In addition to sharing Hideo Kojima’s review of The Mandalorian & Grogu, we’d also like to update you on the box office performance of the latest film in the Star Wars cinematic saga since J.J. Abrams’ Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, which was released way back in 2019. The Mandalorian and Grogu is slightly exceeding expectations at the U.S. box office, meaning that the sequel to the TV series The Mandalorian has surpassed a global gross of $165 million in its opening weekend, exceeding analysts’ estimates leading up to the release.
Variety reports that The Mandalorian and Grogu is on track to gross $82 million over the three-day opening weekend and approximately $102 million over the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend. As the trade publication explains, “it’s significant for any film to debut with over $100 million in the post-pandemic era, but a true test of its commercial viability will be its second weekend in theaters. This will indicate whether ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ appeals only to fans of the franchise or if the film can become a hit with family audiences as well.”
At the international box office, The Mandalorian and Grogu grossed $64 million, bringing its global total to $145 million in its first three days and $165 million in its first four. The Mandalorian and Grogu has a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and with an 89% on Popcornmeter, the fan review site, along with an impressive A- on CinemaScore, it seems Lucasfilm has truly won over audiences with its first Star Wars film since 2019.
Will this translate to box office success? Although some industry insiders argue that merchandising is far more important than ticket sales—considering that The Mandalorian TV series has raked in a whopping $1 billion in merchandise and collectibles sales alone—the film has nonetheless had a strong start at the box office, grossing $102 million in the U.S. and over $60 million internationally. The Mandalorian and Grogu’s Saturday haul exceeds the $24.6 million earned by Solo: A Star Wars Story, and that 2018 spin-off also opened during Memorial Day weekend: Ron Howard’s film ultimately grossed $393 million globally.
Jon Favreau’s film sequel to The Mandalorian cost “only” $160 million, plus a $100 million marketing budget, which means it should break even at around $500 million in box office revenue. As mentioned, however, merchandising for these films can be worth even more than box office results, so it’s unlikely that The Mandalorian & Grogu will turn out to be a flop.
Elsewhere on the box office chart, Obsession, the Focus Features horror film directed by Curry Barker, had an excellent second weekend with $20 million in revenue, up from $17.2 million in its opening weekend: it is very rare for a film to surpass its opening weekend results in its second week, and now Obsession could become one of the few films in history to exceed $100 million in gross revenue on a production budget of less than $1 million ($700,000)
Michael comes in third with $18.5 million after surpassing $300 million in the United States on Friday. Globally, it is approaching $800 million. Further down in the top ten is Mortal Kombat II, which grossed another $6 million during its third weekend: it has all the makings of a decent success for Warner Bros.
Source: BOM
