By Areej · Pop culture & entertainment desk · Published May 22, 2026
Why a Decade-Defining Star Wars Movie Just Hit Theaters Today
Star Wars is back on the big screen for the first time in roughly six and a half years. The Mandalorian and Grogu, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin, opens wide in U.S. theaters today, May 22, 2026, with industry trackers reporting roughly 4,300 screens — including about 425 IMAX locations. After a stretch defined by Disney+ series and zero theatrical releases since The Rise of Skywalker in December 2019, this is the test case Lucasfilm has been building toward, and the entire entertainment industry is watching how it lands.
I've been tracking this rollout since the Tokyo premiere earlier this week, and the conversation online flipped almost overnight from cautious excitement to a much messier debate about what counts as a real Star Wars movie now.
How Star Wars Got Here — Why the Theatrical Drought Mattered
The gap between The Rise of Skywalker and today is not the longest pause in Star Wars history — that distinction still belongs to the 1983 to 1999 stretch between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace. But it is the longest theatrical absence of the Disney era, and it arrived after a stretch of franchise turbulence: Solo underperformed in 2018, the sequel trilogy split fans straight down the middle, and Lucasfilm pulled or delayed a string of announced theatrical projects in favor of streaming TV on Disney+.
That made The Mandalorian series — co-created by Favreau and Dave Filoni — the most consistent Star Wars success story of the last six years, and it's the reason the studio chose Din Djarin and Grogu to lead the return to theaters. Favreau has said in interviews this week that the characters were chosen specifically because even non-fans recognize Grogu (better known as Baby Yoda), the same character that helped launch Disney+ back in 2019. It is, in other words, a comfort pick — a way to test the theatrical waters with a duo the audience already loves.
See also
- Why Emilia Clarke's Career Trajectory Exposes Hollywood's Post-Franchise Identity Crisis
- Why The Devil Wears Prada 2 Already Out-Earned the Original Movie's Whole Run
- Why the Michael Jackson Biopic Shattered Box Office Records
How Critics Are Responding — And Why the Score Surprised Almost Nobody
Early reviews dropped just before launch and have settled into a mixed-but-fresh range on Rotten Tomatoes — hovering around the low-60s percent as the review count climbed past 100, putting the film comfortably above the rotten cutoff but on the lower end of Disney-era Star Wars critic scores. For reference, The Force Awakens sits at 93%, The Last Jedi at 91%, Rogue One at 84%, Solo at 69%, and The Rise of Skywalker at 51%.
What critics liked
Across early reactions, the consistent praise points have been Pedro Pascal's grounded performance under the helmet, the score, the action sequences when they hit, and the Din Djarin and Grogu dynamic that made the show work in the first place. Several reviewers flagged the practical effects and creature work as legitimately theatrical — a step up from what Disney+ episodes could pull off.
What critics flagged
The most common complaint is that the story plays like an extended episode rather than a true cinematic event. Words like "familiar," "fan service," and "content, not cinema" have shown up across multiple reviews. The Rotten Tomatoes editorial first-reviews roundup landed on "a fun but familiar return." Translation: it doesn't reinvent the franchise, and it isn't trying to.
Why the Opening Weekend Numbers Are the Real Story
Pre-release tracking from Boxoffice Pro and other industry forecasters set the four-day domestic opening in the rough range of $80 million to $100 million. That figure would normally be a celebration; for Star Wars it's a question mark. Every Disney-era saga film prior to Solo opened above $150 million domestically, with The Force Awakens setting the all-time three-day record at the time of its release. An opening near the lower end of forecasts would mean The Mandalorian and Grogu debuts softer than every Disney-era Star Wars film except Solo.
The flip side: this is not a Skywalker saga film, it stars a TV-born character, and it's opening after a long franchise pause and into a packed summer calendar. A clean $80 million-plus weekend on a roughly mid-budget production — far cheaper than the trilogy films — would still pencil out as a healthy result, especially with a global rollout and merchandise machine attached. The reading by Monday morning will tell us whether Lucasfilm runs harder back to theaters or doubles down on streaming.
How to Read the Frequently Asked Questions This Weekend
When does The Mandalorian and Grogu open?
Wide release in the U.S. on Friday, May 22, 2026, with Thursday previews on May 21. Approximately 4,300 theaters and 425 IMAX screens.
Why is this the first theatrical Star Wars film since 2019?
After The Rise of Skywalker, Lucasfilm pivoted to Disney+ series and shelved or delayed multiple announced theatrical projects. The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first to actually make it through development and into release.
How does the critic score compare to other Star Wars films?
It is one of the lower scores of the Disney era but still in Fresh territory at roughly 60 to 64 percent. It sits above The Rise of Skywalker and below Solo, Rogue One, and the sequel trilogy entries.
Who directed and stars in the film?
Jon Favreau directs, co-writing with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor. Pedro Pascal stars as Din Djarin / The Mandalorian.
Sources
- Wikipedia — The Mandalorian and Grogu
- Rotten Tomatoes — First Reviews Roundup
- Rotten Tomatoes — Release, Cast and Trailers
- Boxoffice Pro — Long Range Forecast
- IMDb — Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)
- Fandango — Showtimes & Overview
- AMC Theatres — Showtimes & Tickets
- Euronews Culture — Film of the Week
Our Point of View
The interesting thing about The Mandalorian and Grogu isn't whether it's a great movie — most early reviews suggest it isn't a leap forward, just a careful step. The interesting thing is what Lucasfilm decides next. If this opens in the $80 to $90 million range and holds, the studio probably accelerates the Star Wars theatrical slate it has been hesitant to commit to. If it under-performs even on the cautious projections, expect another reset and another round of streaming-first announcements. Today is less about Din Djarin and Grogu than it is about whether Star Wars is a theatrical franchise or a Disney+ franchise going forward, and that's the question we'll be watching all weekend.
Editorial Review & Transparency: This article was reviewed by our editorial desk for accuracy. Areej is verified at LinkedIn. Sources are linked inline and listed above. We update articles when new information becomes available. Last reviewed: May 22, 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational and editorial purposes only. Box office projections, critic scores, and release details are based on publicly reported industry data at the time of publication and may change. FixItWhy Media is not affiliated with Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Studios, or any of the companies mentioned. Always verify dates, showtimes, and ratings with official sources before making travel or purchase decisions. — FixItWhy Media.
Related Reading
- Why the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2026 Cover Reveal Has the Internet Completely Unhinged
- Why Euphoria Season 3's Five-Year Time Jump Changes Everything You Thought You Knew
- Byron Allen Replaces Stephen Colbert on CBS Late Night
FixItWhy Score: 7.8 / 10