Memorial Day Box Office 2026: Star Wars Stumbles While ‘Michael’ Closes In on $800 Million

The Memorial Day box office delivered the strangest scoreboard of the summer so far: a new Star Wars movie topped the charts and disappointed at the same time. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” opened to a projected $97–$98 million over the four-day holiday — number one in America, yet the lowest-ever opening for a theatrical Star Wars film.

Meanwhile, two holdovers refused to leave the conversation: the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” is closing in on $800 million worldwide, and “The Devil Wears Prada 2” has sailed past $600 million globally.

Star Wars Wins the Weekend but Loses the Narrative

On paper, a $97 million four-day opening and an “A-” CinemaScore is a strong start. For Star Wars, it’s a flashing yellow light. Directed by Jon Favreau and continuing the hit Disney+ series, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” pulled $82 million in its North American weekend and another $64 million from 51 international territories on a $165 million production budget.

The problem is context. This is the lowest debut for any Star Wars theatrical release, a milestone Disney did not want attached to its first big-screen return for the franchise in years. The Washington Post bluntly asked whether anyone should still care — a question that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

The silver lining: word of mouth is strong. The “A-” CinemaScore and warm reviews suggest the film could hold well through June, the kind of long tail that turns a soft opening into a respectable run.

‘Michael’ Is the Real Box Office Story of 2026

If you want to understand the year, look at “Michael.” The King of Pop biopic is nearing $800 million worldwide, a staggering total for a music drama and proof that audiences will still turn out in force for the right story told the right way.

Its staying power has reshaped the entire summer slate. Distributors are rethinking release dates around it, and rival studios are studying how a biopic became a global phenomenon. For a deeper look at how it rewrote the season, see our earlier report on how ‘Michael’ reclaimed the box office.

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Quietly Becomes a Juggernaut

Less hyped but just as impressive, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” has crossed $600 million worldwide — nearly $200 million domestically and a remarkable $408 million internationally. The comedy sequel has become summer counterprogramming gold, drawing the exact audience the superhero and sci-fi tentpoles tend to miss.

The pairing is so strong that the Motor Vu Drive-In, America’s largest outdoor screen, reopened by double-billing “The Mandalorian and Grogu” with “The Devil Wears Prada 2” — calling them two of the biggest movies in the country right now.

What the Numbers Say About Summer 2026

Zoom out and the picture is bright. The 2026 box office has generated more than $3 billion year-to-date, up roughly 16% over the same point last year. Holdovers like “Project Hail Mary” have crossed $300 million domestic and $600 million worldwide, and analysts now think the full summer could approach $4.5 billion domestically — the strongest since 2016.

The lesson studios are taking: stars and stories travel; brand alone no longer guarantees a blockbuster. Star Wars topping the chart while setting a low-water mark is the perfect illustration of both truths at once.

Why Star Wars Cooled — and Whether It Can Recover

The “lowest-ever opening” headline raises an obvious question: is Star Wars fatigue real? The honest answer is nuanced. A decade of films, series, and spin-offs has saturated the brand, and casual fans no longer treat every new release as a must-see event. Some critics argue the franchise expanded faster than audience appetite could keep up.

But the same weekend offers a counter-argument. The strong “A-” CinemaScore and positive reviews suggest the people who did show up genuinely liked the movie. In box office terms, that’s the ingredient that produces “legs” — steady weekly holds that can push a soft opener to a healthy final total. Jon Favreau’s track record with the Mandalorian on Disney+ also gives the property real built-in goodwill.

Disney’s bigger challenge is theatrical strategy. After years of routing Star Wars stories to streaming, asking audiences to pay for a theater ticket reset expectations. Whether this opening is a one-off or a trend will shape how the studio handles its upcoming slate.

The Bigger Picture: Stars and Stories Still Sell

The throughline of summer 2026 is that audiences are rewarding emotional connection over brand familiarity. “Michael” is a biopic about a singer, not a franchise. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” is a character-driven comedy. Both are crushing it, while a marquee sci-fi brand merely tops the chart on a soft number.

That’s an encouraging signal for the industry. It suggests the path back to consistent blockbusters runs through compelling stories and bankable stars, not just recognizable logos. Studios chasing the next $4-billion-plus summer are taking note — and greenlighting accordingly.

What to Watch Next

The summer is far from decided. Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” and “Masters of the Universe” are all still to come, any of which could redraw the rankings. And the streaming wave is right behind theaters — many of these titles will hit home screens within weeks.

If concerts are more your speed this summer, don’t miss our guide to the biggest summer 2026 tours, and browse more in our Entertainment section.

Stay tuned to USA Neo News for box office updates all summer long.

Sources: Deadline; Variety; CNBC; The Washington Post.