Box Office: The Mandalorian and Grogu becomes lowest budget Star Wars film since Revenge of the Sith; Tracking the latter’s run to gauge its potential

As The Mandalorian and Grogu sets a Star Wars budget record, we look at how past films fared at the box office and whether Disney's latest gamble will pay off.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 20, 2025 | 06:01 PM IST | 6.4K

Picture Courtesy: Disney

Disney appears to be trusting Jon Favreau to make The Mandalorian and Grogu a spectacular production while not burning a hole in their pockets. Recently, the budget for the first Star Wars movie in seven years was revealed, and it left box office trackers stunned. Reportedly, the Pedro Pascal venture, set for a May 2026 release, is being made on a humble price tag of USD 166 million—the cheapest since Revenge of the Sith.

The latter film came out in 2005 with a USD 113 million budget. How much it earned could suggest what to anticipate from The Mandalorian and Grogu, as a lower budget often means minimal grandeur. In today's time, audiences only opt for a theatrical experience over streaming when a lavish display is promised.

Despite a modest investment, Revenge of the Sith raked in USD 850 million worldwide, earning USD 380 million from the domestic market and USD 469 million from international territories.

Starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid, Natalie Portman, and Jimmy Smits, the film was the third installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the third chronological chapter of the Skywalker Saga. The plot unfolds three years after the onset of the Clone Wars, as shown in Attack of the Clones (2002).

Meanwhile, The Mandalorian and Grogu will follow the return of the titular bounty hunter, portrayed by the aforementioned actor, alongside his adorable sidekick, Grogu (aka Baby Yoda). Giancarlo Esposito as Moff Gideon, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze, and Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano are reported to be returning. Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver have also been cast.

Here’s an overview of how much the five Star Wars movies made between the latest installment and the 2005 title cost to produce:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – USD 245 million
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – USD 200 million
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) – USD 317 million
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) – USD 275 million
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – USD 275 million

The returns on these movies present a mixed picture overall. While The Force Awakens earned an astonishing USD 2.07 billion worldwide, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story could only collect USD 392.9 million worldwide. The Last Jedi did wonders for itself and for Disney after the last outing’s disappointment, grossing USD 1.33 billion worldwide. But Solo: A Star Wars Story mirrored its 2016 predecessor’s dud status, balancing the success out. The Rise of Skywalker again managed to hit a home run, grossing USD 1.07 billion worldwide.

So far, the Star Wars franchise's score in the last decade stands at 3:2. Disney will surely look to avoid a tie at 3:3 and instead push it to 4:2. But will that be possible with the production cost we discussed? Only time will tell.