The film "The Mandalorian and Grogu" topped the U.S. box office on Friday with a domestic opening of about $33 million [1].

This opening marks a significant shift for the Star Wars franchise, as the financial start is among the lowest in the series' history while simultaneously achieving record-breaking viewer satisfaction.

Directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Disney and Lucasfilm, the movie is a live-action adaptation of the Disney+ series. The film opened on Friday, May 24, 2024, coinciding with the start of the Memorial Day weekend [2].

Early momentum for the release was evident during Thursday night previews, which earned around $12 million [3]. Industry analysts said the opening was driven largely by strong word-of-mouth and high appeal among families and children [1, 2].

While the $33 million [1] figure is low compared to previous Star Wars theatrical releases, the film has recorded the highest audience score ever for the series [1, 2]. This disparity suggests a gap between the initial draw of the general public and the reception from those who attended.

Looking ahead to the full holiday window, the film has a projected domestic box office target of $80 million plus [4]. The performance of the movie over the remaining Memorial Day weekend will be critical in determining if the high audience scores can translate into sustained ticket sales.

“The film earns the highest audience score in Star Wars history.”

The contrast between a franchise-low opening and a series-high audience score indicates a shrinking but more devoted core audience for Star Wars in theaters. While the brand may no longer command the universal opening-weekend urgency of previous decades, the high satisfaction levels suggest that the shift toward character-driven stories from the streaming era is resonating with viewers.