For the first time in nearly seven years, “Star Wars” fans finally had a reason to go to the movies.
And plenty of ’em showed up for “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which collected $82 million in its opening weekend and an estimated $102 million through Monday. Those ticket sales are aligned with expectations, though box office analysts are mixed on the results. On one hand, it’s significant for any film to debut above $100 million in post-pandemic times. On the other, “Star Wars” is one of Hollywood’s preeminent film properties, so there’s an expectation of a certain level of box office. And this start is the worst for “Star Wars” since Disney bought the franchise in 2012.
Prior to this weekend, that unfortunate distinction belonged to 2018’s spinoff “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which opened to $84 million over the weekend and $103 million through the Memorial Day holiday, not adjusted for inflation. “Solo,” however, was plagued by other issues, including lackluster reviews and tepid word-of-mouth — none of which helped in terms of box office longevity. It became the first “Star Wars” movie ever to lose money in its theatrical run, tapping out with $392 million globally against a massive budget of nearly $300 million.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” carries a leaner $165 million price tag and, perhaps more importantly, has the benefit of positive audience scores. A truer test of commercial viability will be the film’s second weekend in theaters. That’ll indicate whether “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is just appealing to fans of the franchise, or if the movie can become a breakout among family crowds. Opening weekend ticket buyers were 63% male while 75% were above the age of 25. Jon Favreau directed the film, which earned an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. For comparison, 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” earned a “B+” grade. The story takes place after the third season of the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” and revolves around Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and his adorable green sidekick as they navigate a galaxy that’s recovering from the fall of the evil Empire.
At the international box office, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” earned $64 million for a global start of $145 million over the three days and $165 million over the four-day frame.
“For all of its originality and fame, ‘Star Wars’ has never been especially strong overseas,” notes David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is the first “Star Wars” movie since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” which earned $1 billion globally while concluding the nine-chapter “Skywalker” saga. As Lucasfilm failed for years to launch a new film, the company turned its attention to the small screen with Disney+ shows in the “Mando”-verse like “The Book of Boba Fett” and “Ahsoka” as well as “Andor” and “Skeleton Crew.” There won’t be as long a wait to return to a galaxy far, far away. “Star Wars: Starfighter,” an original adventure directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, debuts over Memorial Day weekend in 2027 — and studio insiders believe the tentpole could serve as a fresh start for the franchise.
“For ‘Star Wars’ not to be hurt in any obvious way by its long detour onto streaming is good news for the franchise,” Gross adds.
Although this wasn’t a Memorial Day weekend for the record books — last year’s holiday was massive with “Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” — the nation’s movie theaters were bustling with a huge assist from holdover titles like “Obsession” and “Michael.” This four-day weekend delivered $221 million across all films, which isn’t too far off from pre-pandemic years, including 2019 ($321 million, led by the “Aladdin” remake ), 2018 ($225 million, anchored by “Solo”) and 2017 ($182 million, weighed down by “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”). Post-COVID totals over Memorial Day weekend have been mixed as 2022 reached $224 million as “Top Gun: Maverick” led the way; 2023 brought in $204 million, buoyed by “The Little Mermaid” remake; and 2024 fell to $132 million as “Furiosa” misfired.
Elsewhere at the box office, the Focus Features horror hit “Obsession” enjoyed another stellar turnout. After its huge $16 million debut, the R-rated movie has earned $22 million in its second weekend and an estimated $28.2 million through the Monday holiday. Those ticket sales represent a remarkable 30% increase over its opening weekend, a virtually unprecedented uptick for a film that’s already in wide release. So far, “Obsession” has generated $58.5 million in North America and $74 million worldwide. YouTube breakout and first-time director Curry Barker directed the well-reviewed and positively received “Obsession,” which follows a hopeless romantic who makes a twisted Faustian bargain to win his crush’s heart.
Two newcomers, Paramount’s gruesome thriller “Passenger” and Neon’s crime comedy “I Love Boosters,” failed to crack the top five. “Passenger” opened at No. 6 with $8.7 million over the weekend and an estimated $10.5 million through Monday. The R-rated film added $4.8 million overseas for a global start of $13.5 million. “Passenger,” which follows a young couple who is relentlessly stalked by a demonic entity, has mixed reviews (42% on Rotten Tomatoes) as well as a “B-” CinemaScore grade. It cost just $15 million to produce.
“I Love Boosters” debuted in eighth place with $3.8 million over the weekend and an estimated $4.7 million through Monday. Boots Riley (“Sorry to Bother You”) directed the film about professional shoplifters who target a cutthroat fashion mogul. Critics dug “Boosters,” which holds a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences were mixed, giving a “B” grade on CinemaScore. It carries a $20 million production budget.
Third place went to “Michael,” which has demonstrated exceptional staying power since April. Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic brought in $20 million over the weekend and an estimated $25.7 million through Monday, a huge tally for a film in its fifth weekend of release. So far, “Michael” has earned $319 million in North America and a staggering $788 million globally. It should soon outpace 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($911 million) as the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.
Disney’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” dropped to fourth place with $12.6 million over the weekend and a projected $16.5 million through Monday. After four weekends on the big screen, the nostalgic sequel has generated a huge $197 million domestically and $604 million globally.
“The Sheep Detectives” remained in the No. 5 spot with $8.9 million over the weekend (a decline of just 6% from the prior frame) and a projected $12.3 million through Monday. The crowd-pleasing mystery, starring Hugh Jackman alongside some talking sheep, has grossed $46.9 million in North America. Amazon MGM spent a hefty $75 million to produce the film and has to split ticket sales with theater owners.
More to come…
