Pedro Pascal‘s recently released film is not doing anywhere near as well as its predecessors at the box office.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” has turned up with one of the lowest numbers in the Star Wars franchise’s history on the weekend of its opening at the box office. This major flop has raised a big question of how poorly things are going for Disney, and many cannot look the other way.
Fans’ fears about Pedro Pascal’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” seem to have come to fruition as they sent nerves wracking right from the trailer release in February. Netizens have previously questioned why the film did not get loud publicity.
The Star Wars franchise may have to buckle up, as its recent release is not screaming success at the box office. Initially, when The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm in 2012 and kept Kathleen Kennedy in charge, expectations for the franchise’s future were high.
After the rebooted franchise began making its way to theaters, each successive film saw ticket sales and audience size decline.
Notably, some of the shows saw a success curve like “Rogue One” and “Andor,” and at first “The Mandalorian,” while others, like “The Acolyte,” got canceled after just one season.
“The Mandalorian” initial popularity keyed in motion plans for a feature film. But the show’s second and third seasons lost much of that early momentum. Still, Disney decided to press on by also focusing on the “Baby Yoda” character, Grogu.
The first box office results from the long Memorial Day weekend are now available, and the numbers mirror the pre-release tracking, which was not particularly positive.
The Memorial Day holiday will help the four-day gross look better, but Fox News reports that the Friday-Sunday opening box office for the show was just $81.9 million. When compared to previous Star Wars films, it reflects poorly on Disney.
The Newly Released Film Analyzed In Numbers Compared To The Franchise’s Biggest Flop
“Solo” is widely regarded as the film that holds the record for being a tremendous disappointment for the franchise. It grossed $84.4 million during its opening three-day weekend in 2018, around Memorial Day.
The numbers, compared to “The Mandalorian,” do not look terrible at face value, but perspective changes after adjusting for inflation.
$84.4 million in 2018 is roughly $112 million in today’s money. So, “The Mandalorian” made $30 million less in its opening weekend than the biggest flop in franchise history.
Similarly, “Solo’s” Memorial Day weekend gross was $103 million, with “Mandalorian” expected to make $102 million this year.
Adjusting these values for inflation makes it worse, because $103 million today is worth $139 million. Meaning, $37 million behind over the long weekend.
Looking at the bigger picture, that is ultimately weighing the film’s performance on the international scale, things are not looking up for “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
“Solo” had an international opening weekend of $65 million and a $84.4 million domestic opening, bringing the total to $149.4 million.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” has brought in $63 million internationally, for a $145 million first weekend. When adjusted for inflation, “Solo” made $198 million, which is already a whopping $53 million shortfall.
‘The Mandalorian And Grogu’ Had Minimal Publicity
This film is the first Star Wars movie to hit theaters since 2019, and the trailer did not do justice to promoting the film online.
Many Star Wars fans had high hopes for the extended trailer during the Super Bowl, but their hopes were squashed yet again with the brief 30-second ad that lit up the screen.
The ad featured the Mandalorian, played by Pascal, and Grogu, also known as Baby Yoda, being pulled along by Tauntauns rather than the typical Budweiser Clydesdales.
Some fans noted that the film’s marketing strategy was weak, and others said the trailer felt like a toy commercial.
“This feels like a new Ford truck commercial more than a Star Wars trailer,” a fan wrote in the comments, while another added, “You have the opportunity to market the first Star Wars film in six and a half years at the Super Bowl, and all you give us is a Ford ad?!”
The Blast noted in a previous release that while many Star Wars fans were aware the movie was upcoming, a larger percentage of the general public was most likely unaware.
Pedro Pascal Is Reportedly Out Of Touch With A Former Co-Star
Actress Gina Carano joined the “The Mandalorian” crew in 2019 as Cara Dune, a New Republic shock trooper, but was fired by Lucasfilm in 2021 for her viral, controversial social media posts. She was criticized for her conservative social media posts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carano also reportedly reshared an Instagram post that seemingly compared the way American conservatives are treated to the way Jews were treated in Nazi Germany.
After Pascal added his gender pronouns to his X (formerly called Twitter) bio, the actress changed hers to “beep/bop/boop,” which some interpreted as a mockery of the transgender community.
According to The Blast, Carano expressed that even though she was not featured in “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” she hoped that it would do well at the box office.
“Me and Pedro don’t keep in touch,” she said, revealing that she had not been in contact with Pascal since their co-star Carl Weathers passed away in February 2024.
Donald Trump Ignited Controversy For Assuming Pedro Pascal’s Character
The White House shared a post on its X account to mark the annual May 4 celebration. In the Star Wars day post, Trump was depicted as the Mandalorian, but instead of the signature helmet concealing his identity, his face was bare while he held the flag of the United States.
The White House captioned the post, “In a galaxy that demands strength — America stands ready. This is the way. May 4 be with you.” The image also featured “Grogu,” the Force-sensitive child central to the series, sitting in the Mandalorian’s sling bag.
As shared by The Blast, the image was not well received by all; many critics wasted no time voicing their thoughts and criticizing it.
“Do you really have to defile one of my favorite movie franchises with your delusions?” a comment read. On the other hand, some netizens took the post in humor and made jokes, while others simply wished Trump a happy 4th.
