The first place occupied in cinemas did not save “The Mandalorian and Grogu“ from the weakest box-office debut of any Disney-era “Star Wars” film, after grossing $165 million worldwide in its first weekend, according to The Guardian.
The Pedro Pascal-starrer alongside 'Baby Yoda' was far from impressive upon release, failing to top the opening weekend grosses of 'Solo', which turned out to be a flop in 2018.
Domestically (North America and Canada), the film grossed $102 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend in the US, completing its global total of $165 million. In Romania, the film premiered on May 20 and officially entered cinemas on May 22, 2026.
The modest result of this film's debut is a possible sign of growing fatigue with the Star Wars universe, writes The Guardian.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is the first Star Wars film to hit theaters since 2019's “The Rise of Skywalker,” at which point Disney management decided to halt the release of new Star Wars films, concluding that they were churning out too many films too quickly.
Hollywood trade publications have reported that Disney believes the film will hold its own at the box office in the coming weekends due to positive scores from audiences, despite moderate reactions from critics.
The Hollywood Reporter stated that Disney hopes the film will draw viewers to other Disney products, such as promotional products, theme parks and Disney+; The Mandalorian is the most-watched original series on Disney+, and more than 13 million Grogu toys have been sold since the series debuted in 2019.
Star Wars debuted in 1977 and is one of the most profitable film franchises of all time, with global ticket sales of over $10 billion.
Disney bought the franchise from creator George Lucas in 2012. The company focused on launching Star Wars series on Disney+, where The Mandalorian and Andor won both critical acclaim and large audiences. However, series such as The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Acolyte failed to make a significant impact.
The next Star Wars film, Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2027.
