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Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Now Available Online After Disappointing Box Office Run
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu has arrived on digital platforms such as Prime Video, roughly two months after its cinema release on 22 May. The film's move to premium video-on-demand confirms its status as the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars film to date, despite arriving as the franchise's first theatrical outing since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker and carrying high expectations from fans.
The film took just over $344 million (£269 million) at the worldwide box office against a reported budget of around $165 million (£129 million), meaning it broke even but fell well short of hopes, with takings dropping more than 60% in its second weekend. Reviews have been middling too, with a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes and IGN awarding it 5/10. It is available to rent for $24.99 (£19.50) or buy for $29.99 (£23.40), with a Blu-ray and 4K steelbook release due on 25 August, and is expected to reach Disney+ by early September.
In short
- Mandalorian and Grogu now available to rent or buy digitally
- Confirmed as lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars film ever
- Expected to land on Disney+ by early September
Explained simply
"The Mandalorian" is a television series set in the Star Wars universe that found success on the Disney+ streaming platform. The show stars a lone bounty hunter and his small alien companion called Grogu, a character that captured fans' attention. The series proved popular enough for filmmakers to develop it into a theatrical film for cinema release.
This film represented an important moment for the Star Wars franchise, as it was the first new theatrical Star Wars release since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker". The franchise had been absent from cinemas for several years, making this release a test of whether audiences retained interest in seeing Star Wars films on the big screen. Studios had expected significant box office returns from the release.
The film earned just over £269 million at the worldwide box office against a reported budget of around £129 million. Whilst the film recovered its production costs, the figure fell short of initial expectations, and critical reviews were mixed. This context helps explain the industry's decisions about how to distribute the film to audiences beyond cinemas.