For the first time in almost seven years, “Star Wars” fans finally had a reason to return to theaters in large numbers.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” opened with $82 million over the weekend and is expected to reach $102 million by Monday. While those numbers match industry expectations, analysts are divided on whether the launch should be considered a major success. Crossing the $100 million mark is still a significant achievement in the post-pandemic box office era, but “Star Wars” remains one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, which naturally raises expectations. In fact, this marks the weakest opening for a “Star Wars” film since Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.
Before this, 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” held that record, debuting with $84 million over the weekend and $103 million during the Memorial Day holiday. Unlike “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” however, “Solo” struggled with poor reviews and weak audience enthusiasm, which hurt its long-term performance. The film ultimately became the first “Star Wars” movie to lose money theatrically, finishing with $392 million worldwide against a production budget close to $300 million.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” was produced more economically, costing around $165 million, and it also benefits from strong audience reactions. The movie’s second weekend will likely reveal whether it can attract broader family audiences beyond dedicated franchise fans. According to early demographics, 63% of opening weekend viewers were male and 75% were older than 25. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film received an “A-” CinemaScore, an improvement over the “B+” earned by 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” The story continues after the third season of “The Mandalorian,” following Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and his small green companion as they navigate a galaxy rebuilding after the fall of the Empire.
Internationally, the movie collected $64 million, bringing its worldwide total to $145 million over three days and $165 million over the four-day holiday 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.
This is the first “Star Wars” film to hit theaters since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker,” which crossed $1 billion globally while wrapping up the nine-film “Skywalker” saga. In the years since, Lucasfilm shifted its focus toward Disney+ projects such as “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Ahsoka,” “Andor,” and “Skeleton Crew.” Fortunately for fans, the next theatrical release won’t take as long. “Star Wars: Starfighter,” directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend in 2027, with studio insiders hopeful it can provide a fresh direction 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 Memorial Day weekend didn’t break records, theaters still saw strong attendance thanks to holdover hits like “Obsession” and “Michael.” Combined ticket sales for the four-day weekend reached $221 million, putting this year close to pre-pandemic holiday totals. Comparable Memorial Day weekends include 2019’s $221 million haul led by “Aladdin,” 2018’s $225 million driven by “Solo,” and 2017’s $182 million, when “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” topped the charts. Since COVID, results have varied widely: 2022 brought in $224 million with “Top Gun: Maverick,” 2023 reached $204 million thanks to “The Little Mermaid,” while 2024 dropped sharply to $132 million after “Furiosa” underperformed.
Meanwhile, the horror film “Obsession” continued its impressive run. After debuting with $16 million, the Focus Features release earned another $22 million in its second weekend and is expected to reach $28.2 million through Monday. Remarkably, that represents a 30% increase from its opening weekend — an extremely rare feat for a movie already playing nationwide. The film has now earned $58.5 million domestically and $74 million worldwide. Directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker, “Obsession” tells the story of a hopeless romantic who enters into a twisted Faustian bargain to win over his crush.
Two new releases struggled to make an impact. Paramount’s horror thriller “Passenger” debuted in sixth place with $8.7 million over the weekend and an estimated $10.5 million through Monday, plus another $4.8 million internationally for a global start of $13.5 million. The movie, about a young couple pursued by a demonic force, received mixed reviews, including a 42% Rotten Tomatoes score and a “B-” CinemaScore. Still, its modest $15 million production budget may help profitability.
Neon’s crime comedy “I Love Boosters” also failed to break through, opening in eighth place with $3.8 million over the weekend and an estimated $4.7 million through Monday. Directed by Boots Riley, the movie follows professional shoplifters targeting a ruthless fashion mogul. Critics responded positively, giving it a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score, though audiences were less enthusiastic, awarding it a “B” CinemaScore. The film reportedly cost $20 million to make.
In third place, “Michael” continued its strong theatrical run. The Michael Jackson biopic earned another $20 million during the weekend and is projected to reach $25.7 million by Monday in its fifth week. Its domestic total now stands at $319 million, while global earnings have climbed to an impressive $788 million. Industry observers expect it to soon surpass “Bohemian Rhapsody” as the highest-grossing musical biopic ever made.
Disney’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” slipped to fourth place, earning $12.6 million over the weekend and an estimated $16.5 million through Monday. After four weeks in theaters, the sequel has grossed $197 million domestically and $604 million worldwide.
Rounding out the top five was “The Sheep Detectives,” which brought in $8.9 million over the weekend — only a 6% drop from the previous frame — and is projected to make $12.3 million through Monday. The mystery comedy starring Hugh Jackman has now earned $46.9 million in North America and $82 million globally. Amazon MGM reportedly spent $75 million producing the film and must also share ticket revenue with theater owners.
Memorial Day traditionally signals the beginning of Hollywood’s summer movie season, and studios are encouraged by the current momentum. The summer period is typically the industry’s most profitable stretch, accounting for roughly $4 billion, or about 40% of annual box office revenue.
“The broad lineup includes something for every demographic segment, and audiences are enjoying themselves,” Gross says. “Business is healthy heading into the heart of summer.”
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. He holds CAVCO Personnel Number SINH0106. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
