I can’t escape newspaper headlines, rambling Reddit posts and yapping YouTube videos that proclaim Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is a total disaster. Apparently, no living soul has seen it, Disney has destroyed the franchise, cinema is dead, humanity is doomed, etc. This is all way too dramatic and pessimistic. Here’s three whopping reasons why Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu really isn’t the disaster your grumpy uncle told you it was. This is not a box office bomb… Let’s actually look at the maths. The Mandalorian and Grogu apparently cost $165 million to make. It’s likely that Disney spent about half that amount again (or more) on marketing. Although that’s an unfathomable amount of money to most of us mortals, it’s actually quite a small budget for a Star Wars film. Like, The Rise of Skywalker cost a whopping $593.7 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Mandalorian must make around $500 million or $600 million at the box office to break even. According to Deadline, The Mandalorian and Grogu pulled in $167 million over the first four days. That’s not a scratch on the Star Wars movies of lore, but it’s by no means a disaster. It’s not fair to compare the Mandalorian’s box office revenue with that of The Force Awakens. The Mandalorian is part of a different series, cost far less to make, and exists in an age when it’s an achievement for any film studio to lure us off our sofas and into a theatre. Who needs therapy when you have X-wing sound effects?(Credit: Lucasfilm) Disney doesn’t only make money from cinema tickets Box office sales aren’t all that pays Disney employees’ wages. 68 per cent of the company’s operating revenue actually comes from Disney Experiences – which is the theme parks and cruises and whatnot. You’d expect the accountants at Disney are less bothered by how many cinema tickets you buy, and more concerned about how many Baby Yoda-themed frappes and keyrings you buy at Walt Disney World. Remember, people bought 13 million (official) Grogu toys within the first two years of the character’s existence. And I’m only responsible for like, half of those! I would sell my soul to tickle his ears(Credit: Lucasfilm) If you hate this film, maybe it’s not for you Despite what some long-term Star Wars fans seem to think, Disney aren’t formally contracted to make movies for you and you alone. “Disney have ruined all art forever,” whines some sad man on Reddit, “this film was rubbish! The movie was dumbed down for kids, and it was too light-hearted, and the producers seemed to care more about the film looking cool than pontifications on the meaning of life!” If you didn’t think the Dragonsnake was cool, then there’s no hope for you(Credit: Lucasfilm) Who says a film can’t be *gasp* fun? Why is it a crime for Disney to make movies that different generations can enjoy together? Is it so bad that a bit of Star Wars content can be enjoyed by newbies who haven’t yet spent thousands of hours rewatching Clone Wars and memorising maps of Star Dreadnoughts? The Star Wars galaxy is massive. The huge range of tones (and quality) across Star Wars content has become part of the fandom’s charm. If you wanted more grit, politics and general gloominess, watch Andor, or read the book Bloodline. If you missed magic and mysticism in the Mandalorian movie, then crack on with the High Republic content, or the Ahsoka show. If you would have rather seen an alien teddy bear’s father watch VR musical porn in front of his family, then Star Wars Holiday Special is still on YouTube (and you need to rethink your life). Funnily enough, something isn’t objectively bad because it’s not to your personal taste *gasp*. Let people who aren’t such miseries enjoy the cute space quest film with Pedro Pascal x For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page. Featured image credit: HBO Post navigation Next story
