The history of the modern box office and film industry is permanently entwined with "Star Wars." While Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" got the ball rolling, the debut of George Lucas' sci-fi film in 1977 gave rise to the merchandise and sequel-driven economic model that Hollywood has been pursuing for almost 50 years.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is released this week and is set for the lowest opening weekend of any Star Wars film ever. With the TV shows also struggling, here's why interest is waning.

After a 6½-year hiatus from theaters, “Star Wars” returns to the big screen this weekend with “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”

It is perfectly possible that Disney/Lucasfilm's "The Mandalorian and Grogu," could be a profitable venture by the end of 2026, winning back some of the lost goodwill of "Star Wars" fans, bringing back a windfall of ancillary revenue and establishing "Star Wars" as a theatrical IP again as films like "Star Wars: Starfighter" prepare to take to the big screen in the years ahead.

After acquiring Lucasfilm and the Star Wars brand from George Lucas for $4.1bn in 2012, Disney cranked out five new movies in the five years to 2019, grossing nearly $6bn at the worldwide box office. But then it abruptly put the cinema franchise in the deep freeze, like Darth Vader suspending Han Solo in carbonite.

The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first Star Wars movie in seven years, heads to theatres this weekend as Walt Disney bets on the charm of Baby Yoda