The Mandalorian And Grogu's Box Office Spells Doom For The Mando-Verse Crossover Movie

This was not how Disney wanted the grand return of Star Wars in movie theaters to go. "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" was a seemingly foolproof way of getting audiences invested in this franchise's theatrical exploits again, after years of Star Wars only existing in streaming storytelling. Instead, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" is a box office failure that's getting its financial lunch eaten by significantly cheaper R-rated horror films like "Obsession" and "Backrooms." What a fall from grace for a franchise that previously cranked out summertime moneymakers like nobody's business.

Frustratingly for Disney and Lucasfilm, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" was supposed to be the start of Disney+ Star Wars material infiltrating theaters. After this production introduced the idea of Mando and Grogu existing beyond the confines of Disney+, the plan was for Dave Filoni to helm a motion picture best described as a Star Wars take on an Avengers movie. More specifically, if this planned crossover still happens, it's supposed to unite all the stars of the various New Republic streaming shows (like the "Ahsoka" characters) for one grand adventure. 

Well, this big screen culmination of the Disney+ programs isn't looking like a winning bet for a franchise in need of some guaranteed home runs. In the wake of "The Mandalorian and Grogu" going belly-up financially, it's more crucial than ever to reflect on what this proposed Filoni directorial effort was, why it was going to theaters, and whether or not there's any chance it could still materialize. 

It's tough to translate ongoing TV shows into theatrical movies. While the artistic ambitions and challenges of every motion picture are different, each of these specific films struggle with one problem: How do you get people to shell out money in the theater for what they usually see on the small screen for "free" at home? "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" never quite figured out a successful answer to either that question or how to expand this project's appeal beyond just Star Wars devotees. There's clearly an audience for the streaming Star Wars projects, but it's not immense enough to fuel the kind of box office that costly tentpoles need to turn a profit.

With that in mind, whatever towering crossover event Dave Filoni and company have cooked up, it may not be wise to also bring that to theaters. Instead, now could be a good time to bring these characters back to the medium where they originated. Even after newer shows like "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew" flopped, it's apparent that Disney+ is the proper home for characters like Mando and Grogu. After all, if lingering goodwill for Baby Yoda wasn't enough to get "The Mandalorian and Grogu" to massive box office numbers, will a follow-up project involving the "Ahsoka" and "Skeleton Crew" characters be any different?

"The Mandalorian and Grogu" has delivered a striking blow to previous Star Wars movie plans. It's time for these characters and their crossover production plans to go back to the streaming domain.

Critics didn't hold back in their reactions to "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu." Chief among their complaints was how this Jon Favreau directorial effort never stopped feeling like a bloated episode of "The Mandalorian." If these characters are so inextricably linked to their small screen origins, then it's high time to pull the plug on potential future big screen exploits. To boot, general audiences have shown they're not interested in following Disney+ protagonists to multiplexes. All signs are pointing toward bringing these characters back to the platform that launched them in the first place.

Realizing this crossover extravaganza as some kind of streaming program could also have the benefit of providing extra breathing room for the various characters inhabiting "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka." In a two-hour movie, those figures would have trouble standing out or leaving an impression. Across multiple hours of storytelling, though, there'd be enough time for everyone to take a bow. Plus, the creative teams behind these shows are much more familiar with Star Wars television than they are with this franchise's big screen exploits. Dave Filoni, especially, is well-versed in television, but has no experience helming live-action movies.

Putting him and other Disney+ Star Wars veterans in charge of a crossover miniseries would provide more assured creative ground. In the end, even if the theatrical release of "The Mandalorian and Grogu" becomes one of Disney's franchise-damaging Star Wars decisions, it could end up helping this proposed crossover in the long run.