HOLLYWOOD — "The Mandalorian and Grogu," directed by Jon Favreau, opens in U.S. theaters on May 22. It is the first Star Wars film to reach theaters in nearly seven years.

Favreau created the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian" in 2019. The show features a blaster-wielding bounty hunter who protects the tiny alien Grogu.

"To get the opportunity to do 'Star Wars' for the big screen, it feels like you're getting a shot to pitch in the World Series," Favreau, 59, said of the new feature.

The director also discussed the relationship at the center of the story. "Father-son relationships have always been a big part of 'Star Wars.' This is one of the most positive father-son relationships in 'Star Wars,' and, ironically, they're not related in any way. But it is a family of choice, and 'Star Wars' has always been about families coming together," he said.

Favreau, who grew up in Queens, New York, pointed to a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon featuring Grogu, which appeared in New York City on November 25, 2021, as a marker of the character's reach. "We didn't realize quite what a phenomenon it would be. And then when we saw the balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, that's when it kind of – as a New Yorker – it really hit me. Like, 'Wow! This has really hit another level.' The whole thing's surreal," he said.

Favreau's mother died when he was 12. He later dropped out of college and took improv classes in Chicago. At age 26, he was cast in the film "Rudy," and he had a small role playing a clown on the TV show "Seinfeld."

He wrote his first screenplay, "Swingers," based on his experiences with Vince Vaughn. The film did not make a lot of money but opened career doors for Favreau and others. He went on to direct "Elf," starring Will Ferrell, as his second feature, and the 2008 film "Iron Man," starring Robert Downey Jr.