master Plan? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Jurassic World

The LEGO Group reveals a thrilling new wave of LEGO sets inspired by Universal Pictures’ and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World, all designed to ignite the imagination of children and adult fans alike. The newest assortment aims to celebrate the enduring appeal of the iconic Jurassic World franchise that is highly loved around the world, with new dinosaur species, play opportunities, beloved characters and unforgettable play and display opportunities.

“Creating a dinosaur out of LEGO bricks is equal parts of science, storytelling, and pure childhood wonder. Said Raquel Ojeda Gregorio, Creative Lead at the LEGO Group. “LEGO Jurassic World is all about capturing that blend of adventure and discovery. With this new wave of LEGO Jurassic World products, we pushed ourselves to introduce new species and exciting play experiences across ages. It’s our love letter to the entire Jurassic universe, made for fans who share our fascination of dinosaurs!”

Discover LEGO Jurassic World on LEGO AU, CA, UK and US (affiliate links).

Are you excited about LEGO Jurassic World sets? Let me know in the comments below.