As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, The Mandalorian and Grogu opened to $100 million at the North American box office over Memorial Day weekend. That's down slightly from the $102 million estimate for the four-day holiday, but fluctuations are the norm in the post-COVID landscape.
$81 million of that $100 million came from the traditional three-day weekend. However, with a softer-than-expected $63 million from international markets, Lucasfilm's big screen follow-up to Disney+'s The Mandalorian has debuted with $163 million.
So, is it a hit or a miss? After the pandemic, any $100+ million opening is a win, but this is Star Wars, an iconic franchise that's been relegated to streaming for the better part of a decade.
According to Variety, box office analysts believe it's "too soon to tell" whether Star Wars is still a cinematic property. As the trade explains, "They suggest the film’s second weekend in theaters will better indicate whether 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is only appealing to fans of the series, or if it’ll break out among families."
The Jon Favreau-helmed movie has opened in the same ballpark as 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, which eventually tapped out at $392 million worldwide. The movie was considered a disaster, but mostly because it carried a massive $300 million production budget thanks to a change in directors and significant reshoots.
As Deadline puts it, "The movie was cheaper than Solo, $165M net to $300M before global P&A, so that’s commendable and when you factor in the tail of merchandise, it will be fine. 'Sometimes these movies make more money in merchandise than at the box office,' one talent rep tells us, and he’s right."
"There was also a rich $100M promotional partner campaign for Mandalorian and Grogu which includes such brands as Burger King (reteaming with Star Wars for the first time in 20 years), Volkswagen, Nilla Wafers, Coca-Cola, Hertz, Alaska Airlines, Walmart, Bath & Body Works, Schick and more," the report adds, making it clear that, even if the movie isn't a box office hit, Disney stands to turn a profit.
Still, the studio must have been hoping to tout The Mandalorian and Grogu as a box office hit; right now, that's uncertain. As noted, the weeks ahead will be crucial, especially in determining what's next for these characters.
Crucially, fans seem to have enjoyed the first Star Wars movie since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker much more than critics. Positive word of mouth could be a huge help, and The Mandalorian and Grogu has next weekend to itself before facing tough competition from the Masters of the Universe reboot on June 5.
"The Mandalorian and Grogu is a fun, pulpy reminder that Star Wars doesn’t need to grow up; it just needs to be entertaining," we said in our review. "Jon Favreau's action-packed love letter delivers exactly the crowd-pleasing adventure fans have been craving."
In The Mandalorian and Grogu, the evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. It's produced by Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce, with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is now playing in theaters.