The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)
Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
The Kernel take
A 53 Metascore ("Mixed or Average," just 30% positive across 53 reviews) reflects a lukewarm reception for the franchise's return to theaters. Against a combined $265M in budget and marketing, its $344.9M worldwide gross is only a 1.3× multiple — a costly result for a tentpole of this size.
Director track record: Jon Favreau
The Mandalorian and Grogu (53) comes in below Jon Favreau's 63.4-point career average, well short of his best-reviewed film, Iron Man (79).
Lead track record: Pedro Pascal
The Mandalorian and Grogu (53) sits just below Pedro Pascal's 59.1-point average across these 13 scored credits, and well off his high point, The Wild Robot (85).
Box office
Budget $165M · Marketing $100M · Box office $344.9M
A steep -70.1% second-weekend drop left The Mandalorian and Grogu with only a 2.2× domestic multiplier on opening weekend — a front-loaded result for a Star Wars tentpole that leaned heavily on opening-weekend nostalgia.