Mandalorian and Grogu Previews at $12M, Trails Solo
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- The Mandalorian and Grogu made $12 million in previews, marking Star Wars' first theatrical release in seven years since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker."
- The film is projected to gross $80–$100 million over the Memorial Day weekend, which would make it the lowest-opening Star Wars film ever, below 2018's "Solo," which opened to $103 million after $14.1 million in previews.
- Jon Favreau directs the $165 million-budgeted feature, which follows Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin and Grogu alongside Sigourney Weaver's rebel leader as they hunt Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White).
- "Solo" remains the cautionary benchmark: its $300 million budget made it the only Star Wars film to lose money, ending its run at $392 million globally, whereas Mandalorian's smaller $165 million budget gives Disney significantly more financial cushion.
- Paramount's horror film "Passenger" brought in $1.1 million in previews the same weekend, a distant second to the Star Wars debut.
Why it matters: After a seven-year theatrical hiatus, Star Wars' return posting preview numbers below the 2018 Solo spinoff suggests franchise fatigue or streaming-era audience erosion, though Disney's $165 million budget (roughly half of Solo's $300 million) cushions the financial risk if the $80–$100 million opening projection holds.
