Despite a strong start, The Mandalorian and Grogu continues to struggle at the domestic box office after sharp weekend drops tied to major horror releases and mixed critical reception—leaving its projected path to profitability uncertain.
For a third straight weekend, The Mandalorian and Grogu couldn’t catch a break at the domestic box office—even after the franchise’s first theatrical release in seven years opened solidly.
The problem wasn’t just the competition. It was the momentum. After a “cataclysmic” second-weekend drop, its chances of catching up to Solo: A Star Wars Story shrank quickly. The series had been hit by the one-two punch of Obsession and Backrooms. two horror films that didn’t just perform well—they overperformed “to the point of making history. ” in a way Disney presumably didn’t expect.
The theatrical conversation also didn’t quite land the way Disney would have hoped. The public didn’t fully recognize it as a theatrical release; many treated it like a straightforward continuation of the popular streaming series directed by Jon Favreau.
Then came the reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes. The Mandalorian and Grogu has “settled at a 62% score. ” where the consensus reads: “Bountiful in action but threadbare in narrative thrust with its episodic structure. this Star Wars is more of a skirmish that coasts on the charm of its central dynamic duo.” The criticism lands heavily on storytelling. with the movie described as a “narratively slack combination of stories presumably meant for the unreleased fourth season of The Mandalorian.”.
Even the way Pedro Pascal’s character appears seems to feed that debate. The source of the frustration is specific: Pedro Pascal, who “plays” the titular character, appears only in one scene. To the film’s credit, the body double and stunt double both receive prominent billing.
The box office picture mirrors the review reaction. After two full weeks, the film has grossed $155 million domestically. It continues to trail Solo. which has a $213 million lifetime haul and is widely regarded as the only live-action bomb in the franchise’s history. Solo reportedly cost $275 million to produce, while The Mandalorian and Grogu is said to have cost $165 million.
This weekend, the numbers show the franchise’s reach—if not its certainty. The Mandalorian and Grogu managed to surpass the $154 million domestic haul of Mad Max: Fury Road, the sci-fi Western starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy.
There’s one more hard line to consider: the road to profitability. The path to a projected $500 million break-even point is described as uncertain, and the question of whether the movie will “find its audience on streaming” is left hanging.
The only clarity for now is the scoreboard and the scale of what’s at stake—especially as its fourth-weekend hopes face the same reality that already shaped its first act: sharp drops, mixed reception, and a competition set that refuses to slow down.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is released on May 20, 2026, and it runs 132 minutes.
The Mandalorian and Grogu box office Rotten Tomatoes Jon Favreau Pedro Pascal Obsession Backrooms Solo: A Star Wars Story Mad Max: Fury Road domestic gross streaming