After a hiatus of nearly seven years, the Star Wars franchise made a notable, albeit not record-breaking, return to theaters worldwide this weekend. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” captivated audiences, amassing $82 million in ticket sales across 4,300 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates released on Sunday. By the conclusion of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, the film is projected to rake in $102 million domestically and $165 million globally.
This latest entry in the Star Wars saga, continuing the storyline from the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” surpassed initial weekend expectations. However, its performance is modest compared to other Disney-era Star Wars films, aligning more closely with “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which garnered $103 million over its four-day Memorial Day debut in 2018. While “Solo” was deemed a box-office disappointment, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” presents a different picture.
The production budget for “Solo” soared to around $300 million, whereas “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was crafted for significantly less, reportedly $165 million, excluding marketing and promotional expenses. This budget efficiency enhances its potential for profitability, especially given its favorable audience reception. Despite mixed critical reviews, resulting in a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an impressive A- CinemaScore from ticket buyers. Notably, boys under 13 awarded the film an A CinemaScore and a perfect score on PostTrak. Parents echoed this sentiment, also giving it a top rating.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Pedro Pascal as the iconic bounty hunter, who, along with his petite green sidekick, embarks on a mission to rescue Jabba’s son, Rotta the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White.
The film’s performance may also be evaluated with consideration of its origins and future on streaming platforms. Originally a Disney+ series, it will eventually bolster Disney+ offerings, a service that was relatively new during the release of the last Star Wars movie, “The Rise of Skywalker,” in December 2019.
The Star Wars brand is navigating a transitional phase under the stewardship of Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. Earlier this year, it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy, the Lucasfilm president for 13 years and producer of “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” would be stepping down. The industry now ponders whether interest in theatrical Star Wars releases has waned, with next year’s “Star Wars: Starfighter,” featuring Ryan Gosling, poised to offer further insights. Until then, the franchise relies on positive audience feedback and word-of-mouth to sustain momentum in the weeks ahead.
Word-of-mouth certainly helped Curry Barker’s relationship horror movie “Obsession” defy the standard box office trajectory and do better business in its second weekend. The Focus Features had an astonishing 30% uptick in ticket sales, earning $22.4 million from 2,655 theaters. The studio, which acquired the microbudget movie for some $15 million, is projecting that it will have made $28.2 million by the end of Monday, bringing its running total to $58.5 million. It snagged the second-place spot, while “Michael” landed in third place with $20 million for the three-day weekend. The Michael Jackson biopic has now earned $782.4 million.
“Obsession” also did better than the new horror movie “Passenger,” a Paramount Pictures release with Melissa Leo, which grossed an estimated $8.7 million from 2,534 locations. It’s expected to earn $10.5 million over its first four days. The movie received poor reviews from both critics (44% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (B- Cinema Score).
The mix of movies this year didn’t hold a candle to last year’s record Memorial Day weekend, which was led by Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.” The overall four-day frame this year will net out around $211 million, down about 36% from last year’s $330 million. It’s also far from the disastrous 2024 Memorial Day weekend box office, a 30-year low, when “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” opened.
