Industrial Light & Magic animation supervisor Hal Hickel says that impossibly sweet scene in The Mandalorian and Grogu where Rotta and Grogu play together on the beach meant a lot to director Jon Favreau (and me, personally).
“That was maybe the most important scene to Jon. It’s the heart of the whole movie for him,” Hickel told StarWars.com.
The scene is a moment of stillness in the movie, and it comes shortly after Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White) is rescued by Mando from almost being killed in a rotten deal that kept him trapped as a fighter in order to entertain the people of Shakari. Grogu and Rotta simply pass a ball back and forth, and it seems like the worst is over.
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Not only that, but also, the scene represents how Rotta never really got the chance to be a playful, carefree kiddo, thanks to being related to the absolutely terrifying and terrible Hutt family. So we love a multi-layered moment that makes us cry a little.
As there likely won’t be another season of The Mandalorian, it’s unclear when we’ll see Rotta the Hutt again. Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which hits Disney Plus in the new year.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is streaming on Disney Plus now, and you can read our guide to all the other The Mandalorian and Grogu Easter eggs through the link.
For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, or our The Mandalorian and Grogu review.
