“The Mandalorian and Grogu” slipped to the number three spot in its second weekend after a steep nearly 70% domestic drop, even as Grogu’s cuteness helped the film launch with a strong Memorial Day haul.
Grogu’s first real weekend of “cutemaxxing” energy came with momentum — until the second weekend arrived with blaster-fire timing and receipts.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu. ” the first Star Wars movie in seven years. debuted with about $98 million across the extended Memorial Day frame. Then. in its sophomore outing. the movie grossed around $25 million. a nearly 70% drop-off that pushed it down to the number three spot on the domestic box-office chart. The fall was steep. and the competition wasn’t subtle: both “Obsession” and “Backrooms” — horror hits directed by men in their 20s — drew younger audiences into theaters in a record-breaking phenomenon compared to “Barbenheimer.”.
The irony wasn’t lost on anyone paying attention to the film’s target. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was designed to appeal to younger audiences who may not have the same reverence for Star Wars as their parents — and. who are we kidding. grandparents — yet it was those younger moviegoers who helped the horror releases take the weekend.
The comparisons kept rolling. The domestic drop is described as greater than what “Solo: A Star Wars Story” experienced. “Solo” ended its run with $393 million worldwide and remains the only box-office bomb in Star Wars history. With “The Mandalorian and Grogu” already falling hard in its second weekend. the key question becomes how long the cute creature can keep pulling audiences in — and whether the film can outrun the momentum of the two horror titles.
Still, the film isn’t being treated as a failure. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is inching toward the $150 million mark domestically. and it should have no trouble passing the $200 million milestone at the domestic box office eventually. the account notes. The push toward that higher runway is being linked to a lower production budget than “Solo”: $165 million for “The Mandalorian and Grogu. ” compared to $275 million-plus for Ron Howard’s troubled film.
Reviews have also been part of the conversation. The movie is sitting at 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, described as mediocre. By contrast. “Pokémon: Detective Pikachu” — a fantasy aimed at a similar “cute critter” sweet spot — grossed $144 million domestically and $433 million worldwide against a reported budget of $150 million.
“Detective Pikachu. ” directed by Rob Letterman and featuring Ryan Reynolds as the titular character’s voice. also offers a benchmark for what might be possible longer-term. It holds a 68% score on Rotten Tomatoes. only slightly higher than “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” “Detective Pikachu” was expected to spawn a franchise that hasn’t materialized in the seven years since its release.
But for now, the scoreboard is clear: after a strong Memorial Day launch, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is being forced to fight for each weekend after “Obsession” and “Backrooms” lured in younger crowds.
The film is scheduled to arrive on May 22, 2026, with a runtime of 132 minutes.
The Mandalorian and Grogu Grogu Star Wars box office domestic box office Obsession Backrooms Rotten Tomatoes Pokémon: Detective Pikachu Memorial Day Ron Howard Solo: A Star Wars Story
Why is it dropping already, Grogu is literally adorable.
Horror movies always win on the second weekend, I swear. Also 70% drop sounds fake unless they’re counting like, one theater lol. I still think Star Wars shouldve done better just because of the name.
Wait so the younger people went to the horror ones instead? That sounds backwards like parents finally got them to watch Star Wars and they said nope. And “Obsession” and “Backrooms” are like that TikTok vibe? maybe the marketing was just better. Either way, Solo being the only bomb in Star Wars history doesn’t mean this one can’t bomb too.
70% domestic drop after Memorial Day is kinda brutal, but I don’t get why they’re comparing it to Barbenheimer like that actually helps. Grogu “cutemaxxing” is fine and all, but people get bored fast? Also didn’t “Solo” fail because of streaming or something, like everyone forgot it existed? Idk, I’m just mad it’s not staying #1, I thought it’d at least hold longer than a couple weeks.