Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Opens to Lowest Ticket Sales in Franchise History
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 22 2026
0mins
Source: Newsfilter
- Record Low Pre-Sales: According to Comscore, 'Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu' achieved only $12 million in Thursday night previews, marking the lowest advanced ticket sales in franchise history, previously held by 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' at $14.1 million.
- Opening Weekend Projections: Box office analysts estimate the film will generate around $80 million over its three-day opening weekend and approximately $95 million during the four-day Memorial Day holiday, indicating one of the weakest openings for a 'Star Wars' film in modern cinematic history.
- Market Competition and Opportunities: Despite facing limited competition, the film may benefit from the popularity of the television series and the extended holiday weekend; however, its performance will serve as a stress test for future 'Star Wars' theatrical releases amid a lackluster cinema run for the franchise and Marvel.
- Consumer Products Potential: Beyond box office revenue, Disney is expected to gain from a robust consumer products launch tied to the film, particularly with Grogu's popularity among fans, which could drive retail sales significantly, reminiscent of Hasbro's nearly $500 million in sales following the 2015 release of 'The Force Awakens.'
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Analyst Views on DIS
Wall Street analysts forecast DIS stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 103.730
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
Current: 103.730
Low
123.00
Averages
137.29
High
152.00
About DIS
The Walt Disney Company is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. The Company's segments include Entertainment, Sports and Experiences. The Entertainment segment generally encompasses its non-sports focused global film and episodic content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Entertainment segment along with their business activities include Linear Networks, Direct-to-Consumer, and Content Sales/Licensing. The Sports segment encompasses its sports-focused global television and direct-to-consumer (DTC) video streaming content production and distribution activities. The lines of business within the Sports segment include ESPN and Star. The Experiences segment includes Parks and Experiences and Consumer Products. Parks and Experiences consists of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, Disneyland Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line, and others. Consumer Products includes licensing of its trade names, characters, visual, literary and other IP.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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