The first Star Wars movie in seven years,The Mandalorian and Grogu, has delivered the franchise's lowest domestic box office debut since Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm.

However, it would be reductive to declare it an underperformer for several reasons. For starters, the movie cost a fraction of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is the most expensive film in history with a production budget of more than $600 million.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was released in 2019, cost nearly $600 million.

TheMandalorian and Grogu, on the other hand, has a reported price tag of $165 million and a projected break-even point of between $500 million and $600 million worldwide.

Even though the movie couldn't match its predecessors' opening weekend hauls, it's well on its way to success.

Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu serves as a spin-off to the hit Disney+ streaming series The Mandalorian.

Also created by Favreau, the show initiated a wave of small-screen Star Wars programming that has kept fans engaged in the last few years.

The new movie follows the adventures of Din Djarin, played by Pedro Pascal, and his child companion Grogu.

The film opened to mixed reviews but appears to be benefiting from solid audience response.

It holds an A- grade on CinemaScore, as well as an 89% audience score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.

Additionally, the movie is reportedly doing exceedingly well with young children drawn to Grogu and older male viewers who enjoy its Clint Eastwood-style tone.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is projected to gross around $98 million across the four-day Memorial Day frame, with an additional $63 million coming from overseas markets.

This puts the movie's global debut at more than $160 million. The Mandalorian and Grogu is already sparking discourse for Jeremy Allen White's voice performance as Rotta the Hutt, and for its CGI-fueled action sequences.

Critics have also noted the film's unimpressive dialogue and lack of focus. However, the movie is clearly aimed at younger audiences who may not have even been Star Wars fans before The Mandalorian series.

With the legendary franchise in a state of creative flux, The Mandalorian and Grogu is paving the way for more standalone movies in the future; it will be followed by Star Wars: Starfighter, slated for release in 2027.

The film, released on May 22, 2026, has a runtime of 132 minutes. The creative team includes writers Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Noah Kloor, with producers Ian Bryce, Jon Favreau, and Kathleen Kennedy.

Key cast members include Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin / The Mandalorian, Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Ward, Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt, and Steve Blum as Zeb.

This movie is understood to be a prequel to Dave Filoni's untitled Mandalorian movie, further expanding the saga initiated by "The Mandalorian" series.