Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Eyes $160M Global Memorial Day Opening as Disney Bets Big on Franchise Revival

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu opens Friday over the Memorial Day weekend, tracking for a domestic four-day gross of $80 million and a $160 million global launch. The film—the first Star Wars theatrical release in seven years—stars Pedro Pascal and marks Lucasfilm’s return to the multiplex since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. The marketing campaign included a Burger King promotional partnership and an IMAX event on May the 4th, when 25 minutes of footage were screened globally. Some exhibitors project a domestic ceiling as high as $100 million for the four-day holiday frame, with South Korea the sole major territory not opening this weekend.

Sources: Deadline

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First Star Wars Theatrical Film in Seven Years Puts Lucasfilm’s Box Office Recovery to the Test

The Mandalorian and Grogu carries the weight of a franchise in need of box office rehabilitation when it opens this weekend. Lucasfilm’s last theatrical Star Wars entry, 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, left the brand on uncertain footing, and a seven-year theatrical gap has further tested its pull. Analysts tracking the film for $80 million domestically over the four-day holiday note it does not reach the $100 million-plus threshold typical of past franchise entries, though the campaign’s emphasis on Pedro Pascal and nostalgia for the Disney+ series has driven stronger awareness than Solo: A Star Wars Story, the franchise’s weakest opener at $103 million in 2018.

Sources: Variety

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How Lionsgate Moonwalked Its Way to a Record Biopic Opening With a $60 Million Fan-Centric Campaign

Lionsgate’s marketing campaign for the Michael Jackson biopic Michael is now studied as a case study in fan-centric studio strategy. The studio spent an estimated $60 million on a campaign that included “Don’t Walk, Moonwalk” flash mob activations across 20 global markets, generating 23.4 million domestic TikTok views alone. The broader social effort accumulated over 564 million views across platforms, with the studio timing stunts to historic Jackson milestones—including his 1993 Super Bowl halftime show and Motown 25th-anniversary performance. Michael opened to $97 million domestically and $217 million globally, shattering the musical biopic record previously held by Straight Outta Compton.

Sources: Variety

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A24 Wins Cannes Bidding War for Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid With $17 Million Global Rights Deal

Writer-director-star Jordan Firstman’s Cannes breakout Club Kid has landed a $17 million global rights deal with A24 following a heated festival bidding war. The coming-of-age dramedy, which follows an aging party promoter who discovers he has a 10-year-old son, drew competitive bids from Mubi, Focus Features, Searchlight, and Netflix before A24 secured worldwide rights. It marks one of the largest Cannes market acquisitions in several years and the most notable deal in a market that opened cautiously before accelerating in its final days. The film heads into release with one of the industry’s most aggressive art-house distributors behind it.

Sources: Variety

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Netflix Acquires Animated Feature In Waves Out of Cannes Critics’ Week in Competitive Bidding War

Netflix has secured worldwide rights outside of France to In Waves, the animated feature that opened Cannes Critics’ Week and immediately triggered a competitive bidding war. Directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen and adapted from AJ Dungo’s 2019 graphic memoir, the romantic animation features a voice cast including Oscar-nominated Stephanie Hsu and BAFTA winner Will Sharpe. The deal, negotiated by Anonymous Content, CAA Media Finance, and Charades on behalf of the filmmakers, is rumored to be in the mid-seven-figure range. French rights remain with Memento Films, while Netflix will handle global distribution for the festival’s most buzzed-about animated acquisition.

Sources: Variety

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Ira Sachs’ The Man I Love Earns 10-Minute Cannes Ovation as US Distribution Remains Open

Ira Sachs’ queer drama The Man I Love, starring Rami Malek as a beloved entertainer living with AIDS who refuses to stop performing, earned a 10-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival competition premiere. The film, which also stars Tom Sturridge and centers on an ailing cabaret performer mounting a final theatrical production, generated one of the festival’s most emotional audience responses. French distribution is set with Memento Films. WME handles US sales while mk2 manages international, but North American distribution remains unsecured—making the film a top target for specialty distributors entering the final days of the Cannes market.

Sources: Deadline

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Cannes 2026 Closes With A24 as the Festival’s Biggest Buyer While Major Studios Stayed Home

The 79th Cannes Film Festival, closing this weekend, saw the major Hollywood studios largely step back from the Croisette while specialty buyers—led by A24—dominated acquisition activity. A24’s $17 million Club Kid deal and Netflix’s In Waves buy headlined a market that opened cautiously before surging in its final days. Post-festival analysis identified artificial intelligence as the breakthrough market topic, with AI tools openly debated by executives and buyers for the first time in a Cannes context. The studios’ retreat from the Croisette reflects a broader shift in how Hollywood is realigning marketing and acquisition budgets toward streaming platforms and digital-first distribution.

Sources: Variety

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