Fez — Disney’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” opened at No. 1 over the Memorial Day weekend, earning $100 million (MAD 920 million) in the US and $163 (MAD 1.5 billion) worldwide in its theatrical debut.
Box Office Mojo listed the film’s US total at $100 million, including an $81 million ( MAD 745 million) traditional weekend opening. International markets added $63 million (MAD 580 million), bringing the global launch to $163 million.
The film marks the first “Star Wars” movie released in theaters since “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2019. It also tests whether a story built on Disney+ can successfully move from streaming back to the big screen.
Directed by Jon Favreau, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” follows Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and Grogu as they return to a galaxy still recovering from the fall of the Empire.
A solid opening, but not a clear victory yet
The debut gives Disney a strong headline, but the numbers also raise questions. The film opened close to “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which launched over Memorial Day in 2018 before struggling to turn into a lasting box-office success.
Analysts are now watching the film’s second weekend. That will show whether “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is mainly drawing loyal fans of the Disney+ series or reaching families and casual moviegoers.
The film’s reported $165 million (MAD 1.5 billion) production budget makes the opening less risky than “Solo,” which carried a much higher budget. Still, “Star Wars” remains a franchise judged by huge expectations.
‘Obsession’ becomes the surprise story
While “The Mandalorian and Grogu” led the weekend, horror film “Obsession” delivered the more unusual box-office performance.
The Focus Features release grew in its second weekend, an uncommon result for horror movies, which often fall sharply after opening. AP reported that “Obsession” rose by about 30% in its second weekend and moved into second place.
The film, directed by YouTube creator Curry Barker, has become one of the year’s strongest low-budget stories. The Numbers lists its production budget at $1 million (MAD 9.2 million), making its box-office run especially profitable.
Smaller newcomers struggle for attention
Other new releases had quieter starts. Paramount’s supernatural thriller “Passenger” opened outside the top five, while Boots Riley’s crime comedy “I Love Boosters” also launched modestly.
“I Love Boosters,” starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, and Demi Moore, follows a group of shoplifters who target a powerful fashion figure. The film is a story mixing fashion, theft, and resistance against capitalist greed.
The weekend showed the divided state of the box office: major franchises can still dominate, but smaller films can break through when they carry strong word of mouth.
