Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Achieves Strong Box Office Despite Mixed Reviews

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After nearly seven years absent from cinemas, the latest Star Wars film isn’t breaking records but did attract significant audiences globally over the weekend. Studio estimates report that Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu raked in $82 million from 4,300 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Predictions suggest it will earn $102 million domestically and $165 million worldwide by Monday’s end.

This film, inspired by Disney+ series The Mandalorian, surpassed expectations but remains one of the lowest-performing Disney-era Star Wars films. Its earnings are comparable to Solo: A Star Wars Story, which grossed $103 million over Memorial Day weekend in 2018. While Solo was viewed as a flop, the financial outlook for The Mandalorian and Grogu differs.

Solo had a production budget near $300 million, whereas The Mandalorian and Grogu cost a reported $165 million before marketing. This suggests a quicker route to profitability, aided by favorable audience feedback. Critics have given it mixed reviews, with a 63% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences awarded it an A- CinemaScore. Boys under 13 rated the film highly, with an A CinemaScore and a perfect PostTrak score. Parents similarly praised it.

Directed by Jon Favreau, the film features Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter whose mission involves rescuing Rotta the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White. With roots in a streaming series and plans for later availability on Disney+, the film carries additional context due to Star Wars’ transition under new leadership with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president for 13 years, is stepping down.

Despite a changing Star Wars landscape, excitement for future releases like Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, will determine audience interest in cinemas. Until then, word-of-mouth may bolster its success. Paul Dergarabedian from Comscore is optimistic based on current audience reactions and market trends.

Word-of-mouth has similarly benefitted Curry Barker’s relationship horror film Obsession, which saw a 30% surge in its second weekend sales, grossing $22.4 million from 2,655 theaters. Dergarabedian notes this increase is significant, fueled by social media engagement.

Focus Features anticipates Obsession will reach $28.2 million by Monday, resulting in a $58.5 million total. Rounding out the weekend, Michael secured third place with $20 million, while Michael Jackson: The biopic has amassed $782.4 million.

In contrast, Paramount Pictures’ horror release Passenger, with Melissa Leo, earned $8.7 million from 2,534 locations and faces poor reviews, reflected in its B- CinemaScore.

Debuting this weekend, Boots Riley’s surreal comedy I Love Boosters earned $3.7 million. Featuring Keke Palmer and Demi Moore, the movie opened alongside others failing to match last year’s record-breaking Memorial Day, led by Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. The current weekend stands at approximately $211 million, down 36% from the previous year’s $330 million.