'The Mandalorian and Grogu' leads box office while horror hit 'Obsession' surges in second weekend

The film earned $33m on Friday alone and is projected to open between $80m and $100m over the four-day holiday weekend

The Mandalorian and Grogu is dominating the Memorial Day box office, but the biggest surprise of the weekend may be the strong second-week performance of horror breakout Obsession.

The Mandalorian and Grogu earned $33 million on Friday alone and is projected to open between $80 million and $100 million over the four-day holiday weekend.

The film marks the first theatrical Star Wars release in nearly seven years and serves as a continuation of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian starring Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin alongside fan-favorite character Grogu.

Despite mixed critical reactions, Disney and Lucasfilm are viewing the movie as a major test of whether a streaming-born Star Wars property can successfully transition into a theatrical blockbuster.

Meanwhile, Obsession is emerging as one of the season’s strongest horror successes. Variety reported that the film’s second weekend is expected to outperform its opening weekend, a rare feat for horror movies, which typically experience steep drops after debuting.

The unusually strong hold suggests positive audience word-of-mouth is helping drive repeat and new viewership for the thriller, which has steadily built momentum since release.

Industry analysts are also closely watching The Mandalorian and Grogu because of its significance to the future of theatrical Star Wars films. Disney previously shifted much of the franchise’s focus to streaming after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, making this weekend an important indicator for the brand’s big-screen future.