The Mandalorian & Grogu Marks the Worst Opening Weekend for a Disney Star Wars Film

Image: Disney/Lucasfilm

The domestic box office results for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu are officially in, and for the franchise’s first theatrical return since 2019, the numbers are undeniably tepid.

According to data from Variety, the film brought in $82 million over its initial three-day run. When accounting for the full Memorial Day holiday, the total is projected to reach approximately $102 million. While this figure narrowly edges out the opening weekend of The Devil Wears Prada 2, it will rely heavily on that extended holiday boost to surpass the debut of Michael. Meanwhile, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie remains the definitive champion, retaining the title for the highest-grossing opening weekend of the year.

While the film’s performance is passable by current 2026 industry standards, it registers as a notable underperformance when measured against the blockbuster history of the Star Wars saga. It is currently tracking slightly behind Solo: A Star Wars Story, which set a previous low bar for the franchise with its $103 million debut in 2018.

Industry analysts suggest that The Mandalorian and Grogu may avoid the “flop” status that plagued Solo, largely because its production budget was significantly more conservative. Even so, these muted numbers only reinforce the growing sentiment that the film failed to capture the massive, event-level excitement typically expected of a marquee Star Wars cinematic release.

In contrast, the weekend’s true success story is Obsession. This Focus Features indie horror project, produced on a lean budget of under $1 million, is expected to rake in $28.2 million over the four-day frame. Following in the footsteps of Iron Lung, the film serves as a potent reminder that audiences are eager for original, low-budget horror—and that massive, long-standing intellectual property isn’t the only path to box office gold.

The franchise will have an opportunity to regain its footing in the theatrical space next year, with Star Wars: Starfighter currently scheduled for release on May 28, 2027.

Source: Polygon