(Image source: Lucasfilm)
The film adaptation of the "Star Wars" spin-off series "The Mandalorian," titled "The Mandalorian & Grogu," began its global theatrical rollout last Wednesday, and its opening box office numbers are in. In North America, the movie raked in $102 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend last week, securing the top spot for the weekend. However, this also marks the lowest theatrical opening for a "Star Wars" film since Disney acquired the franchise.
Prior to "The Mandalorian & Grogu," the worst opening for a Disney-era "Star Wars" film was 2018's "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which also premiered over the Memorial Day holiday and earned approximately $103 million.
(Image source: Lucasfilm)
"Solo" ultimately grossed only $390 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing "Star Wars" film and the only live-action "Star Wars" movie to date to fall short of $400 million globally. It also remains the only "Star Wars" film to incur a financial loss, with a production budget of nearly $300 million, not including marketing costs and the studio's share of theatrical revenue.
Internationally, "The Mandalorian & Grogu" earned $64 million. Combined with its North American performance, its global four-day opening weekend totaled approximately $165 million, slightly surpassing "Solo"'s global opening of $147 million. While "The Mandalorian & Grogu"'s final box office tally may not significantly outperform "Solo," the good news is its production budget is considerably lower, at just $165 million. While it might not be a massive blockbuster, it should at least avoid a financial loss.