The return of "Star Wars" to the big screen after nearly seven years has been unexpectedly upstaged by an independent horror film. "The Mandalorian and Grogu," a cinematic continuation of the hit Disney+ series "The Mandalorian," was Lucasfilm's great hope to leverage the popularity of Din Djarin and Grogu. However, the film lost significant momentum in its second weekend, ultimately being overtaken by the new release "The Backrooms" and fellow horror hit "Obsession."
According to Deadline, the A24-distributed horror film "The Backrooms" is estimated to have grossed $81.4 million domestically in its opening weekend. This not only secured the top spot at the box office but also set a new all-time opening record for A24. Meanwhile, the horror film "Obsession" earned a strong $26.4 million in its third week to take second place, narrowly beating "The Mandalorian and Grogu." The latter is projected to have earned $25 million in its second domestic weekend, a steep 69% drop from its debut. Its current North American total stands at $137.3 million, with a global haul of $246.6 million.
While "The Mandalorian and Grogu" was never expected to become the highest-grossing "Star Wars" movie, it was anticipated to have a steady theatrical run. The film received mixed reviews from critics but garnered a relatively positive response from audiences. With a lack of major genre competition, market projections initially placed both it and "Obsession" in the $40 million range, setting the stage for a tight box office race.
However, the actual results show that "The Mandalorian and Grogu" failed to draw in viewers beyond the core fanbase. Some audiences felt that while the film was a light and fun space adventure bolstered by Grogu's cute moments, its story and character arcs were too thin to create a "must-see-in-theaters" experience. In contrast, "The Backrooms" and "Obsession" boast high Rotten Tomatoes scores of 89% and 96% respectively. They are being hailed as works from emerging creative voices, which proved more persuasive in convincing general audiences to purchase a ticket.
Another contributing factor is the long-term strategy of releasing new "Star Wars" content primarily on streaming. Since the theatrical hiatus, Disney+ has launched multiple live-action series, conditioning audiences to watch new "Star Wars" stories at home. "The Mandalorian" itself is the platform's flagship series, which may have led some viewers to opt to wait for the film's eventual streaming release rather than supporting it in theaters.
For "The Backrooms" and "Obsession," beating a "Star Wars" film at the box office is undoubtedly a major victory for independent horror. It also demonstrates that audiences are not unwilling to go to theaters, but are simply more discerning about which films are truly worth the big-screen experience.
"The Mandalorian and Grogu" is not a box office disaster, but its performance is clearly below Lucasfilm's expectations. This puts even more pressure on next year's "Star Wars: Starfighter," which is slated to be a major part of the franchise's 50th-anniversary celebration.
via： Deadline