‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ Preview Numbers Disappoint, Trailing Behind Infamous Star Wars Movie That Lost Millions for Disney
It’s time to return to a galaxy far, far away as Star Wars heads back to cinemas for the first time in seven years with The Mandalorian and Grogu.
The film has earned around $12 million in preview screenings so far. That number is being closely watched because it is the first major Star Wars theatrical release since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
That 2019 film was a huge global hit, passing $1 billion worldwide. But it also received a mixed response from critics and fans, and after it released, Disney paused Star Wars movies for several years. During that time, the franchise shifted focus to Disney+, where The Mandalorian introduced Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and Grogu, also known as Baby Yoda.
Now those two characters are moving from streaming to the big screen in The Mandalorian and Grogu. The film is currently projected to earn between $80 million and $100 million over the extended Memorial Day weekend.
Even though that is a strong number for many movies, industry comparisons suggest it may be lower than expected for Star Wars. Reports note that it could open below Solo: A Star Wars Story, which debuted with $103 million.
The Mandalorian and Grogu has earned $12M in previews, coming in $2.1M behind “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”
Solo is often cited as one of the weaker theatrical performers in the franchise and is the only Star Wars film that lost money for Disney, with estimates being in the millions.
Variety wrote that the film would lose Disney “tens of millions of dollars” off a projected final total gross of $400–450 million, while The Hollywood Reporter estimated the losses would range from $50 to $80 million.
The new film is directed by Jon Favreau, known for Iron Man and The Lion King remake. The story continues after the fall of the Empire, with Mando and Grogu working alongside Sigourney Weaver’s character on a mission involving Rotta the Hutt, the son of Jabba the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White.
At the same time, other films in theaters are also competing for attention. The horror movie Passenger earned about $1.1 million in previews, while another horror title, Obsession, continues a strong box office run after a $17.2 million opening weekend.
With The Mandalorian and Grogu now in theaters, the focus is on whether Star Wars can fully regain its box office strength after years away from cinemas.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
