Walt Disney’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” launched in theaters Friday. The release marks the first new Star Warsfilm to hit the big screen in seven years.
Sunday estimates showed the film beating early box office projections. The movie earned $82 million in domestic ticket sales during its first three days. Official numbers will arrive Monday.
Opening Weekend Beats Expectations
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” topped the $80 million most box office analysts expected. Still, it opened below 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which earned $84 million.
That made “Solo” the previous lowest-opening Star Wars project in the Disney era, according to Comscore,.
Analysts expect “The Mandalorian and Grogu” to pass $100 million domestically over the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend. Internationally, the film added about $63 million in ticket sales.
Pedro Pascal Returns as Din Djarin
The film brings back Pedro Pascal as the Mandalorian, also known as Din Djarin. The bounty hunter continues his mission to protect Grogu.
Jon Favreau directed the film from a script he wrote with Noah Kloor and Dave Filoni. Earlier this year, Filoni was promoted to oversee Lucasfilm’s creative direction as president and chief creative officer after Kathleen Kennedy’sdeparture. Filoni was also a George Lucas protégé.
In the story, the Mandalorian receives a mission from Colonel Ward, played by Sigourney Weaver. She tasks him with rescuing Rotta the Hutt, voiced by Jeremy Allen White. Martin Scorsese also lends his voice to a memorable four-armed food stand chef.
‘Obsession’ Delivers a Horror Surprise
The other major Memorial Day weekend story belongs to “Obsession.” The Focus Features horror film, directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker, continues to surge at the box office.
The film is set to finish No. 2 in its second weekend. Monday estimates project a $23.9 million three-day haul. That marks a stunning 39 percent increase over its opening weekend gross.
Sunday estimates had already placed the film at $22.3 million, with a 30 percent increase. Updated projections now put its four-day holiday total at $30.4 million.
That would bring “Obsession” to an 11-day domestic total of $60 million. The film carries a production budget below $1 million. As with “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” official figures will be released Tuesday.
Blumhouse-Atomic Monster is executive producing the film.
‘Michael’ and ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Keep Drawing Crowds
Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” also continues to outperform expectations. The film has crossed $300 million domestically and now stands above $700 million worldwide.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” also remains a major draw in its fourth weekend. The female-led hit from 20th Centuryand parent studio Disney reached several milestones over the holiday frame.
The sequel cleared an estimated $600 million globally. It also crossed $200 million domestically and $400 million overseas.
‘The Sheep Detectives’ Holds Strong
Amazon MGM Studios’ family sleeper hit “The Sheep Detectives” followed at No. 5. Updated Monday estimates show the film earning $12.8 million in its third weekend.
That gives the movie a strong domestic total of $74.4 million.
The top 12 movies of the weekend, as of Monday, May 25, are as follows.
| # | Title | Distributor Name | Weekend Total | # of Locs | Loc Avg | Cume Total | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu | Disney | $100,000,000 | 4,300 | $23,256 | $100,000,000 | |
| 2 | Obsession | Focus Features | $30,350,000 | 2,655 | $11,431 | $60,734,000 | 76% |
| 3 | Michael | Lionsgate | $26,900,000 | 3,306 | $8,137 | $321,110,000 | 3% |
| 4 | Devil Wears Prada 2, The | 20th Century Studios | $16,500,000 | 3,300 | $5,000 | $200,025,726 | -8% |
| 5 | Sheep Detectives, The | Amazon MGM Studios | $12,837,000 | 3,207 | $4,003 | $47,374,000 | 34% |
| 6 | Passenger | Paramount | $10,500,000 | 2,534 | $4,144 | $10,500,000 | |
| 7 | Mortal Kombat II | Warner Bros. | $7,720,000 | 2,726 | $2,832 | $74,317,000 | -42% |
| 8 | I Love Boosters | Neon Rated | $4,670,700 | 1,750 | $2,669 | $4,670,700 | |
| 9 | Super Mario Galaxy Movie, The | Universal | $4,100,000 | 2,005 | $2,045 | $424,568,000 | -9% |
| 10 | Project Hail Mary | Amazon MGM Studios | $3,455,000 | 1,321 | $2,615 | $340,347,000 | -15% |
| 11 | Drishyam 3 | Prathyangira Cinemas | $1,204,655 | 284 | $4,242 | $1,675,357 | |
| 12 | In the Grey | Black Bear | $1,170,000 | 1,533 | $763 | $5,276,961 | -60% |
