Seven years after being etched unto our collective hearts in the Disney+ series "The Mandalorian", our adorable alien, the internet darling Baby Yoda (or Grogu if you’re formal), takes on the challenge of a lifetime - Hollywood. Will the galaxy's green tot take over the box office with his new film "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu", a continuation of his hit TV series?

Lightsabers are crossed in anticipation since we haven’t had a new "Star Wars" movie since the far, far away time of 2019, when "The Rise of Skywalker" hit theaters. There's definitely some pressure in the air; after all, "Star Wars" isn't just any franchise – it has the kind of fan base more passionate than a Wookiee's growl. Aman whiff of failure – remember "Solo: A Star Wars Story" losing money, despite hauling its $103 million debut in 2018? – sends shockwaves through the force, err, franchise.

“Star Wars is still a hot-property card in Hollywood's deck, no doubt about that,” asserts Eric Handler, senior media analyst at Roth Capital Partners. Nevertheless, he points out, revenues have been dwindling, and it seems to be losing steam with younger fans.

But fear not, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" was directed by Jon Favreau, the genius behind hits like "Elf," "Iron Man," and the "Lion King" remake. Alongside Favreau, Dave Filoni, the newly minted president of Lucasfilm, has co-written the film. The pair certainly have their work cut out for them – how to ensure series-enamoured fans that it'll be worth leaving their home theatres for and explain newcomers won't need a crash course in Mandalorian history to enjoy the flick?

Every Yoda has his day, and whether Grogu’s big screen era begins depends on the transition from a streaming audience to a theatrical one, speculates Shawn Robbins, Fandango’s director of movie analytics and founder of Box Office Theory. Even giants like the Marvel Cinematic Universe experienced lukewarm box office performances with shows like "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Thunderbolts."

On the brighter side, unlike the MCU, the scarcity of "Star Wars" cinematic content in recent times could indeed be a boon for "The Mandalorian and Grogu."

Previously, attempts had been made to launch new films under the franchise banner, but plans by Patty Jenkins, Marvel producer Kevin Feige, and "Game of Thrones" creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss hit a Jawa sandcrawler, err, snag.

There are some uncomfortable truths; for instance, since Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 for a whopping $4 billion, the box office returns have dwindled. Yet, "Star Wars" doesn't just rely on its films to keep the lightsabers lit – think of the theme parks in California and Florida, not to mention the inevitable merchandise (Baby Yoda plushies, anyone?). Robbins predicts Grogu's going to be a "merchandising monster".

There’s hope on the horizon, though. The upcoming, wide-ocean adventure "Star Wars: Starfighter", starring heartthrob Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy, is being touted as a potential franchise energizer. Taking a break from TV continuations and presenting fresh content could be the shot in the arm the saga needs. Handler certainly seems to think so, "Ryan Gosling is as hot as can be right now. 'Starfighter' could be the way to go."