The Mandalorian And Grogu Lands Near $100M As Memorial Day Box Office Fires Up
Memorial Day box office has a clear leader this weekend — and it’s Disney’s latest Star Wars entry pulling in the crowds, but just missing the symbolic US$100M mark.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu is tracking a four-day opening in the US$97M–US$98M range, giving it one of the strongest holiday debuts of the post-pandemic era. The film lands an A- CinemaScore, which signals solid audience satisfaction rather than runaway enthusiasm, but still enough to support steady word of mouth as the weekend plays out.
Early audience data shows a broad, franchise-style turnout. Around 68% of ticket buyers are Disney+ subscribers, underlining how strongly the streaming audience is feeding into theatrical releases. Premium formats are doing heavy lifting too — IMAX and other large-format screens account for nearly half of ticket sales, helping push the overall total higher even without a breakout surge.
Overseas, early estimates suggest roughly $69M in international takings, which would place the global debut in the US$160M–US$167M range if confirmed. That keeps the film comfortably in franchise territory, even if it isn’t setting a new benchmark. It’s a familiar pattern for Star Wars: strong, but not explosive, and heavily reliant on format-driven viewing and core fan turnout.
Elsewhere in cinemas, Obsession is quietly becoming one of the weekend’s standout performers. The Focus Features title is tracking a 26% lift over its three-day result, landing around US$24M–US$27M for the four-day frame. Audience scores are improving as the film expands its reach, particularly among younger viewers and female audiences, giving it stronger-than-expected staying power.
Michael is also holding steady, adding roughly US$26M-plus over the four-day weekend as it continues its global run. While domestic drops are in line with a film in its later stages, its worldwide total keeps it among the year’s higher earners, reinforcing its long-tail performance rather than a single explosive opening.
Taken together, the holiday frame is shaping up to pass US$209M across all releases. That’s below last year’s record level, but still a solid result for cinemas: a mix of reliable franchise power, a surprise horror performer, and steady mid-run holdovers keeping the box office active rather than overly concentrated in one title.
