The Mandalorian and Grogu Opens to $102M Memorial Day Weekend — But Is It Enough for Star Wars?

The Mandalorian and Grogu Hits Theaters — And the Box Office Numbers Are In

For the first time in nearly seven years, Star Wars fans finally had a reason to rush back to the big screen — and millions of them actually did. "The Mandalorian and Grogu," directed by Jon Favreau and starring Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin alongside everyone's favorite little green alien, opened this Memorial Day weekend with an estimated $102 million through Monday, including $82 million over the traditional three-day weekend.

So... is that good? Well, it depends on who you ask.

The Good: $102M Is Still a Strong Debut

Let's start with what Disney and Lucasfilm can celebrate. In post-pandemic Hollywood, cracking the $100 million barrier is a genuine achievement. The film carries a leaner $165 million budget — significantly lower than 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, which ballooned to nearly $300 million. That means The Mandalorian and Grogu essentially recovered its production costs in a single weekend.

Audience reception is also notably stronger. The film earned an "A-" CinemaScore, outperforming 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (which scored a "B+") and avoiding the word-of-mouth disaster that sank Solo. Families and kids are showing up, which is exactly what Disney needs for long-term theatrical legs.

The Concern: It's Still the Lowest Star Wars Opening Under Disney

Here's the uncomfortable truth: $82 million for a three-day opening is the worst debut for any Star Wars theatrical release since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012. For comparison, Solo opened to $84 million (though it also opened over Memorial Day). The opening weekend audience was 63% male and 75% above age 25 — meaning the film still hasn't fully cracked into younger, broader family demographics.

The real test comes in week two. Can The Mandalorian and Grogu hold like Project Hail Mary did earlier this year, or will it fade fast? Family-friendly films with strong word-of-mouth tend to have the best legs, so the "A-" CinemaScore is encouraging.

What's Next at the Box Office

While The Mandalorian and Grogu dominates the top spot, horror film "Obsession" (directed by Michael Johnston) is holding strong with a massive $28 million second weekend — actually outperforming its opening. Later this year, we've got Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans teaming up for Avengers: Doomsday, and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is expected to deliver a $100M+ opening of its own.

The Force is still strong at the box office — it just might look a little different than it used to. May the Grogu be with you. (Yes, we went there.)