‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ tops box office charts as ‘Obsession’ grows in second weekend

Key Points:

• "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" earned an estimated $82 million from 4,300 theaters in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend, with projections of $102 million domestically and $165 million globally by the end of the Memorial Day holiday.
• The film outperformed expectations but remains on the lower end compared to previous Disney-era "Star Wars" releases, similar to "Solo: A Star Wars Story," though it had a significantly lower production budget ($165 million vs. $300 million), improving its profitability outlook.
• Audience reception was strong, with an A- CinemaScore and particularly high ratings from boys under 13 and parents, despite mixed critical reviews (63% on Rotten Tomatoes).
• Other notable box office performers included "Obsession," which saw a rare 30% increase in ticket sales in its second weekend, earning $22.4 million, and the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael," which grossed $20 million, bringing its total to $782.4 million.
• Overall, this Memorial Day weekend's box office is estimated to reach $211 million, down 36% from last year's $330 million, reflecting a softer market compared to previous years.