is shaping up to be the next major installment in the Star Wars saga, but concerns are rising due to its noticeable resemblances to a 2005 film starring Nathan Fillion that wasn’t successful. Picking up after the events of the third season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, the movie continues the story of Din Djarin and Grogu-often called Baby Yoda-in the aftermath of the Galactic Empire’s collapse. The trailer hints at a massive Star Wars experience, featuring iconic elements like Hutts and AT-ATs. Alongside Pedro Pascal reprising his leading role, the film boasts a talented cast, including Sigourney Weaver and The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White.
Star Wars hasn’t quite regained its footing in theaters ever since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker received a mixed reaction back in 2019, despite Disney’s efforts. Several films have been planned since then, including one about Rey rebuilding the Jedi Order, a Rogue Squadron movie directed by Patty Jenkins (who directed Wonder Woman), and a project from Taika Waititi. However, because many fans haven’t been happy with how Disney has been managing the franchise, the first two seasons of The Mandalorian are the only things most viewers have really enjoyed. Sadly, after the somewhat controversial third season of that show, there’s growing concern about the future of the upcoming film.
Joss Whedon’s Serenity Has A Lot In Common With The New Star Wars Movie
In 2005, Joss Whedon, a well-known screenwriter and TV director, released Serenity, marking his first feature film. This movie continued the story of his previously canceled series, Firefly. Instead of pursuing a traditional revival, which fans still wish for today, Whedon capitalized on the ongoing popularity of the show to create a bigger, more ambitious story. The film, starring Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, and Summer Glau, along with a talented cast, follows Malcolm Reynolds and his courageous crew as they evade the Alliance. Like the series, the movie borrowed heavily from the western genre, and ultimately grossed $40 million worldwide.
To make matters worse, Serenity was actually a well-made film. It currently has an 82% approval rating from critics and a fantastic 91% rating from general audiences. Considering the devoted fanbase of Firefly – released only two years after the show was canceled – and its relatively low budget of $39 million, many believed the movie would be at least somewhat successful for the studio. However, despite strong directing, impressive visual effects, and an engaging plot, viewers didn’t go to see the continuation of the television series. Given the many parallels with the upcoming Star Wars movie, there’s concern that The Mandalorian and Grogu might face a similar outcome, leading to a disappointing box office performance.
, particularly because of its use of classic western themes like cowboys and gunfights. Din Djarin is basically a wandering gunslinger, traveling between settlements and facing off against bullies, criminals, and bandits. Though this approach worked very well in the Disney+ series, westerns haven’t been successful in movie theaters lately. Kevin Costner’s massive Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 surprisingly flopped, making just $38 million, and even newer takes on the genre, like Eddington, haven’t earned back their production costs. This aspect of The Mandalorian and Grogu is concerning, especially considering that space westerns haven’t done well in the past, as seen with Serenity. However, there’s an even more significant similarity that needs to be discussed.
Continuing TV Shows At The Movies Is A Mixed Bag
Adapting television series for the big screen has seen varying degrees of success. It’s often hard to clearly define what makes a successful transition. Over time, TV production quality has improved dramatically, with shows becoming more visually impressive. This helped The Mandalorian thrive as a Disney+ series, maintaining a similar level of spectacle and special effects as the large-scale Star Wars films. However, seeing a movie in theaters requires a bigger commitment from viewers than simply watching something at home as part of a subscription. Therefore, the movie’s grand scale needs to be worth the price of admission, and the often-expensive snacks and drinks at the concession stand.
As a fan, I’ve noticed that some movies based on TV shows really take off, while others don’t quite make it. A lot of the Star Trek films from the 80s and 90s were big successes, and the Downton Abbey films, even with smaller budgets, did pretty well too. The first X-Files movie was a hit, but the second one didn’t perform as well. The Simpsons Movie was huge, but The Bob’s Burgers Movie unfortunately didn’t earn back its production costs. It seems bringing ongoing TV series to the big screen is tough, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has definitely struggled with this. They’ve been trying to connect all their movies and shows into one big, continuous story, with plot points carrying over from one project to the next, and it hasn’t always worked out.
This situation raises significant worries. The Marvels was particularly affected, earning only $206 million – the lowest amount for any Marvel Cinematic Universe film – and not even making back its production costs. Many viewers found the story confusing and hard to follow. Although Captain Marvel drew a good audience in 2019, the advertising for the sequel seemed to expect people to already know the characters Monica Rambeau from WandaVision and Kamala Khan from Ms. Marvel. These kinds of connected storylines can discourage people from watching, similar to Serenity, which felt impossible to enjoy without first seeing all of Firefly. It’s unclear if viewers can fully appreciate The Mandalorian and Grogu without watching all three seasons of The Mandalorian first. This could greatly limit how many people will see the new film.
Fortunately, The Star Wars Brand Is A Lot Bigger Than Firefly Ever Was
A new Star Wars movie starts with much higher expectations than Serenity ever had. Even Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a smaller animated series, managed to earn $68 million in 2008 despite the mixed reception to the prequel films. The lowest-performing live-action Star Wars film was Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018, but even though audiences weren’t particularly interested in it, it still grossed over $393 million worldwide. Star Wars is a well-known brand globally, and consistently performs strongly in domestic markets, which almost guarantees that the upcoming spinoff of The Mandalorian will be at least somewhat successful for the studio.
Disney understands the potential challenges the movie might encounter. Because of this, the film has the Star Wars franchise’s smallest budget in years, costing $166 million after tax credits. Interestingly, this is similar to the seasonal production costs of the Disney+ series it’s based on, which usually spends about $15 million per episode. Even when factoring in marketing and how revenue is shared with theaters, as long as The Mandalorian performs as well as Solo, it will earn back its investment in cinemas and become a valuable asset for Disney+, setting the stage for the next large-scale Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Shawn Levy.
| Movie | Year Of Original Release | Worldwide Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | 2019 | $1.06 billion |
| Solo: A Star Wars Story | 2018 | $393 million |
| Star Wars: The Last Jedi | 2017 | $1.32 billion |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 2016 | $1.05 billion |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 2015 | $2.05 billion |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 2008 | $68 million |
| Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith | 2005 | $902 million |
| Star Wars: Attack of the Clones | 2002 | $656 million |
| Star Wars: The Phantom Menace | 1999 | $1.04 billion |
| Star Wars: Return of the Jedi | 1983 | $482 million |
| Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | $549 million |
| Star Wars: A New Hope | 1977 | $775 million |
There are no guarantees, and it’s possible that The Mandalorian could actually perform worse than Solo. Still, despite the connections to television and its western-style themes, the film is expected to earn more than Serenity. Although Firefly was popular, the Star Wars franchise is a global powerhouse. The Force Awakens is still the highest-grossing domestic film of all time, and it will have been almost seven years since the last Star Wars movie in theaters when The Mandalorian and Grogu is released. While it’s understandable to be worried about how well it will do, even if the film doesn’t resonate with audiences as much as Disney wants, it’s still likely to be a significant success at the summer box office.
I’m a little worried about the future of Star Wars, honestly. But I think The Mandalorian and Grogu is the best path forward for bringing the franchise back to theaters. Everyone I know really enjoyed the first two seasons on Disney+, and if the movie can even come close to matching that quality and excitement, it’ll be a must-see event next summer. It might not be as huge and world-changing as something like The Force Awakens, but The Mandalorian and Grogu seems like it’ll be a really fun and enjoyable experience in the cinema. Hopefully, it won’t end up like Joss Whedon’s fantastic Serenity, which sadly didn’t do so well.
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2025-09-30 16:48