“The Mandalorian and Grogu” Opens to $100 Million Domestically — the Lowest for the Franchise Since “Solo”
Star Wars is back on the big screen — and it showed up, just not as big as some had hoped.
The Mandalorian and Grogu opened to $100 million domestically over the Memorial Day four-day holiday weekend, with $81 million of that coming in the traditional three-day frame. Globally, the film added $63 million from international markets for a worldwide debut of $163 million. It landed at No. 1 at the domestic box office and held the top spot in every European market where it opened.
The results are a genuine mixed bag — and the conversation around them reflects exactly that tension.
What the Numbers Mean
On one hand, opening to $100 million domestically in a holiday weekend is a real achievement. It is the third-highest domestic opening of 2026 so far, and internationally the fourth-highest opening for a major studio film in like-for-like markets this year. The film earned an "A-" on CinemaScore exit polls, suggesting audiences who showed up largely enjoyed it.
On the other hand, Star Wars is one of Hollywood's most powerful franchises, and by franchise standards this opening is the worst since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. The previous low was 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, which opened to $84 million over the weekend and $103 million over the Memorial Day holiday — a result widely considered a commercial disappointment. The Mandalorian and Grogu edged past Solo's weekend figure but landed slightly below it in the four-day count.
The comparison stings a little less when you look at the budget. Solo was widely reported to have cost upward of $275 million before marketing — and it lost tens of millions of dollars. The Mandalorian and Grogu carries a leaner $165 million production budget, meaning the math on profitability looks considerably better even at these opening numbers.
What the Film Is and Who Saw It
Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu is a continuation of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, which ran for three seasons and became one of streaming's most beloved franchises — largely on the strength of the relationship between bounty hunter Din Djarin, played by Pedro Pascal, and the character widely known as Baby Yoda. This is the 12th live-action theatrical Star Wars film and the first to hit theaters since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
Opening weekend audiences skewed heavily toward existing fans: 63% male, 75% over the age of 25. That demographic breakdown is both a strength and a risk — it suggests the film connected deeply with its core audience but may not have broken out broadly into family or casual moviegoer territory. The second weekend performance will be the cleaner read on whether the film has crossover appeal or is essentially playing to its base.
The Road Ahead — and What Comes Next
Disney and Lucasfilm are treating this film as the opening move in a rebuilt theatrical Star Wars strategy. Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to debut over Memorial Day weekend 2027. Studio insiders believe that film has broader commercial potential — it is an original story rather than a continuation of an existing streaming series.
The more immediate challenge for The Mandalorian and Grogu is competition. Toy Story 5 and Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day are among the major releases arriving in June, and either could significantly affect how long the film holds at the box office. With a $165 million budget to recoup and marketing costs on top of that, Disney needs strong legs in the weeks ahead.
An "A-" CinemaScore and positive word of mouth are a reasonable foundation. Whether they're enough to carry the film to profitability will become clearer over the next few weekends.
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