Star Wars hits big trouble as ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ disappoints at box office
Well, it’s official, the Star Wars franchise is in serious trouble.
When The Walt Disney Company bought Lucasfilm in 2012 and kept Kathleen Kennedy at the helm, hopes for the future of the franchise were high. Disney will bring a new trilogy to the theaters, immediately put plans for different trilogies, independent films based on beloved characters, and broadcast television programs for Disney +.
Then the rebooted franchise hit theaters. While “The Force Awakens” was a huge hit, each sequel brought in fewer ticket sales and smaller audiences than its predecessor. It culminates in the disaster “The Rise of Skywalker,” which, although profitable, was largely ignored by many audiences and critics.
Other shows such as “The Acolyte” “resurrected” so ridiculously that they were canceled after one season due to low ratings. Films like “Solo” went awry, canceling plans for a future trilogy based on the adventures of a young Han Solo.
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John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and Mark Hamill pose at the ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ photocall at the Corinthia Hotel London on Dec. 13, 2017. (David M. Bennett/Dave Bennett/WireImage)
Mixed in were a couple of seemingly successful “Rogue One” and “Andor,” and earlier, “The Mandalorian.” The initial popularity of that game was put into motion pictures of the feature film. But the second and third seasons of the show lost a lot of that initial momentum. However, Disney decided to continue focusing on the “Baby Yoda” character, Grogu.
Prior release tracking hasn’t been particularly good, however, and now that the opening box office for the long Memorial Day weekend is in, it’s confirmed what many have long suspected: Hollywood’s most important movie property is in serious trouble.
While the Memorial Day holiday will help with a good four-day appearance, the opening Friday-Sunday box office for “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was only $81.9 million. That’s hardly a “flop,” but compared to previous Star Wars films, it shows just how bad things are going for Disney.
Jon Favreau, director of the upcoming film “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” speaks during the launch of Walt Disney Studios at CinemaCon on April 16, 2026, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (Chris Pizzello/AP)
‘THE MANDALORIAN AND THE GROGU’ REVIEW: A FUN BUT FORGOTTEN RETURN TO THE ‘STAR WARS’ UNIVERSE
“Solo,” the film that was widely considered a major disappointment, grossed $84.4 million in its opening three-day weekend, also around Memorial Day, in 2018. Doesn’t sound too bad for “The Mandalorian,” does it?
Except, after adjusting for inflation, that $84.4 million in 2018 is about $112 million in today’s dollars. Which means “The Mandalorian” grossed $30 million in its opening weekend and is the biggest flop in franchise history. The worst flop ended the plans for the entire series.
Similarly, “Solo’s” Memorial weekend total was $103 million, while “The Mandalorian” is expected to make $102 million this year. That’s even worse; adjusted for inflation, $103 million today is $139 million. $37 million after the long weekend. It’s not good.
The film’s production budget was estimated at $166 million, although tax credits reportedly lowered the cost somewhat. Marketing efforts were widespread, adding another hundred million dollars, at least. With a budget of $266 million and a 50/50 revenue split between studios and theaters, the film will likely need to reach somewhere around $500 million to break even.
The international total is not exactly cause for optimism there either. “Solo” had an international opening weekend of $65 million, and a domestic total of $84.4 million. That’s $149.4 million. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” brought in $63 million worldwide, for a $145 million opening weekend. But again, adjusted for inflation, “Solo” made $198 million. That’s a $53 million gap.
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There’s still time, and maybe “The Mandalorian” has the legs to pass before it. Based on early reviews though, that doesn’t seem likely. “Solo” finished with less than $400 million worldwide. If this film doesn’t fall under that barrier, it will likely lose Disney money at the theatrical box office. For a movie set in the Star Wars universe.
It’s a surprising result on the one hand, and not at all surprising on the other. Instead of focusing on storytelling and quality programming, Kennedy spent his time making “The Force is female” t-shirts and checking out some broadcast boxes. And after years of telling Star Wars fans they didn’t care anymore, they listened.
Mark Hamill attends the Disney premiere of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in Hollywood, Calif., on Dec. 16, 2019. (Rich Fury/Getty Images)
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Kathleen Kennedy has left Lucasfilm, but her successor, Dave Filoni, was heavily involved in the film. And tracking has been another serious and commercial disappointment. Not so long ago, it seemed impossible for Disney to make Star Wars. Boy was that wrong.
There will certainly be more films on the way, and a return to form could right the ship. But now they’ve lost the benefit of the doubt and are introducing the most dangerous emotion in fandom: apathy.
