You’ll be able to watch the first ten minutes of The Mandalorian and Grogu for free
The Mandalorian and Grogu will begin its theatrical run on May 22, but Fortnite players will have the chance to watch the first ten minutes of the movie early and for free on May 19.
After teasing the island in April, Epic Games released a trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island and added it to Fortnite. At 10 a.m. EST on May 19, it will become accessible to players. The Fairview Portals and Beyond Creative-developed island is modeled after Navarro, a planet that appeared in the Disney+ series the movie is based on, and features an amphitheater with a large screen. On May 19, that screen will play a message from director Jon Favreau and then show the first ten minutes of the movie.
Polygon watched the first 15 minutes of the movie at IMAX headquarters in April and came away unimpressed. Jake Kleinman wrote that “it feels more like a Star Wars video game or a Netflix show than the blockbuster movie that’s going to return Star Wars to its former glory.” As pre-release opinions on the movie aren’t entirely positive, it’s good that Fortnite will let people watch some of The Mandalorian and Grogu for free before deciding whether to see it in theaters.
There will also be more to do on this island than stand around and watch that ten-minute movie clip. It’ll feature some quests where players can look for Grogu, fight hordes of Stormtroopers, and collect bounties. Those who spend more than 20 minutes playing will get the Mandalorian Sanctuary loading screen, which will be exclusive to this island for now. This island continues a long collaboration between Disney and Fortnite, which included The Mandalorian getting his own outfit in the game in 2020.
While the island now appears on Fortnite’s main menu, it won’t become accessible until May 19. Epic Games and Disney also plan to reuse The Mandalorian and Grogu Watch Party Island on May 26 for a post-release Q&A with Favreau.