The excitement of a new Star Wars movie has reached a pause.
The final box office numbers for Memorial Day are out. Lucasfilm and Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu opened with $98 million over the long weekend. For the three-day period, the movie earned $82 million. However, interest faded a bit towards the end of the holiday.
Looking back, in 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story debuted with $103 million over Memorial Day, marking the lowest debut for a Star Wars movie after Disney took the reins in 2012. It seems Mandalorian now holds that title, but is it really fair to compare?
Internationally, where sci-fi films often struggle, Mandalorian raked in $63 million by Sunday. Including Monday’s earnings, it reached a global total of $167 million, already matching its production cost of $165 million. For comparison, Solo made $65 million internationally but had a much higher production budget of $265 million, ultimately grossing $393 million. Disney acknowledged that fan dissatisfaction was growing during that time; this sentiment still lingers today.
This time, Mandalorian got an optimistic start. Disney’s estimated $102 million opening domestic forecast on Sunday was fueled by strong audience reviews, including an impressive 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the figure was adjusted to $100 million by Monday morning.
The pandemic has changed box office norms. A $98 million opening might seem less impressive than in the past, but it’s still a win for the industry. Since 2015, when Star Wars: The Force Awakens opened to a staggering $257 million, hits over $100 million have become rare. Interestingly, Mandalorian now boasts the fourth-best Memorial Day opening since the pandemic began. It surpassed last year’s Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, which debuted with $79 million, going head-to-head with Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, which opened to $182.6 million.
This year, only one other film has crossed the $100 million mark domestically: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which brought in $131.7 million. It’s a box office success, grossing over $980 million, but it’s notable how films like Project Hail Mary and Lionsgate’s biopic Michael opened under the $100 million mark yet are still performing strongly. These films target a wider audience, including families and younger viewers.
There’s potential for Mandalorian to continue this trend.
Disney emphasizes that Mandalorian started as a small-screen series, which changes the game compared to traditional Star Wars films. It introduces fresh characters, distinct from familiar faces in the saga movies. This puts pressure on upcoming projects like Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, which stars Ryan Gosling.
Regardless of box office numbers, Mandalorian is set to add value to Disney’s broader business. It stands as the most-watched original series on Disney+, amassing over 1.3 billion hours viewed worldwide. Plus, new attractions featuring Mandalorian and Grogu in Disney parks kicked off alongside the film’s release, marking a historic moment for the company.
As we look forward, the second-weekend performance will be a key indicator for Mandalorian’s success.
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