The Mandalorian & Grogu Launches to $100M Domestic in Memorial Day Debut, $163M Globally

Star Wars returned to theaters Friday for the first time in seven years as The Mandalorian & Grogu launched to an $81 million three-day domestic opening and $100 million over the Memorial Day four-day holiday frame. The Disney and Lucasfilm production earned $163 million globally in its debut, exceeding tracking forecasts of $80 million and delivering franchise-best audience scores of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. The opening mirrors 2018’s Memorial Day debut of Solo: A Star Wars Story, but analysts point to a lower production budget and stronger merchandise potential as key reasons this start signals genuine franchise momentum rather than a stumble.

Sources: Variety, Deadline

Obsession Posts Unprecedented 30% Memorial Day Second-Weekend Gain, Cementing Horror Breakout Status

Focus Features and Blumhouse’s low-budget horror film Obsession posted a remarkable 30% second-weekend gain over the Memorial Day frame, earning $23.9 million in three days and $30.3 million over four days to bring its domestic cumulative to $60.7 million. Produced for under $1 million, Obsession is tracking to become one of the year’s most profitable wide releases—an achievement virtually unheard of in the horror genre, which typically drops sharply after opening weekends. Directed by YouTube breakout Curry Barker, the film earned an “A–” CinemaScore and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, cementing its status as a genuine crossover audience success ahead of continued expansion.

Sources: Variety

Michael Biopic Nears $800M Worldwide as Memorial Day Box Office Totals $221M

The Memorial Day box office generated a $221 million four-day total, with two continuing titles reaching landmark milestones. Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic edged to within striking distance of $800 million worldwide in its seventh domestic weekend, adding roughly $21 million to lift its global cumulative past $788 million. The Devil Wears Prada 2 crossed $600 million globally in its fourth outing, with Disney’s sequel now positioned as the second-biggest worldwide opening of 2026. Both films continue outperforming their respective franchise benchmarks, sustaining strong per-theater averages into what analysts describe as an unexpectedly robust May for the theatrical exhibition sector.

Sources: Variety, Deadline

Lionsgate Confirms Michael 2 Is in Active Development, With 25% Already Filmed From Original Production

Lionsgate executives confirmed on Memorial Day that a follow-up to the Michael Jackson biopic is in active development, with Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson revealing that roughly 25% of the sequel’s footage was already captured during the original production. Fogelson described ongoing conversations with rights holders as “going exceptionally well,” noting that decades of Jackson’s career—including the “Dangerous” era and later controversies—were untouched in the first film. The sequel announcement follows Michael’s run to $788 million worldwide, a figure that shattered the opening weekend record for musical biopics and validated Lionsgate’s $60 million marketing investment in the property.

Sources: Deadline, Variety

Burger King, Hertz, and Walmart Joined Disney’s $100M Star Wars Promotional Partner Blitz

Disney assembled a $100 million-plus promotional partnership coalition for The Mandalorian & Grogu, with brands including Burger King—reteaming with Star Wars for the first time in 20 years—Volkswagen, Nilla Wafers, Coca-Cola, Hertz, Alaska Airlines, Walmart, Bath & Body Works, and Schick. The campaign launched publicly on May 4 with IMAX screenings of the first 19 minutes at select theaters globally, building sustained pre-release buzz across a two-month sprint. The promotional effort underscores Disney’s strategy of leveraging branded partnerships to offset global print-and-advertising costs, a model pioneered for The Devil Wears Prada 2 which generated an estimated $250 million in partnership value.

Sources: Deadline

How Focus Features Marketed Obsession for Under $1M Into One of Horror’s Most Profitable Releases

Focus Features and Blumhouse marketed Obsession on a micro-budget using cryptic billboards across Los Angeles and New York and activating a real phone number through which audiences received voice notes from the film’s villain. The studio brought the film to Overlook, Panic Fest, Fantastic Fest, and SXSW to seed genre community buzz before wide release, supplemented with in-character merchandise including branded shirts and Post-It notes. The campaign’s experiential approach helped sustain the social conversation that produced Obsession’s extraordinary Memorial Day hold, proving character-driven and community-first marketing can outperform traditional media buys for a sub-$1 million production.

Sources: Variety, Deadline

What Mandalorian’s $100M Opening Reveals About Star Wars’ Box Office Future Under Disney

Analysts dissecting The Mandalorian & Grogu’s $100 million Memorial Day opening note the film cost a net $165 million to produce—well below the franchise average—and arrives backed by Star Wars merchandise revenue topping $1 billion annually. Unlike 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story’s similarly sized debut, which preceded a Lucasfilm restructuring, the Pedro Pascal vehicle carries franchise-best audience scores and strong PostTrak indicators among under-18 viewers. Deadline analysis argues the film will be profitable when toy licensing, streaming rights, and global P&A efficiency are factored across the full release window, making the modest opening less alarming than surface comparisons suggest.

Sources: Deadline

2026 Upfronts Report Card: Disney and Netflix Dominate as NBCUniversal Stumbles

Disney and Netflix emerged as the dominant performers of the 2026 television upfronts, with Disney drawing praise for a “gold-standard” presentation featuring stars Anne Hathaway and Robert Downey Jr. alongside a sprawling after-party, while Netflix delivered its most polished pitch in four years of entering the advertising marketplace. NBCUniversal, which impressed buyers in 2024 and 2025, drew criticism for a two-hour presentation padded by underperforming musical segments and seen as unfocused in an otherwise competitive week. The 2026 upfronts were broadly characterized by the accelerating role of AI in ad creative, growing emphasis on live sports rights, and the continued blurring of the line between creator partnerships and traditional media buys.

Sources: Deadline

What's Trending in Film & TV Marketing