The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters next month, but excitement for the first Star Wars movie since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker appears somewhat muted.
While The Mandalorian remains one of Disney+'s most popular series, the marketing campaign for this big-screen continuation hasn't exactly hit lightspeed. Many feel that Disney missed a chance to build hype during the Super Bowl with a promo parodying old beer/car commercials, and even the trailers have fallen short in the eyes of some fans.
There's still time to turn things around, and Star Wars fans will have to show up in May if they want to see more of Din Djarin and The Child. As for regular moviegoers, Lucasfilm needs to up the marketing and hope for glowing reviews.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the first box office projections have just landed (via Box Office Theory) and it looks like The Mandalorian and Grogu is eyeing a $70 million to $85 million start in North America. If it debuts on the lower side, then it would be the lowest domestic opening weekend in the Disney era of Star Wars.
For comparison, since 2015, the Star Wars franchise has opened with $248 million (The Force Awakens), $220 million (The Last Jedi), $177 million (The Rise of Skywalker), $155 million (Rogue One) and $84 million (Solo). However, it's worth noting that The Mandalorian and Grogu cost less than all of those, with a reported $166 million budget.
A debut in the same ballpark as Solo: A Star Wars Story isn't ideal—the movie ultimately only grossed $393 million worldwide—but it's worth comparing The Mandalorian and Grogu to Project Hail Mary. It also debuted to $80 million in the U.S., but good legs have propelled it to an expected $600 million globally.
In other words, don't write this fan-favourite duo off just yet!
In The Mandalorian and Grogu, the evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. It's produced by Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce, with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.
The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters on May 22. Check out a new TV spot, featurette and promo art from the movie below.