After conducting some research, it's clear that the buzz around "The Mandalorian and Grogu" is all over the map. A few weeks ago, I was tracking a potential $70 million three-day and $80 million+ four-day holiday weekend. Some even suggested it could be higher, but it all depends on the reviews – and Disney knows that.
Which might explain why Disney appears to be cutting back on showing the film to critics. Journalists are complaining online that they've been told by publicists that "The Mandalorian and Grogu" won't be screened for critics in their area, which is odd considering no other Star Wars movie has been treated this way before. In fact, quite a few markets will reportedly not have critic screenings, which suggests a lack of confidence on Lucasfilm's part toward the film.
Hey, at least the "Funko critics" – the quote whores – saw the film last night at the world premiere in Hollywood. Disney can at least count on them, right? Turns out, not entirely.
Sure, you have some of the usual suspects gushing, but there are also quite a few lukewarm reactions, which is unusual for what was supposed to be a highly curated list of attendees. This was supposed to be a good opportunity for Disney to improve the buzz, but it's backfired.
These reactions come after an early negative response to the first 25 minutes of the film shown at an IMAX screening. According to Polygon writer Jake Kleinman, the footage felt more like a generic streaming series or video game than a cinematic Star Wars event, with visuals resembling a "Netflix show."
"The Mandalorian and Grogu," set for release on May 22, is the first Star Wars movie since 2019 – an IP Disney is eager to revive in theaters, especially after the mixed reception to the last trilogy. Still, was turning one of their Disney+ series into a full-blown theatrical feature really the best way to do it?
