The Mandalorian and Grogu has set an unwanted record, becoming the Star Wars film with the lowest opening weekend box office in the franchise's history. Directed by Jon Favreau, known for Iron Man, the film topped the box office charts but earned only $82 million in the United States, slightly below the $84 million brought in by 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story. Over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, it is projected to reach $102 million, while Solo made $103 million during the same period.
Budget and Profitability
Solo was the first Star Wars movie to lose money during its theatrical run, with a production cost of around $300 million. In contrast, The Mandalorian and Grogu had a significantly lower budget of $165 million, making it the cheapest Star Wars film ever produced. This lower cost means the film is likely to break even and may even turn a profit.
International Performance
Internationally, The Mandalorian and Grogu grossed $64 million, bringing its total three-day box office to $145 million. Over the four-day holiday window, it is on track to earn $165 million globally.
Plot and Reception
The film is a big-screen spin-off of the popular Mandalorian series, featuring Pedro Pascal's masked bounty hunter teaming up with Grogu (Baby Yoda) to rescue Jabba the Hutt's estranged son, Rotta the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White from The Bear. This marks Favreau's first Star Wars feature film, having previously directed, written, and produced episodes of The Mandalorian, as well as The Book of Boba Fett and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey gave the film a two-star review, stating: "The Mandalorian and Grogu merely stitches together what is clearly three episodes of the previously planned fourth season of The Mandalorian and calls it a day. There's not a whiff of effort here."
Other Box Office Highlights
The most impressive performance of the weekend came from the horror film Obsession, which achieved the rare feat of increasing its box office by around 30% in its second weekend. The film, made by YouTuber Curry Barker, earned $17.2 million in its debut and $22 million in its second weekend. The Independent's Loughrey praised Obsession with a four-star review, noting: "Obsession ultimately triumphs in how willing it is to make two monsters out of its cautionary tale."
