The Mandalorian and Grogu BOX OFFICE Just Got CRAZIER!

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]All righty then, my friends. It looks as though we've got a pretty insane update.

[00:00:04]The situation with the Mandalorian and Grou box office just got even crazier. I honestly didn't think this was going to be today's video, but it doesn't seem like there's much else going on in the Star Wars universe. I've done a couple of lore videos, a couple of deep dives, but this seems to be the one thing everyone seems to want to know about.

[00:00:22]So, the last time we spoke about the box office, we talked about some of the early numbers. We didn't have the full 4-day Memorial Day weekend data in yet, and a lot of it was just an estimate, and I did say these aren't the box office numbers you'd expect for a Star Wars movie, but I explained the different caveats that Star Wars is in a very different place to even just a few years ago. Number two, discounting marketing costs for just a moment. The production budget was a measly $165 million. And third of all, it doesn't seem like Disney cares too much.

[00:00:54]According to their own insiders, they're not taking this as a loss. But with that said, today we do have the numbers for the 4-day opening weekend. And in an interesting twist, the projections overestimated the domestic box office, but underestimated the international one. So no more jibberjabber. Star Wars the Mandalorian and Grou opens to series low $98 million in North America. And the question they ask, and it's a good one, does it even matter? And you know, it is worth reiterating that this was never meant to be a big stake movie, but for goodness sake, it is still a Star Wars film. The roller coaster ride that accompanies the opening of a Star Wars movie is over. The final numbers are in for the long Memorial Day box office weekend, and they showed that Lucasfilm's The Man's Roy and Grou opened domestically to $98 million. 82 of those came in the first 3 days and then traffic slowed. Overseas, The Mandelor and Grou opened to $63 million and this means that the total global box office stands at $167 million, just ahead of the film's reported net budget, but doesn't take into account marketing.

[00:02:05]Some of the most accurate estimates put the Manson and Grou's breaking point at 400 to 500 million. But the article says that another consideration is that post pandemic global box offices look very different. And for any film, a 98 million opening is celebrated by the entire industry. These days, openings north of 100 million have become few and far between. In fact, Mando has the fourth best Memorial Day debut in the postco times. And you know what? That's all well and good, but it's Star Wars.

[00:02:38]Star Wars movie should always be a global event. But at least they say the man's loin and grou came ahead of last year's mission impossible and came very close to Lilo and Stitch, which during its opening grossed 182 million. But so far for this year 2026, the only movie that's been able to make north of 100 million during its opening weekend was the Mario movie. So, the Hollywood Reporter is predicting that Disney is not going to see this as a loss, even if accounting for inflation. It opened lower than Solo: A Star Wars Story. But like they said, the industry was very different in 2018. And even though you'd expect a Star Wars movie to perform better than this, they think that Disney might spin this as a win. The studio says that box office aside, Mando will drive significant value across the border because the one thing they're praying for is a big Disney Plus premiere. thus expected later this summer. They say the Mandalorian is the most watched original series in the history of Disney with more than 1.3 billion hours streamed across the world.

[00:03:39]The characters are also popular in the Disney parks, not to mention the incredible success of Grou merch. So, I definitely think this article is giving a far more positive spin and they say that all eyes will be on the film's second weekend drop. So, it's not just the Memorial Day weekend, but this coming weekend. The audience score in Rotten Tomatoes is pretty great. It's resonating with kids and families, and that could translate to higher viewership due to word of mouth. So, the bottom line is this. In 2026, this isn't really a flop, so to speak, but I still think Star Wars deserves better than this. Now, I'm not going to take this to mean that Star Wars is dead. You guys know I don't believe in that jazz, but I do think there is a serious conversation to be had about Star Wars's relevance.

[00:04:25]And I don't know if that's true of the Star Wars universe in general because there are still millions of fans who invest in this franchise and Star Wars Celebration 2027 sold out in minutes. So I don't know if it's a general Star Wars problem or a Mandalorian problem.

[00:04:40]Whether you want to blame it on Mando season 3 or Book of Boba Fett, the fact of the matter is just a handful of years ago during the pandemic, The Mandalorian was one of the most spoken about TV shows in the world. And these days, yes, Grou still has his fans. But is it as popular as it once was? I can tell you both as a content creator and a fan that the answer is a resounding no. And that's why I don't think this movie is the best metric to discuss the overall state of the franchise. Even as someone who enjoyed this film, I have friends who are Star Wars fans who saw the trailers and they were like, I'm not going to go see this. Some said they're going to watch it on Disney Plus, but others seem to have wanted the more classic kind of Star Wars, the lightsabers, and galaxy shaking stakes, which is why Starf Fighter next year is going to be the better metric. I just don't think The Mandalorian Grou reflects overall sentiments about quote unquote real Star Wars. It's why I fully believe that the 50th anniversary screenings of A New Hope are going to do insane numbers. The key point is there is a hunger for good Star Wars and I'm really hoping Star Wars Starf Fighter delivers in that field. There is definitely something to be said about Disney squandering so many opportunities and the best example of this is the finale of The Mandalorian season 2 after that Luke episode. They had the fandom in the palm of their hands, but I think they panicked. We assumed they had a plan, but it was evident they didn't know what to do next. Even in the behind the scenes, it's clear that John Fevo and Dave Fona were like, "Wouldn't it be caught up by Luke in this?" And that's how it came about. It really was a split-second decision. And at the time, they weren't thinking beyond Luke taking Grou to train him. It was a cool moment.

[00:06:19]On set, they covered Luke up with Plun.

[00:06:22]And to most of us, when it aired, it was a complete surprise. But like I say, they panicked. They reunited Mander and Grou far too soon in the book of Boba Fett. And the rest is history. But the Mandalorian hasn't been the same since.

[00:06:35]I'm someone who thought there were some gray moments in the third season, but by that point, a lot of fans lost interest.

[00:06:41]And for this movie, which again was an impulsive decision from Kathleen Kennedy, she went to John Fevo and said, "We need to turn this into a film." And I've been listening to John Favro's interviews, and I really feel sorry for him. I feel like he's been thrown under the bus. Even though he's been writing a lot of this stuff, you get the feeling so much of the decision-m was out of his hands. He was just going along with what he was paid to do. But the fact of the matter is, the man's roying croc is not the best reflection of how fans feel about Star Wars. Maybe this part of Disney Star Wars, but I promise you, there is still a hunger for good Star Wars storytelling. And under Dave Filona and Lynwin Brennan, Lucasfilm needs to wise up. Even if they're not taking this box office as an L, they need to realize the fans want Star Wars to be an event again. I think there's space in the galaxy for these kinds of lower stakes safer adventures. But what this film had really going against it is that in terms of optics, it was the first Star Wars movie in 7 years. I personally am sick of hearing that sentence, but it's true.

[00:07:43]They should have done this after something which they expected to be a major hit. Because if Disney is saying they never expected Mandar and Grou to do well, then why did they release it first? Why not start with Starf Fighter and Ryan Gosling at a time when this alist actor is having his moment? You could have got all the fans of Project Hail Mary on board. So, let's wait and see, guys. But that is the latest. I'm always here to keep you updated. And if you enjoy my videos, please be sure to give me a big fat thumbs up. Share this one around. Make sure to subscribe if you're new. Check out my last video where we spoke about some Grou lore. And I'll catch you in the next one. May the force be with you always.