The Mandalorian and Grogu made a strong return for the Star Wars franchise at the global box office, earning an estimated $82 million in North America during its opening weekend and projected to cross $102 million over the Memorial Day holiday frame.
The latest Disney and Lucasfilm release also generated approximately $165 million worldwide, exceeding industry expectations after the franchise’s nearly seven-year absence from theaters.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the film continues the story of the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian and stars Pedro Pascal as the iconic bounty hunter alongside fan-favorite companion Grogu.
The movie follows the pair on a mission to rescue Rotta the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White.
Although critics delivered mixed reviews, with the film currently holding a 63% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audience reception has been significantly more positive. CinemaScore audiences awarded the movie an A- grade, while younger viewers and parents gave especially high ratings, signaling strong family appeal and positive word-of-mouth momentum.
Industry analysts noted that the movie’s reported production budget of around $165 million is significantly lower than 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, which struggled financially despite a similar opening weekend performance.
The release also comes during a transitional period for the Star Wars franchise under the leadership of Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, following the announcement that longtime Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy will step down after 13 years.
Meanwhile, horror film Obsession became one of the weekend’s biggest surprises after ticket sales increased by an impressive 30% in its second weekend. The Focus Features release earned $22.4 million from over 2,600 theaters, fueled largely by viral social media buzz and strong interest from younger audiences.
Directed by Curry Barker, the microbudget horror movie is expected to reach a domestic total of $58.5 million by the end of the holiday weekend.
Michael, the highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, finished third at the box office with $20 million and has now grossed more than $782 million worldwide.
Other notable releases included Passenger, starring Melissa Leo, which opened to $8.7 million despite poor audience and critic reviews.
I Love Boosters, directed by Boots Riley and starring Keke Palmer and Demi Moore, debuted with $3.7 million.
The Memorial Day weekend box office overall is expected to reach around $211 million, falling short of last year’s record-breaking holiday performance but showing continued recovery for theaters after recent industry challenges.
