Abrams to Publish 256-Page Art Book for 'The Mandalorian and Grogu'

Abrams Books will publish "The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" on Nov. 3, a 256-page hardcover documenting the creative process behind Lucasfilm's latest theatrical release.

Written by Phil Szostak, a longtime Lucasfilm collaborator, the book collects previously unseen concept art, early sketches and interviews with the cast. It also carries a foreword by Doug Chiang, Lucasfilm's senior vice president and executive design director, who has worked on the franchise since the prequel trilogy and helped establish the show's visual style.

What's inside the book?

The volume traces the visual development of the film's characters, locations and vehicles. Production design has driven the series since its 2019 debut, and the book shows how that machinery works. The show's look combines the Western-inspired aesthetic of the original "Star Wars" films with new environments built on Industrial Light & Magic's StageCraft technology (a system that wraps the set in LED screens to generate digital backdrops in real time).

Szostak knows this territory well. He has worked with Lucasfilm's art departments since 2008 and previously authored companion books for the first two seasons of "The Mandalorian," plus "The Rise of Skywalker" and "Andor." The new title continues Abrams' long-running line of behind-the-scenes "Star Wars" publications, which Variety notes have become a staple of the franchise's publishing business.

Why this film mattered

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" opened in May and marked the franchise's first theatrical release since 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." It brought one of Disney+'s biggest original properties to cinemas after three seasons on streaming.

Jon Favreau created the series and returned to direct the film. The story follows the pair as they take on a new mission for the fledgling New Republic while Imperial warlords still pose a threat.

Pedro Pascal reprised his role as the helmeted bounty hunter Din Djarin. Sigourney Weaver joined the cast, alongside "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White, who voices Rotta the Hutt — the son of Jabba the Hutt.

The series follows Din Djarin and his Force-sensitive young companion Grogu in the years after the fall of the Galactic Empire. Its success spawned a growing slate of interconnected "Star Wars" television projects, including "The Book of Boba Fett" and "Ahsoka," and helped Disney push the franchise beyond its traditional theatrical releases.

What does this change for fans?

For readers, the book offers the closest public look yet at how the film's design team moved a streaming-native property onto the big screen — the exact challenge the movie itself faced. Variety also shared two exclusive spreads from the book ahead of publication.

With a Nov. 3 release date, the hardcover arrives in time for the holiday market, and it will likely serve as the definitive printed record of the film's visual development for collectors and design-focused readers.