Disney's 'Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu' tallies lowest Thursday preview sales in franchise history

Cnbc · May 22, 2026 · 613 words · By Sarah Whitten

Franchise Health Corporate Strategy Box Office Performance

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What to know about Franchise Health

"Star Wars" returns to the big screen for the first time in seven years this weekend, riding the contrails of a Mandalorian's jetpack.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

"Star Wars" returns to the big screen for the first time in seven years this weekend, riding the contrails of a Mandalorian's jetpack.

Why it matters

Disney's "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" tallied $12 million in Thursday night preview sales, the lowest collection of advanced tickets in the franchise's history, according to data from Comscore.

Common ground

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" was the previous low bar with $14.1 million in preshow tickets back in 2018.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Franchise Health story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Disney is already doing tie-ins at its theme park locations, including specialized merchandise and a revamp of its Smugglers Run ride featuring Grogu?
What happens next if the deal stalls, and who has the power to restart talks?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/22/disneys-star-wars-the-mandalorian-and-grogu-box-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

schedule

Claim 1: “Disney is already doing tie-ins at its theme park locations, including specialized merchandise and a revamp of its Smugglers Run ride featuring Grogu”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 2: “"Star Wars" returns to the big screen for the first time in seven years this weekend”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web sources confirm that 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is the first Star Wars theatrical release in nearly seven years (since 2019/2018).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Star Wars franchise involves multiple live-action and animated films, occurring within its all-encompassing fictional universe. The series was initially created as a trilogy set in medias res (par…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_films

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Star Wars is an American media franchise created by George Lucas. The space opera saga began with the original Star Wars film (1977) and quickly became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. It has expan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Star Wars: The Clone Wars is an American animated science fiction television series created by George Lucas and produced by Lucasfilm Animation. Set between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clone…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “The studio has "Starfighter" arriving in cinemas in 2027 starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Shawn Levy”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and IMDb, confirm a film titled 'Star Wars: Starfighter' directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling is planned for 2027.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Star Wars: Starfighter is an upcoming American space opera film directed by Shawn Levy and written by Jonathan Tropper.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_Starfighter

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ryan Gosling is to star in a new Star Wars film, which is set to be released in two years' time. The new Disney project is titled Star Wars: Starfighter, and will be directed by Deadpool & Wolverine d…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyq9d35ljro

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Star Wars: Starfighter: Directed by Shawn Levy. With Ryan Gosling, Amy Adams, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre.Shawn Levy stated that the movie is a standalone. It's not a prequel, nor a sequel. It's a new adve…
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt28069611/?ref_=tt_mlt_i_2

schedule

Claim 4: “Other "Star Wars" projects released theatrically in the previous decade had production budgets of $250 million or higher”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “"The Mandalorian," which premiered just a month before "The Rise of Skywalker"”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results to verify the specific timing of The Mandalorian's premiere relative to The Rise of Skywalker.

info

Claim 6: “"Solo: A Star Wars Story" was the previous low bar with $14.1 million in preshow tickets back in 2018”

SINGLE SOURCE

While Wikipedia confirms 'Solo' was released in 2018, the specific figure of $14.1 million in preshow tickets is not corroborated by the provided evidence snippets.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_One

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Solo: A Star Wars Story is a 2018 American space Western film directed by Ron Howard and written by Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan. Produced by Lucasfilm Ltd., and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Mot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo:_A_Star_Wars_Story

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 7: “the cost of production estimated to be around $165 million”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 8: “New "Star Wars" titles have been absent from cinemas since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker."”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The Guardian and other sources confirm that no live-action Star Wars films have been in cinemas since 'The Rise of Skywalker' in 2019.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Star Wars franchise involves multiple live-action and animated films, occurring within its all-encompassing fictional universe. The series was initially created as a trilogy set in medias res that…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_films

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This article is more than 3 years old. Taika Waititi is looking to direct and act in the first live action Star Wars film since The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, according to a report in Variety.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/08/kevin-feige-and…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Watch the brand new trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu and experience it only in theaters May 22, 2026. SUBSCRIBE to the channel to get notified when new...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pa1KLXuW0Y

help

Claim 9: “These include "Andor," "Obi-Wan Kenobi," "Ahsoka," "Skeleton Crew," "The Acolyte" and "The Book of Boba Fett."”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found in the search results to verify this list of series.

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Claim 10: “Disney's "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" tallied $12 million in Thursday night preview sales”

CORROBORATED

Two independent box office reports confirm that 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' earned approximately $12 million in Thursday night previews.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Din Grogu () or simply Grogu, colloquially referred to as Baby Yoda, is a character from the Star Wars Disney+ original television series The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. He is an infant mem…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grogu

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is a 2026 American science fiction action-adventure film directed by Jon Favreau, who co-wrote the film with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor. Produced by Lucasfilm and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian_and_Grogu

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Mandalorian and Grogu – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the film score to the 2026 film of the same name composed and conducted by Ludwig Göransson. The soundtrack album was released in both…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mandalorian_and_Grogu_(sou…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 11: “Since 2015, only "Solo" has opened to less than $100 million domestically”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence confirms 'Solo' was released in 2018 and that 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' is the first since 2019, but does not provide a comprehensive list of opening totals for all films since 2015 to verify if Solo was the only one under $100M.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Solo: A Star Wars Story is a 2018 American space Western film directed by Ron Howard and written by Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan. Produced by Lucasfilm Ltd., and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Mot…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo:_A_Star_Wars_Story

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Here's a movie that wants to play the hits so much it kind of loses itself along the way. But it's still a lot of fun. And full of sins. Here are all the sin...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WoTyaXGV4s

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mandalorian and Grogu’ is the first Star Wars movie since 2019—an IP Disney has been eager to revive in theaters, especially after the mixed reception of the last trilogy.
https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2026/5/22/the-mandalorian

info

Claim 12: “"Solo" captured $84.4 million during its opening eight years ago”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results for this claim returned irrelevant content (adult content/Bunkr links) and provided no financial data regarding Solo's opening weekend.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mia Monroe 🌶️ 🏆 @thecollegestripper [SOLO] (70.31 GB) 230 Files - 0 views 1 Live user Paginated View Filters
https://bunkr.cr/a/ed0m8N44?advanced=1

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dec 6, 2025 · Explore this album with 6 files.
https://bunkr.cr/a/WZLjMw0v

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Explore this album with 31 files.
https://bunkr.cr/a/tQXYygw6

schedule

Claim 13: “Lucasfilm tapped director Jon Favreau, who worked alongside the newly minted head of the studio Dave Filoni to bring "The Mandalorian" to Disney+, to helm "The Mandalorian and Grogu."”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 14: “following the 2015 release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the first of Lucasfilm's latest "Star Wars" trilogy, Hasbro alone saw sales of "Star Wars" products reach nearly $500 million”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 15: “The final film in the Skywalker Saga and third film in what has become known as the sequel trilogy generated more than $1 billion”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly state that 'The Rise of Skywalker' topped out at $1.069 billion.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A year later, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, part of the main saga, topped out at $1.069 billion despite being panned by many critics (it also fueled further fan outrage over the overall state of t…
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-war…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — As 2019 ends, annual overall box office revenue is down by 4%, though it gained ground in its latter months, narrowing a deficit that was 11% in April, and 2018 was always going to be tough to beat. “…
https://www.wishtv.com/news/skywalker-rises-again-little-wom…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.