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 64 percent, several noting it plays like a well-made extended TV episode rather than a standalone epic; audiences disagreed, awarding 88 percent and a strong CinemaScore. Jon Favreau directs, with Pedro Pascal back as Din Djarin alongside Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver, and Ludwig Goransson reprising his Emmy-winning score from the series. It opened to $98 million domestic and $167 million worldwide, since climbing to $181.4 million — solid for the first live-action Star Wars film in seven years, if not the event some expected.