Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

The first Star Wars theatrical release since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker arrives on a surprisingly modest $165 million budget — the cheapest of any Disney-era Star Wars film. Critics gave it 61 percent, several noting it plays like a well-made extended TV episode rather than a standalone epic; audiences disagreed, awarding a strong A− CinemaScore. Jon Favreau directs, with Pedro Pascal back as Din Djarin alongside Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver, and Ludwig Göransson reprising his Emmy-winning score from the series. It opened to $98 million domestic, going on to gross $177.7 million domestic and $345.8 million worldwide — solid for the first live-action Star Wars film in seven years, if not the event some expected.