Studio Ghibli’s Star Wars project is a surprise Grogu animated short

Lucasfilm and Studio Ghibli’s surprise collaboration is now even more surprising: Because it’s available to stream Saturday, Nov. 12, on Disney Plus. This animated short is called Star Wars Zen: Grogu & Dust Bunnies, focuses on the breakout star of Lucasfilm’s Mandalorian, the adorable quinquagenarian youngling Grogu — more commonly known as Baby Yoda.

Grogu Bunnies and Dust Bunnies is described as “a hand-drawn animated Original short by Studio Ghibli,” so don’t expect a sweeping Star Wars epic on par with Studio Ghibli animated features like Get Spirited Away, My Neighbor TotoroAnd Grave of Fireflies. But the animation studio’s flirtation with a galaxy far, far away is still a pleasant surprise, not just for its nearly out-of-nowhere drop on Disney Plus, but for its perfect match of talent and subject. Grogu (and an avid food-enjoyer) is charming, and Ghibli’s experts are adept at making cute, family-friendly meals.

Plus, it’ll give fans of My Neighbor Totoro Get Spirited Away’s soot sprites (aka Susuwatari) a chance to see how the titular dust bunnies fare against Force user and unstoppable snacker Grogu.

Studio Ghibli started teasing its team-up with Lucasfilm earlier this week, sending fans of both studios’ work into a tizzy with very little information to go on. But they didn’t keep Star Wars fans waiting long for the payoff — no holding on until spring 2023 for the second season of Star Wars: Visions after all.

Grogu and Din Djarin, his dad, will reunite in a third season MandalorianIn 2023.