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The Mandalorian and Grogu Opens to Modest Box Office as Disney Weighs Broader Returns

Mixed critic reactions and strong audience scores will be balanced against box-office holds and downstream revenue to determine whether Disney repeats the streaming-to-theatrical approach.

Overview

  • The film opened over the Memorial Day holiday weekend to roughly $163 million worldwide, including about $100 million in U.S. and Canada receipts.
  • Critics offered mixed reviews that described the movie as episodic, while audience measures have been warm, with an A- CinemaScore and high audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • Early data show the turnout skewed toward families and premium-format buyers, with a large share of IMAX and other premium ticket sales and an IMAX three-week commitment.
  • The production budget is reported at about $165 million, notably smaller than recent Star Wars tentpoles, and Disney will factor merchandise, Disney+ engagement and theme-park tie‑ins into the film’s success calculation.
  • Studios and analysts view this release as a test of turning a Disney+ property into a theatrical event and say its week-to-week box-office performance and downstream revenue will shape Lucasfilm’s next theatrical strategy.