Story perspectives

Disney’s ‘Mandalorian’ Film Opens Lowest Ever, $102 M

5/26/2026

Summary

Mandalorian Low Debut

Disney's Star Wars film “The Mandalorian and Grogu” opened with $102 million domestically—the lowest Disney-era debut—and earned $165 million worldwide over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, including $63 million overseas.
Rotten Tomatoes rates the film at 63 percent, just above the “rotten” cutoff.
Variety says the $102 million opening surpasses the previous Disney-era low of $103 million set by 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” noting analyst David Gross calls the earnings typical for a spin-off.

Summary

io9 Ranks StarWars

The io9 team ranked all 13 theatrical Star Wars movies, putting “The Empire Strikes Back” at number one.
“A New Hope” placed second, praised for its scope, ambition and imagination that launched the saga.
“Rogue One” rose in the ranking because it added characters like Jyn Erso and K-2SO and spawned “Andor”.
“The Rise of Skywalker” was called the franchise’s worst live-action film, criticized for a cowardly conclusion and missing stakes.

History

Historical Context

George Lucas launched Star Wars in 1977, earning $775 million worldwide and birthing the blockbuster model that reshaped Hollywood. After Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, it expanded the saga with spin-offs like Solo (2018) and the 2026 Mandalorian series, each drawing strong openings and prompting the studio to rethink release timing amid volatile audience returns.

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Mandalorian Low Debut

Disney's Star Wars film “The Mandalorian and Grogu” opened with $102 million domestically—the lowest Disney-era debut—and earned $165 million worldwide over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, including $63 million overseas.
Rotten Tomatoes rates the film at 63 percent, just above the “rotten” cutoff.
Variety says the $102 million opening surpasses the previous Disney-era low of $103 million set by 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” noting analyst David Gross calls the earnings typical for a spin-off.

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