Star Wars Stumbles: The Mandalorian and Grogu Delivers Franchise's Weakest Modern-Era Opening

Well, it’s finally happened: Star Wars has lumbered back onto the big screen, with Din Djarin and his little green mate Grogu in tow. After years of stuffing everything down the Disney+ pipe, we’re now watching The Mandalorian and Grogu try to prove that the galaxy far, far away isn’t just about endless streaming. So, does it actually work? Or is the Force a bit weak this time round? Let's break down where things stand.

A Risky Return After a Flop

First things first: it’s been ages since we’ve had a Star Wars film in actual cinemas. The last one, The Rise of Skywalker, was such a damp squib that Disney basically pressed pause on the whole thing. So this is their attempt to redeem themselves, using the one Star Wars thing people still seem to like.

The film brings back Pedro Pascal as helmet-loving Din Djarin, teaming up once again with everyone's favourite merchandising machine, Grogu. After spending most of the TV show either on the run or awkwardly avoiding major conflict, Mando and Grogu get sucked into what’s apparently a pretty full-on mission involving the Hutt clan (still terrifying, apparently) and a whole new swarm of baddies.

Stacked Cast, Surprisingly Odd Cameos

Besides Pascal, there are a few familiar faces and some seriously odd choices. Steve Blum is back voicing Zeb Orellios (which, fair enough). But then, in proper modern Star Wars fashion, things get a bit weird: Jeremy Allen White, Sigourney Weaver, and—here’s the real head-scratcher—Martin Scorsese himself popping up. Not directing, just in the cast. It almost feels like they had a list of ‘names that would get Star Wars podcasts chattering’ and decided to check off as many as possible.

Behind the Scenes: Staying In-House

The movie is steered by Jon Favreau, who created The Mandalorian show and now insists we get the story blown up to massive size. He’s also co-written the script, with Dave Filoni and Noah Koor pitching in. If you’re keeping track, that’s basically the exact same creative team as the show, which probably explains why this feels as much like a Disney+ continuation as an actual movie event.

A Rocky Launch at the Box Office

Now, let’s talk numbers, because this bit’s not great. According to Deadline, The Mandalorian and Grogu pulled about $12 million in its Thursday preview showings across the US. That’s the lowest Thursday night take for a Star Wars film since, get this, Return of the Jedi back in 1983. To put that in perspective, even Solo: A Star Wars Story managed $14.1 million, and everyone acts like that was a total disaster.

'These numbers certainly are not what Lucasfilm and Disney were hoping to see in their return to the big screen.'

And, in case you need a refresher: after Solo barely cleared $392 million worldwide (making it the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars ever), it even fell behind Return of the Jedi, which managed $482 million way back in the '80s. That’s how far expectations have tumbled.

How Does the Future Look?

Disney and Lucasfilm are no doubt hoping that those early box office figures aren’t the final word. There aren’t many big blockbusters coming out over the next few weeks—Masters of the Universe from Amazon MGM is the only notable competition on the horizon (slated for 5th June)—so there’s some breathing room for The Mandalorian and Grogu to pick up steam.

Still, launching with the lowest Thursday preview since the days of Ewoks isn’t exactly the triumphant return to cinemas anyone wanted for Pedro Pascal’s feature-length debut in a galaxy far, far away. There’s a definite sense of worry about where this leaves the so-called ‘Mandoverse’—and whether the experiment of dragging Disney+ stories to the big screen actually pays off.

Main Cast at a Glance

• Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin (aka The Mandalorian, still allergic to taking his helmet off)
• Steve Blum as Zeb Orellios
• Jeremy Allen White (exact role is under wraps—classic Star Wars misdirection)
• Sigourney Weaver (presumably not playing an alien queen this time)
• Martin Scorsese (yes, as an actor—no idea what galaxy he’s meant to be from)

To sum it up: Star Wars is back in cinemas, but not quite with the bang that Disney wanted. If you fancy watching Mando and Grogu dodge new villains and awkwardly run into an Oscar-winning director, now’s your chance. But if those opening numbers don’t pick up, the next great Star Wars experiment might be a very short one.