Studio Ghibli and Disney Have Teamed Up on Surprise 'Star Wars' Short 'Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies'

When Studio Ghibli opened its own theme park outside of Tokyo at the beginning of November, it took a leaf out of Disney's book, gifting the world the new happiest place on earth. Now, it's actually joining forces with the Mouse House on a surprise collaboration. If you've ever wondered what the cutest figure in a galaxy far, far away might look like if it was given the hand-drawn Ghibli treatment — complete with Spirited Away's susuwatari in tow — then wonder no more, because short film Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies has the answers.

Two pop culture favourites, one epic collaboration, and your delightful weekend viewing all sorted: that's the recipe here. Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies will drop on Saturday, November 12 in the US — which usually means 6pm AEST/7pm AEDT in Australia and 9pm in New Zealand — all to celebrate three years since The Mandalorian first hit screens.

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— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) November 10, 2022

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— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) November 11, 2022

The just-announced news comes after a few days of teasing on social media, including Studio Ghibli posting a short video featuring both the Lucasfilm and Ghibli logos — and another image featuring a statue of Baby Yoda, aka Grogu, with Studio Ghibli icon and founder Hayao Miyazaki in the background.

Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies hails from director Katsuya Kondo (an animator on Earwig and the Witch, When Marnie Was There, The Wind Rises and more), and will feature music by Oscar- and Emmy-winning composer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian). Further details, other than the fact that you'll need to head to Disney's streaming service Disney+ to see it, haven't been revealed.

The anniversary also marks three years of Disney+ itself, and the short precedes the long-awaited third season of The Mandalorian — which dropped a trailer back in September, but won't hit streaming until sometime in 2023.

Of course, Andor is filling the Star Wars TV gap quite nicely in the interim — and now Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies, aka a dream team-up, will help as well.

Discover Zen - Grogu and Dust Bunnies, a hand-drawn animation by Studio Ghibli, is streaming tomorrow on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/ODqHrgIwnB

— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) November 12, 2022

Zen — Grogu and Dust Bunnies will be available to stream via Disney+ from Saturday, November 12.