After a seven-year absence, Disney brought “Star Wars” back to the big screen with “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which topped the box office heading into Memorial Day weekend.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” earned $33 million on Friday from 4,300 North American theaters. The intergalactic western is projected to make between $80 million and $100 million through the holiday frame.
A ceiling of $100 million positions “The Mandalorian and Grogu” with a near identical opening to 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which also opened over Memorial Day. While that film was considered a major financial misstep, the metrics on “The Mandalorian and Grogu” are being interpreted as a modest success. You could fill a Star Destroyer with the amount of recent box office think pieces that have been penned about why that is, and they mostly boil down to franchise fatigue and the small-screenification of “Star Wars” via Disney+ shows like “Andor,” “Ahsoka” and “The Mandalorian,” which is the source material for “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
Directed by Jon Favreau, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” follows the titular bounty hunter and his young companion as they attempt to save Rotta the Hutt, Jabba’s muscular son, from the clutches of a warlord gangster. The film stars Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver and Jonny Coyne.
In a box office surprise, Focus Features and director Curry Barker’s horror hit “Obsession” is having a huge second weekend, increasing from its great $17.2 million opening last week. It’s on track to grow 16%, a very rare feat for any movie, and post a $19.9 million second week, landing behind “Mandalorian and Grogu.” Over the extended Memorial Day frame, it’s projected to make $24.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $55.1 million.
Third place went to Lionsgate’s “Michael,” which added $5.1 million on Friday and crossed $300 million domestically. The musical biopic is on track to make $18.5 million for the traditional three-day weekend and $23.6 million over the long Memorial Day holiday. After five weekends of release, “Michael” is estimated to reach $788.8 million globally. At this rate, it seems likely that it will surpass 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($911 million worldwide) as the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time.
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” landed at No. 4, adding $3.2 million on Friday. Through the four-day weekend, 20th Century’s high-fashion sequel should earn around $14 million, pushing its domestic total to nearly $200 million after four weekends in theaters.
This weekend’s other new releases were Neon’s surreal comedy “I Love Boosters” and Paramount’s hitch-hiking horror “Passenger.” “Passenger” made around $3.5 million on opening day. By the end of the long weekend, the R-rated horror is expected to scare up between $9 million and $10 million. Directed by André Øvredal, “Passenger” follows a young couple who witness a gruesome highway crash and flee the scene haunted by a vengeful hitchhiking specter. Cast members include Melissa Leo, Lou Llobell, Jacob Scipio and Joseph Lopez.
Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters” came in with approximately $1.5 million on Friday. Through the holiday frame, it should make off with between $4 million and $5 million. Starring Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, Naomi Ackie, Demi Moore and LaKeith Stanfield, “I Love Boosters” follows a gang of shoplifters with a Robbin Hood complex who face off against a corporate fashion mogul.