The Mandalorian and Grogu opened to $165 million worldwide over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, giving Star Wars its first theatrical release in nearly seven years, but also its lowest opening ever.
The Disney and Lucasfilm movie brought in an estimated $102 million domestic over the four-day holiday frame, including $81.96 million over the three-day weekend. Internationally, the film added $63 million from 51 offshore markets, putting the worldwide start at $165 million.
The final number fits with the early tracking, which had The Mandalorian and Grogu opening around $160 million worldwide. It also came in slightly higher than some concerns following the first international openings and Friday numbers, which included Thursday previews.
Still, for Star Wars, the opening is low.
Opens below Solo
The Mandalorian and Grogu now has the lowest Star Wars opening of all time.
The movie trails 2018âs Solo: A Star Wars Story, which opened to $84 million over three days and $103 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend domestically. The Mandalorian and Grogu came in at $81.96 million for three days and $102 million for four days.
Inflation makes the comparison worse.
Solo was viewed as a box office disappointment at the time, especially because of its massive reshoot-inflated budget. The Mandalorian and Grogu has a lower reported budget, which helps, but the raw opening still shows how far the Star Wars brand has fallen from its Disney-era highs.
The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Rogue One, and The Rise of Skywalker all opened much bigger. Those movies were event films. The Mandalorian and Grogu opened more like a spin-off trying to prove Star Wars still has a pulse.
Star Wars is not dead, but it is not what it was
The good news for Disney is Star Wars isnât totally dead.
A $165 million worldwide opening is not nothing, especially for a movie based on a Disney+ series. It shows there is still interest in Grogu, Din Djarin, and the Mandalorian corner of the franchise.
The bad news is this is nowhere near what Star Wars used to do.
The previous Disney Star Wars movies opened so big that some of them made more in a single day than The Mandalorian and Grogu made across its entire domestic holiday weekend.
So the question becomes simple: Is $165 million worldwide a good number?
For most franchises, it would be solid. For Star Wars, it looks soft.
Lower budget helps the movie
One bonus is The Mandalorian and Grogu does not carry the same budget baggage as Solo.
The movie reportedly cost $165 million before marketing, while Soloâs budget ballooned far higher due to reshoots. Puck previously reported The Mandalorian and Grogu needs to hit around $475 million to be considered a success.
The lower production budget also gives the movie a better path than other recent Star Wars theatrical releases, while the film also has the benefit of Grogu merchandise, Disney+ value, and theme park tie-ins.
Even so, this is Star Wars. A lower bar may help the accounting, but it does not erase the bigger issue: a lot of fans did not rush out opening weekend.
Second weekend drop is now the big test
The real test starts now.
The Mandalorian and Grogu opened low for Star Wars, but the movie can still recover if it has legs. Family audiences, Grogu fans, and casual viewers could help it hold over the next few weeks.
A big second-weekend drop would be a problem. It would suggest the opening was mostly the core audience, with little room to grow.
The reaction I am hearing so far also seems split. Some fans are saying the movie is good. Others are saying it isnât. I havenât seen it yet myself, but the conflicting response makes the second weekend even more important.
Strong word of mouth could help. Weak word of mouth could make this another warning sign for Lucasfilm.
The Rotten Tomatoes score from critics is at 62%, while the fan score is at 89%. CinemaScore is an A-. IMDb rating is a 7.1.
