Star Wars made a few changes to the trailer for The Mandalorian & Grogu, as the version of the trailer that is currently showing in theaters has different scenes than the version that was released online. The Mandalorian & Grogu is the biggest and most important Star Wars project since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, without question. The film's success could determine the future of the franchise's theatrical plans, so Disney and Lucasfilm are doing everything in their power to ensure it has a strong box office run.
Three specific scenes in The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer were recently removed from the footage and replaced with new scenes. Specifically, the trailer with the new scenes was shown in front of special screenings of Pixar's upcoming film, Hoppers.
For the most part, the trailer shown in theaters is the same as the trailer released online, but three scenes in the footage were replaced by Lucasfilm & Disney's marketing team, indicating that this new trailer will be exclusively played in theaters.
For instance, at the 0:37 mark in the trailer that was released online, Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin can be seen walking into a wide room, using his flamethrower on his wrist, and then blasting a couple of snowtroopers.
However, in the trailer shown before Hoppers, that scene has been replaced with a shot of Mando blowing up an AT-AT. Specifically, the AT-AT explodes, and Mando flies away. Then, seemingly back on the Razor Crest, Djarin asks Grogu, "Are you okay?" Grogu then sneezes or coughs.
So, since Mando asked Grogu if he was alright, the theatrical trailer also technically has added dialogue, since, in the online trailer, he does not ask Grogu that question.
Another change was made at the 0:51 mark of the online trailer. In that footage, there is a shot of BX droids running outside of a building/structure. The theatrical trailer has replaced that shot with two shots of giant turrets (which, notably, appear to be on the same planet the BX droids were on).
The final change occurs at the 1:37 mark of the online trailer. The online trailer showcases a group of stormtroopers on a speeder. The speeder quickly flips over, and the stormtroopers spill out.
However, in the theatrical trailer, the stormtroopers and the speeder are nowhere to be seen. Instead, a quick shot of droids being destroyed by some kind of flying object has taken its place.
Aside from those three changes, the rest of the trailer that was shown in front of Hoppers is the same.
It is unclear why Disney and Lucasfilm made a different trailer for theaters, and whether the trailer with the new footage will replace the original trailer and be shown in front of every movie in theaters.
One would assume that the changes were to lessen the violence in the trailer, especially considering Hoppers is a children's movie. The destruction of the droids and the explosion of the AT-AT still showcase violence, but no violence against other humans is explicitly shown.
The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer is currently being shown in front of multiple films, so fans will have to wait and see if the new trailer that was played in front of Hoppers will carry over to other movies, or if the altered footage was just for the upcoming Pixar flick.
The new Mandalorian & Grogu trailer that was released in theaters can be seen below:
For reference, the original Mandalorian & Grogu trailer that was released online can be seen below:
Star Wars' Strategic Mandalorian & Grogu Marketing Campaign
If the new Mandalorian & Grogu trailer was exclusively made for Hoppers, then it could help the upcoming Star Wars title be more successful once it hits theaters. As mentioned, the original Mandalorian & Grogu trailer was a bit more violent than the altered one. The new footage also includes some more screen time for Grogu.
If Disney and Lucasfilm strategically changed the trailer to show less violence and more Grogu, that could cause more kids to want to see the film, and more parents to be more likely to let those kids actually sit down in the theater and watch the movie.
Think of it this way: an exploding AT-AT is way more marketable when it comes to kids than a simple shot of Mando shooting a couple of stormtroopers. Also, at the end of that scene, showcasing Grogu (even if he is coughing) is only a positive, because kids love Grogu even if they have never seen Star Wars.
Giant turrets would also likely make a lot of children's jaws drop, whereas a few droids running may not have any impact on them.
So, the changes made to the Mandalorian & Grogu trailer could simply be Disney and Lucasfilm hoping that the new version of the trailer is more appealing to kids and their parents. If so, that could lead to more ticket sales, which leads to a more profitable box office run. If that box office run is deemed a success by Disney, Star Wars fans could see another trilogy of movies sooner rather than later.
