It's happening. The Mandalorian & Grogu opens in theaters today — May 22, 2026. Din Djarin and his ward are getting the big-screen treatment after three seasons on Disney+. Early audience reactions from Thursday night previews are overwhelmingly positive. The practical sets, the score, the Grogu force moments — fans who waited for this are not disappointed.
Box office tracking has the film heading toward a $130-150M domestic opening weekend. That would make it one of the biggest Memorial Day openings on record. Disney knows the IP delivers and the marketing was precise — leaning into Grogu without making it a kids' film.
Catch Up on Disney+ Before You Go
The Mandalorian
Where it started. A lone bounty hunter takes a job and ends up protecting a child. Pedro Pascal at his most iconic.
Disney+
The Bad Batch
Three seasons complete. Clone Force 99 navigating the post-Order 66 galaxy. Disney+. The animated series that best bridges The Clone Wars to the Imperial era.
Disney+
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
7 seasons. The series that fully built out the prequel era and made Ahsoka Tano essential. Disney+. Watch Season 7 before Ahsoka.
Disney+
The Book of Boba Fett
Technically a spinoff but Din Djarin episodes 5-6 are required viewing. Grogu's Jedi training scenes are critical backstory.
Disney+
Andor
Not Mando-adjacent but the best Star Wars TV Disney has made. Watch it for what Disney+ Star Wars can be at its ceiling.
Disney+
Ahsoka
Shares continuity with The Mandalorian's universe. Grand Admiral Thrawn's return is relevant to the film's political context.
Disney+
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ewan McGregor returns. Set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Uneven but the Vader-Kenobi scenes pay off.
Disney+
Star Wars Rebels
4 seasons of animated Star Wars. Ahsoka's arc begins here. The animated bridge between The Clone Wars and the original trilogy timeline. Disney+.
Disney+
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Jon Watts' 2024 kids-adventure Star Wars series. Same post-Empire era as The Mandalorian. A different corner of the same galaxy. Disney+.
Disney+
Tales of the Jedi
Six animated shorts covering Count Dooku and Ahsoka Tano. Essential Ahsoka context. Disney+. Under 30 minutes total runtime — watch before the Ahsoka series.
Disney+
Star Wars: The Acolyte
Disney+'s 2024 High Republic era series. Set 100 years before The Phantom Menace. A mystery thriller in the Sith-awakening era. Disney+.
Disney+
Star Wars: Visions
Two anthologies of short Star Wars films by Japanese and international anime studios. Disney+. The most visually inventive Star Wars content made.
Disney+Opening Day Box Office and What to Expect
Early Thursday night previews pulled $18M. That's ahead of most Star Wars projections and suggests a strong opening weekend. The Memorial Day timing is deliberate — families, returning fans, casual viewers who just want a big event film. Expect the film to hit Disney+ in 90-120 days post-theatrical.
Inside Out 2
Pixar's family blockbuster. Disney's best family theatrical comparison to Mandalorian & Grogu — what emotional animation looks like at its ceiling. Disney+.
Disney+
Dune: Part Two
The scale benchmark. Paul Atreides leading the Fremen mirrors Din Djarin's Mandalore arc in structure. If Mando & Grogu hits Dune 2's weight, it wins. Max.
Max
Mortal Kombat (2021)
MK2 is in theaters the same weekend as Mando. Mortal Kombat 2021 on Max sets up MK2 if you want to double-dip this weekend.
Max
RRR
Not Star Wars but the action spectacle benchmark. If Mando & Grogu matches RRR's joy-per-minute ratio, it earns its theatrical run. Netflix.
Netflix