The Mandalorian and Grogu Opens Worldwide, Testing Star Wars With an $80 Million Debut
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 15
The Mandalorian and Grogu Opens Worldwide, Testing Star Wars With an $80 Million Debut
5 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 15
$80 million in U.S. and Canadian Memorial Day weekend sales is the benchmark Disney is chasing as The Mandalorian and Grogu opens worldwide on May 22.
The release is the first Star Wars film in seven years and the franchise's first movie adapted from a Disney+ series, making it a test of whether Star Wars can still draw big theatrical audiences.
Disney has backed that test with a multimillion-dollar global campaign since April, sending cast and creators to premieres and fan events while pushing tie-ins from watches and cologne to Burger King fries.
Even if it hits forecasts, that opening would rank among the weakest for a 21st-century Star Wars movie, underscoring the risk that the franchise's center of gravity has shifted toward streaming after more than 10 Disney+ shows.
With a $166M budget and soft box office tracking, is Disney's big Star Wars return already in jeopardy?
As Disney's streaming profits soar, why gamble on a risky theatrical return for its most valuable franchise?
Will rebuilding the story for new audiences save Star Wars in theaters or betray the fans who made it a hit?