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The numbers are in, and it’s not looking great for Star Wars’ return to the multiplex.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, the franchise’s return to the big screen after seven years, has scored the lowest box office opening for a Star Wars film since Disney took over the IP.
The film, which stars Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian bounty hunter accompanied by his tiny companion Grogu, made $102m at the domestic box office (North America and Canada) over the US’s four-day Memorial Day weekend, contributing to a total $165m global box office.
That’s lower than Solo: A Star Wars Story, 2018’s critically maligned Han Solo origin story, which managed $103m over the same Memorial Day frame. Those numbers were considered disappointing at the time, making Solo Disney’s lowest-grossing Star Wars film.
Solo ended up making $392.9m at the global box office on a $275m budget. By comparison, The Mandalorian and Grogu has a more modest budget of $165m – so there’s still every chance it’ll both break even and make a profit.
Still, it’s a sure sign that Star Wars fatigue has truly settled in, and considering major studios tend to bank on Memorial Day weekend to attract the largest amount of audiences, the numbers speak loudly.
In our review of The Mandalorian And Grogu, we described the film as “a thoroughly middling and low-effort mash-up of episodes that were clearly destined for the aborted fourth season of the show”.
We added: “The Star Wars universe used to inspire awe, and the first movie since The Rise of Skywalker needed to signal a return to the George Lucas-sized space opera event entertainment that made fans want to hope again. The Mandalorian And Grogu isn’t an awful movie, but it’s far too risk averse and bland to renew the faith.”
Disney bought the franchise from creator George Lucas in 2012. It has focused on launching Star Wars shows on Disney+, a streaming migration which has seen success for shows like The Mandalorian and Andor, but significantly fewer audiences for shows like The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte.
The next Star Wars film, Star Wars: Starfighter, which will star Ryan Gosling, is set to hit cinemas in May 2027.