‘The Mandalorian And Grogu’ tops global box office with $145m; horror ‘Passenger’ eclipsed by surging ‘Obsession’

Worldwide box office: May 22-24

Credit: Comscore. All figures are estimates.

Latest ‘Star Wars’ film makes middling debut

Viewed one way, The Mandalorian And Grogu’s estimated $145.0m global launch represents a weak start – below the opening numbers for Star Wars anthology stand-alone films Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Solo: A Star Wars Story, and well off the pace of the 2015-2019 sequel trilogy films in the main Skywalker Saga.

Viewed another way, The Mandalorian And Grogu is a big-screen spinoff of a Disney+ TV series (The Mandalorian), is thus of interest essentially to that show’s fans, and is doing just fine.

Disney/Lucasfilm may take comfort that The Mandalorian And Grogu’s global opening is only just behind the launch of 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story ($147.5m), from a significantly lower production budget, and with a healthy A- CinemaScore in North America indicating good potential for sustained play. Comscore’s PostTrak polling showing 5 out of 5 stars for parents and kids is a particularly encouraging metric, suggesting the bounty hunter adventure is connecting as a family film.

So far, The Mandalorian And Grogu is performing stronger in North America (an estimated $82.0m, and $102.0m including Monday’s Memorial Day holiday) than overseas ($63.0m).

Among international markets, UK/Ireland leads with an estimated $7.1m – a number likely eroded by scorching summer weather that would have seen many families pursue entertainment outdoors.

Next comes Germany with an estimated $6.5m, ahead of China ($5.3m), Japan ($4.9m), Australia ($4.6m) and Mexico ($3.9m). Rounding out the top 10 international markets are a trio of European territories – France ($3.8m), Spain ($2.4m), Italy ($2.0m) – plus Brazil ($1.3m).

Imax accounted for $20.4m – ie 14% – of The Mandalorian And Grogu’s $145m global total. China’s $1.3m haul on Imax represented a quarter of the territory’s opening number on the title.

South Korea is the sole major market yet to open, and welcomes the film this coming weekend.

The Mandalorian And Grogu has a reported production budget of $165m, and has a long way to go to achieve profitability, given revenue splits with cinemas and hefty marketing costs. Production budget for Solo: A Star Wars Story was reported at $300m, and the film achieved a disappointing lifetime global box office of just $392.9m.

Set in a timeline after the original Stars Wars trilogy (ie after The Return Of The Jedi), with the New Republic seeking to contain restive remnants of the vanquished evil Empire, The Mandalorian And Grogu is directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay he co-wrote with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor. Pedro Pascal stars as the titular bounty hunter, who sets off on a mission on behalf of the New Republic, accompanied by apprentice/adopted son Grogu.

Soaring ‘Obsession’ puts ‘Passenger’ in the shade

Paramount’s Passenger is losing the battle for the horror audience to Universal/Focus Features’ Obsession, which has surged in its second weekend.

Passenger opened with an estimated $13.5m worldwide: $8.7m in North America (and $10.5m including Memorial Day) and $4.8m for international.

The second weekend of play for Obsession saw estimated takings of $22.4m in North America (and $28.2m including Memorial Day) – a 30% rise on the opening session on a like-for-like three-day comparison. For international, takings of $8.9m represents a 20% rise in holdover markets.

Totals for Obsession after two weekends are $52.8m in North America, $21.2m for international, and $74.0m worldwide.

Obsession’s strong virality for horror audiences creates a tough market for Passenger, which has so far reached 85% of its international footprint, and opened best in Mexico (an estimated $785,000), UK/Ireland ($440,000) and France ($420,000).

Norway’s André Øvredal directs Passenger – the tale of a young couple haunted by a demonic presence after they witness a gruesome highway accident.

YouTube creator Curry Barker directs and writes Obsession – the story of a lovelorn music shop employee who comes to regret casting an enchantment spell over the object of his crush.

Obsession launched in the Middle East region with an estimated $1.4m including $506,000 in Saudi Arabia and $486,000 in UAE – in both cases delivering the biggest horror opening of the year. The Eid al-Adha holidays in the coming week should give the film a further boost.

UK/Ireland leads international holdover markets with an estimated $1.7m – dead level with the opening session, and defying the heatwave that saw other holdover titles suffer heavy drops in the territory. Cumulative total is $5.2m.

The international ranking sees two non-Universal Pictures International markets – France and Australia – in second and third place. Obsession has reached $3.0m for Le Pacte in France, and $2.1m for Rialto in Australia.

UPI’s strongest markets after UK/Ireland are Italy ($1.8m so far), Mexico ($1.5m) and Netherlands ($1.0m).

Given the $74.0m worldwide gross after two weekends, and the upwards box office trajectory, Focus Features’ $14-15m acquisition of Obsession at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival now looks like a very smart bet. Ditto the investment of the film’s original backers, given a production budget reported at $750,000 to $1m.

Passenger has a production budget reported at $15m.

Both films will face fresh competition this coming weekend from A24’s release of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms.

‘Michael’ nears $800m; ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ passes $600m

Powerhouse May duo Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2 are closing in on $1.4bn combined – collectively giving a powerful start to the summer blockbuster season.

Released by Lionsgate in North America and Universal internationally, Michael saw a 23% decline at the weekend (its third) domestically and a heftier 53% drop overseas.

Cumulative totals for Michael are $314.2m in North America, $468.1m for international, and $782.4m worldwide.

UK/Ireland remains the strongest international market with a $60.0m total, ahead of France ($44.4m), Germany ($29.6m), Mexico ($29.0m) and Italy ($27.1m).

Michael is chasing the $911m worldwide total achieved by fellow Graham King-produced music biopic Bohemian Rhapsody in 2018 (this figure is not adjusted for inflation).

Like Michael, Disney/20^th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2 enjoyed a stronger hold at the weekend domestically than overseas – a 29% drop in North America and 58% across international markets.

After four weekends, the sequel has grossed $196.1m in North America, $408.0m for international, and $604.1m worldwide.

The original The Devil Wears Prada grossed $326.6m worldwide in 2006.

Chinese hit ‘Dear You’ defies gravity with $40m weekend total

Chinese film Dear You continues its powerful run, with estimated takings of $39.6m for the latest weekend, 1% up on the previous session. Total for the family drama since its April 30 release is a powerful $151.6m.

Directed and co-written by Lan Hongchun, Dear You is substantially set in China’s Shantou region, and its initial release by Damai Entertainment was in select regions. With a production budget reported at just over $2m, the drama is primarily spoken in Teochew Min, a Southern Min language. Dear You – telling the story of a young man seeking his grandfather in Thailand, and sending letters home to his grandmother in Shantou, China – has unexpectedly captured the imagination of Chinese cinemagoers.

Dear You is one of three titles from Asia in the current worldwide top 10 chart. In eighth place, South Korean zobie horror Colony – directed and co-written by Yeon Sang-ho (Train To Busan) – has landed with an estimated $12.3m from four territories, driven by its home market. Colony – telling the story of a gleaming Seoul high-rise at the epicentre of a biological terror attack – had its world premiere in Midnight Screenings at Cannes on May 15, and released in South Korea last Thursday (May 21).

A place below Colony in the worldwide chart is Jeethu Joseph’s Malayam-language thriller Drishyam 3, which has opened with an estimated $11.4m across 15 markets (including India), and $14.7m including previews. The film is a sequel to 2021’s Drishyam 2: The Resumption, which continued the story of 2013’s Drishyam.

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