"The Mandalorian & Grogu" continues to show modest box office results. According to Deadline, on Friday, May 22 (including $12 million from Thursday previews), the film earned $33 million in the domestic box office.
Like the preview results, this is the worst start for the franchise under Disney's wing. The project even started weaker than "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which in 2018 grossed $35.4 million over the same period (including $14.1 million from previews) and ultimately became the only officially unprofitable film in the series.
Although analysts raised opening weekend projections to $80-100 million for the extended four-day weekend in the US, the film still risks earning less than "Solo." However, despite the alarming analogies, Din Djarin and little Grogu have two powerful trump cards.
The first is the budget. The production of "The Mandalorian & Grogu" cost the studio a very modest $165 million by franchise standards (compared to $275 million for "Solo"), which means the break-even point for Jon Favreau's film is significantly lower.
The second is word-of-mouth. The audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 89% positive reviews, and CinemaScore is A-. This is considered a strong result and could help the film stay in theaters, which is why some analysts believe that opening weekend numbers are not as important right now.