Star Wars returns to theaters later this month with The Mandalorian and Grogu. It’s the first Star Wars movie to be released theatrically since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Despite a weak box office projection, The Mandalorian and Grogu is the right movie to relaunch Star Wars in theaters.

The Star Wars franchise used to be bulletproof at the box office. From 2015 through 2017, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi all exceeded $1 billion at the box office. Then, Lucasfilm suffered a major setback with 2018’s Solo, which bombed at the box office, grossing just $393 million worldwide. The Rise of Skywalker exceeded $1 billion, but the audience reception was extremely negative.

The Mandalorian and Grogu might not reach the billion-dollar highs of previous Star Wars entries. In fact, the film is tracking to earn $80+ million over its opening weekend, which would beat Solo’s $103 million as the lowest in franchise history. Despite the poor box office projections, Lucasfilm needs a critical hit more than a financial juggernaut.

Why Star Wars’ big-screen reputation is more important than box office right now

The last three Star Wars movies to be released in theaters — The Last Jedi, Solo, and The Rise of Skywalker — have been extremely polarizing among fans. Solo’s failure caused Lucasfilm to scrap future spin-offs featuring legacy characters, while The Rise of Skywalker’s divisiveness caused the studio to pause its theatrical plans entirely.

Nearly seven years later, Lucasfilm has chosen its most important television property to reintroduce audiences to Star Wars movies. Considering the Disney+ show’s popularity, transforming The Mandalorian into a movie is probably the right choice. Fans need to trust Star Wars again, so putting two beloved characters like Mando and Grogu on the big screen is a safe bet that should draw audiences back to theaters.

Securing The Mandalorian’s creator, Jon Favreau, to direct the film was also a smart move. Favreau’s last two movies—2016’s The Jungle Book and 2019’s The Lion King were critical and financial hits for Disney. The Mandalorian and Grogu might not gross a billion, but it should still make a profit for Lucasfilm. More importantly, Disney is banking on Favreau to deliver a satisfying movie for fans to kick off this new era of Star Wars.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is scheduled for release in theaters on May 22, 2026.

Originally reported by Dan Girolamo for SuperHeroHype.