Disney Is Banking on Baby Yoda to Revive the Star Wars Franchise
The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first new Star Wars film in seven years, will test whether Disney+ TV series can translate to the big screen.
The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu.
Source: LucasfilmThe creators and cast of The Mandalorian and Grogu have been Gulfstreaming around the world since April, attending premieres on space-black carpets and headlining Star Wars fan events. To promote the movie, based on the popular bounty hunter and Baby Yoda characters from The Mandalorian series, which made its debut on Disney+ in 2019, Walt Disney Co. has sent its marketing push into hyperdrive: The multimillion-dollar campaign has so far featured Mandalorian-inspired beef sticks, G-Shock watches and Bath & Body Works cologne and candles, as well as Grogu-branded garlic chicken fries at Burger King.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, which opens in theaters worldwide on May 22, is the first Star Wars film in seven years and the first to be adapted from an online series. Its performance will test whether Star Wars still belongs on the silver screens that made the franchise one of the most successful in Hollywood history — or, after the release of more than 10 shows on Disney+, whether it has permanently shifted into a streaming property. The film is expected to do $80 million in US and Canadian sales over the Memorial Day weekend. That would be considered a win for most big-budget releases, but would rank among the weakest openings for a 21st century Star Wars picture.