Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu Opens to $92.5 Million 4-Day Over Memorial Day

Disney and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu launched to an estimated $92.5 million over the four-day Memorial Day holiday, the franchise’s first theatrical release in seven years. The 3-day tally of approximately $77 million ranks as the franchise’s lowest opening since Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018, though audiences awarded the film an A- CinemaScore—the highest audience rating in the Star Wars franchise’s recent theatrical history. Director Jon Favreau delivers the 12th live-action Star Wars feature, the third not tied to the Skywalker saga. With strong holiday legs and a projected $160 million global four-day frame, the film is tracking for a robust theatrical run.

Sources: Deadline

Comments (0)

Obsession Posts Rare +16% Second Weekend, Targets $100 Million Domestic Run

Focus Features’ horror-thriller Obsession, directed by Curry Barker, defied box office gravity in its second weekend with a remarkable +16% increase over its debut, earning an estimated $19.9 million domestically for the 3-day frame and $24.8 million over the four-day holiday stretch, pushing its 11-day total to $55.1 million. Counter-programming against the opening of The Mandalorian & Grogu, the prestige horror title proved that sharp marketing to adult audiences can succeed alongside franchise tentpoles. Acquired at TIFF for $15 million, the film is now tracking toward a $100 million-plus domestic finish—a 6x return on its acquisition price.

Sources: Variety

Comments (0)

Romanian Director Cristian Mungiu Wins Second Palme d’Or at Cannes 2026 for Fjord

Cristian Mungiu’s English-and-Norwegian drama Fjord won the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, the Romanian director’s second top prize following 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in 2007. Starring Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan as a Romanian-Norwegian couple whose planned new life in a remote fjord village collides with a neighbor couple’s sharply different worldview, the film marks Mungiu’s first English-language production. The Grand Prix went to Andrei Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur; Best Actress was shared by Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto for Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden. Barbra Streisand received an honorary Palme d’Or via video message.

Sources: Deadline

Comments (0)

Neon Claims Seventh Consecutive Palme d’Or, Cementing Its Festival Dominance

Neon, the independent distributor founded in 2017, extended its record-breaking streak to seven consecutive Palme d’Or wins at Cannes with Fjord, a run that began with Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite in 2019. The milestone cements Neon’s dominance in prestige global cinema, with each win translating into awards-season returns and critical credibility that drives theatrical revenues far beyond production budgets. The company’s acquisition strategy—targeting auteur-driven films from directors like Bong, Ruben Östlund, and now Cristian Mungiu—has redefined boutique distribution, positioning Neon as a direct competitor to Netflix and A24 at the top of the international festival market.

Sources: Variety

Comments (0)

Cannes 2026 Winners Establish Early Frontrunners for the 2027 Oscar Race

With the 79th Cannes Film Festival closing Saturday, awards strategists are mapping how this year’s winners align with the road to the 2027 Oscars. Palme d’Or winner Fjord, from Cristian Mungiu and distributed by Neon, enters the awards circuit with maximum prestige. Grand Prix honoree Minotaur, from director Andrei Zvyagintsev, follows a similar Oscar-qualifying path. Best Actress co-winner Virginie Efira, for her role in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden, enters the acting conversation early. IndieWire notes that Cannes has correctly predicted the Best International Film Oscar in seven of the past ten years, giving the festival’s selections outsized forecasting power for the Academy.

Sources: IndieWire

Comments (0)

Cannes 2026 Market Closes With Major Acquisitions From A24, Netflix, Amazon, and Warner Bros.

The 2026 Cannes Film Market closed with a burst of high-profile deals after a sluggish opening week. A24 secured worldwide rights to Jordan Firstman’s debut feature Club Kid for a reported $17 million, outbidding Netflix, Focus Features, Searchlight, and Mubi. Netflix acquired three titles from the festival, including the animated In Waves and the competition title The Black Ball. Amazon picked up Mimi Cave’s psychological thriller Pumping Black, starring Jonathan Bailey and Natalie Portman. Warner Bros.’ specialty label Clockworks entered exclusive talks for Park Chan-wook’s revenge Western The Brigands of Rattlecreek, set to star Matthew McConaughey, Austin Butler, and Pedro Pascal.

Sources: IndieWire

Comments (0)

Lionsgate’s Michael Crosses $300 Million Domestic in Week Five, $703 Million Worldwide

Lionsgate’s Michael, the biopic of pop icon Michael Jackson starring Jaafar Jackson and directed by Antoine Fuqua, crossed the $300 million domestic milestone this Memorial Day weekend in its fifth week of release, adding an estimated $18.5 million over the 3-day frame. Globally, the film now stands at more than $703 million, positioning it among the highest-grossing music biopics in history. Co-distributed internationally by Universal and backed by a $60 million marketing campaign emphasizing fan community activations, flash mobs, and milestone-timed stunts, Michael has defied its once-controversial origins to become one of 2026’s signature stories in film marketing and audience engagement.

Sources: Variety

Comments (0)

Apple TV+ Drops Trailer for John Travolta’s Directorial Debut Propeller, Streaming May 29

Apple TV+ has released the trailer for Propeller One-Way Night Coach, John Travolta’s directorial debut, streaming beginning May 29. Written and produced by Travolta, the family film follows a boy and his mother on a transformative cross-country flight to Hollywood, inspired by the 1997 children’s book Travolta wrote for his son. The film world-premiered at Cannes, where Travolta received a surprise honorary Palme d’Or—prompting an emotional acceptance in which he called it “beyond the Oscar.” The release positions Apple TV+’s Memorial Day weekend as one of the platform’s highest-profile family launches of the year, arriving with substantial Cannes festival goodwill.

Sources: The Hollywood Reporter

Comments (0)

Memorial Day 2026 Box Office Delivers $209 Million 4-Day, Down 37% From Record 2025 Frame

The Memorial Day 2026 four-day domestic box office delivered an estimated $209 million, a 37% decline from 2025’s record-setting frame of $330.1 million, powered that year by Lilo & Stitch’s record-shattering $182.7 million opening. Despite The Mandalorian & Grogu opening to a strong $92.5 million, the 2026 frame reflects the challenge of matching Disney’s 2025 animated juggernaut. Three new wide releases launched over the holiday alongside the surprise overperformance of counter-programming title Obsession, which posted a rare +16% second-weekend increase, signaling ongoing audience appetite for diverse theatrical experiences and validating prestige adult counter-programming as a viable commercial strategy.

Sources: Deadline

Comments (0)

What's Trending in Film & TV Marketing