After a seven-year break from the big screen, a new Star Wars film attracted solid audience numbers globally, although they weren’t record-breaking. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” generated $82 million from 4,300 theaters within the United States and Canada over its opening weekend. This figure was projected to reach $102 million domestically and $165 million worldwide by the end of Memorial Day Monday, according to studio estimates.
This revenue matched expectations for the movie, which continues the Disney+ spinoff series “The Mandalorian.” However, its earnings were on the lower side of Disney-era Star Wars releases, resembling the 2018 “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which pulled in a similar $103 million over the Memorial Day weekend. Despite “Solo” being labeled a failure due to its $300 million production cost, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was produced for significantly less, with reported expenses around $165 million, not including marketing. This difference enhances its chances of reaching profitability, especially with positive audience feedback.
Critics gave the movie mixed to negative reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 63%. Nevertheless, moviegoers responded positively, assigning an A- on CinemaScore. Young boys, in particular, rated it highly, providing an A CinemaScore and a perfect score on PostTrak. Parents shared favorable opinions, rating it five out of five.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter, supported by his small green companion in a mission to rescue Jabba’s son, Rotta the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is unique due to its origins as a series and its eventual availability on Disney+. The streaming platform was still new when “The Rise of Skywalker” premiered in December 2019. Star Wars is undergoing changes with Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan leading the brand. Earlier this year, it was announced that Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm’s president and producer of “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” would step down after 13 years.
The industry contemplates whether moviegoers’ interest in Star Wars has waned. Next year’s “Star Wars: Starfighter,” starring Ryan Gosling, may offer clarity. Meanwhile, it’s expected that strong ratings and positive word-of-mouth will sustain the film’s momentum.
“The moviegoers rule,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore. “Given the audience reaction and scores from parents and kids, this is going to last.”
Word-of-mouth significantly aided Curry Barker’s horror film “Obsession.” In its second weekend, Focus Features experienced a 30% increase in ticket sales, achieving $22.4 million across 2,655 theaters. “Obsession” is predicted to reach $28.2 million by Memorial Day’s conclusion, accumulating a total of $58.5 million.
The second spot on the box office was claimed by “Michael,” which brought in $20 million over the weekend. The Michael Jackson biopic has amassed $782.4 million overall. Competing horror film “Passenger,” featuring Melissa Leo, earned $8.7 million from 2,534 locations, with a forecast of $10.5 million over four days. Reviews were lackluster, with a 44% Rotten Tomatoes score and a B- Cinema Score.
Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters,” starring Keke Palmer and Demi Moore, debuted with $3.7 million. Unlike the previous year’s Memorial Day weekend led by “Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” this year’s revenue fell 36%, totaling around $211 million.
The following is a list of the top 10 movies by domestic box office from Friday through Sunday:
- “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” $82 million
- “Obsession,” $22.4 million
- “Michael,” $20 million
- “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” $12.6 million
- “The Sheep Detectives,” $9 million
- “Passenger,” $8.7 million
- “Mortal Kombat II,” $6.2 million
- “I Love Boosters,” $3.7 million
- “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $3.2 million
- “Project Hail Mary,” $2.7 million