Star Wars returned to the big screen across the UAE on May 22, 2026, with the day-and-date global release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. Directed by Jon Favreau and co-written with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor, the film picks up the bounty-hunter saga of Din Djarin and Grogu, with Pedro Pascal back in the lead alongside Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. Gulf News flagged it as a headline UAE cinema pick for the weekend.
The film is showing in IMAX, 3D, 4DX and ScreenX formats at major UAE chains, having been shot specifically for IMAX presentation. ARN News Centre reported Disney is leaning on Baby Yoda goodwill to pull Star Wars fans back to theatres after a seven-year gap since the franchise last appeared on the big screen.
A strong global opening
The Mandalorian and Grogu opened to roughly 163 million dollars worldwide across 52 territories on its debut weekend, with about 100 million in the United States and Canada and 63 million from international markets, according to Deadline. By May 29 the global total had climbed to about 246.6 million dollars per box office trackers, with 137.4 million from the domestic market and 109.2 million internationally.
Internationally, the film took the number one slot in every European market it played and led non-local openings across most of Asia-Pacific, including the third-highest non-local debut on record in Japan at 4.9 million dollars. New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand also delivered number one non-local results, per Deadline.
Obsession keeps overperforming
The other story this weekend belongs to Obsession, the supernatural psychological horror film written, directed and edited by debut filmmaker Curry Barker. In its second weekend in North America the film earned 23.9 million dollars from 2,655 theatres, a 39 percent jump over its opening, which Variety and The Hollywood Reporter described as virtually unprecedented for a wide release.
Made for under one million dollars, Obsession has now grossed about 60.7 million dollars in North America and roughly 75 million worldwide, making it one of 2026 most profitable films on a return-on-budget basis. UAE moviegoers can catch both titles in cinemas this week, with showtimes listed across major Abu Dhabi and Dubai chains.
Sources: Gulf News UAE cinema guide; ARN News Centre (Disney sends Baby Yoda to bring Star Wars fans to theatres); Deadline global box office reports; Variety and The Hollywood Reporter on Obsession.
