The Mandalorian and Grogu opened to $81.9 million in its first three days at the box office over Memorial Day weekend, a number that places it below even Solo: A Star Wars Story when adjusted for inflation, according to a Fox News analysis.
Solo, which opened around Memorial Day in 2018, grossed $84.4 million in its first three days. Adjusted to 2026 dollars, that figure comes to roughly $112 million, meaning The Mandalorian and Grogu earned about $30 million less than the film widely considered the biggest flop in Star Wars history.
Over the full four-day Memorial Day holiday, the comparison is no better. Solo earned $103 million during its holiday weekend. The Mandalorian and Grogu was expected to hit approximately $102 million over the same four-day span. Adjusted for inflation, Solo's $103 million is worth about $139 million today, leaving the new film roughly $37 million behind.
The production budget was estimated at approximately $166 million, though tax credits reportedly brought that number down somewhat. Marketing added at least another $100 million, putting total costs at around $266 million. Given the standard 50-50 revenue split between studios and theater chains, the film will need a large global total to break even.
The Mandalorian began as a Disney+ streaming series and was among the more celebrated entries in the Star Wars catalog after Disney's 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm. The first season drew a wide audience and spawned the popular Baby Yoda, known formally as Grogu, whose appeal drove much of the marketing for the theatrical film.
But viewership declined in the show's second and third seasons, and pre-release tracking for the movie was described as not particularly positive. The opening weekend results confirmed those concerns.
Disney's post-acquisition Star Wars record has been uneven. The Force Awakens was a large commercial hit. Each subsequent theatrical film drew smaller audiences than the one before, ending with The Rise of Skywalker, which was profitable but widely panned. The streaming series The Acolyte was canceled after one season. Solo's underperformance ended plans for a series of films based on a young Han Solo. Rogue One and Andor were considered relative successes.
No announcements have been made about the future of the Star Wars film slate.
