The new Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, returned to theaters after nearly seven years and attracted sizable audiences internationally over the weekend. Studio estimates reported it grossed $82 million from 4,300 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. By the end of Memorial Day, projections suggested earnings would increase to $102 million domestically and $165 million globally.
The film, continuing from the The Mandalorian series on Disney+, surpassed opening weekend predictions. However, it falls on the lower spectrum of Disney-era Star Wars releases, comparable to Solo: A Star Wars Story, which generated $103 million during its opening four-day Memorial Day frame in 2018. While Solo was deemed a box office disappointment due to its production budget around $300 million, The Mandalorian and Grogu reportedly had a more modest budget of $165 million, excluding marketing and promotion costs. This budget approach enhances its pathway to profitability, backed by favorable audience reactions.
The movie elicited mixed to negative reviews from critics, holding a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless, audiences rated it positively with an A- CinemaScore, especially boys under 13, who awarded it an A and a perfect score on PostTrak. Parents also gave the film a double five-star rating. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Pedro Pascal as a bounty hunter tasked with rescuing Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s son, voiced by Jeremy Allen White.
Given its origins as a TV series and its eventual availability on Disney+, the film’s success might benefit from adjusted expectations. Star Wars is currently undergoing changes under new leadership, including Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. Kathleen Kennedy, the film’s producer, announced her departure from Lucasfilm. The industry’s attention turns to whether big-screen Star Wars viewership has waned, awaiting next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling for potential answers.
“The moviegoers rule,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore. “Given the audience reaction and feedback from parents and kids, The Mandalorian and Grogu is poised for extended success.”
Word-of-mouth significantly boosted Curry Barker’s horror film Obsession during its second weekend, showing a 30% increase in ticket sales to $22.4 million from 2,655 theaters. The microbudget film, acquired for $15 million by Focus Features, had earned $58.5 million by Memorial Day.
Other releases included Michael, in third place with $20 million, bringing its total to $782.4 million. Paramount’s Passenger garnered $10.5 million over its opening days, despite negative reviews.
I Love Boosters, featuring Keke Palmer and Demi Moore, debuted to $3.7 million, presenting a mix of shoplifting narrative and surreal satire.
The weekend’s box office revenues reached approximately $211 million, a 36% drop from the previous year’s Memorial Day weekend, led by Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning. Nevertheless, figures exceeded the 2024 Memorial Day weekend, the most concerning in 30 years.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office performance:
- 1. Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, $82 million.
- 2. Obsession, $22.4 million.
- 3. Michael, $20 million.
- 4. The Devil Wears Prada 2, $12.6 million.
- 5. The Sheep Detectives, $9 million.
- 6. Passenger, $8.7 million.
- 7. Mortal Kombat II, $6.2 million.
- 8. I Love Boosters, $3.7 million.
- 9. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, $3.2 million.
- 10. Project Hail Mary, $2.7 million.
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