Baby Yoda brought crowds to ‌movie theatres over the US Memorial Day weekend, putting “Star Wars” film “The Mandalorian and Grogu” on track to collect roughly $165 million around the globe, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday.

The movie topped box office charts in the United States ​and Canada, where it was expected to bring in about $102 million.

That would edge above pre-weekend forecasts ​for Friday through Monday but rank as the smallest opening for any “Star Wars” film ⁠under Disney.

The new film cost much less to make than other “Star Wars” instalments, setting a lower ​bar for profitability.

“Mandalorian and Grogu,” the first “Star Wars” movie in seven years, tells the story of a ​helmeted bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) and his small, green sidekick nicknamed Baby Yoda. The duo debuted on television in the Disney+ streaming series “The Mandalorian” in 2019 and made Baby Yoda a pop culture sensation.

Putting the character on the big ​screen will help jump-start sales of Grogu toys and T-shirts, said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst ​at Exhibitor Relations Co. More than 13 million Grogu toys were sold in the first two years after the ‌TV ⁠series debuted.

“What Disney really wants this film to do is stabilise the ‘Star Wars’ universe. I think this helps do that,” Bock said of the opening weekend numbers.

Disney put new “Star Wars” movies on hold after 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker” to re-evaluate its big-screen strategy. Executives concluded they had released too ​many “Star Wars” films in ​theatres too quickly.

Disney’s lowest-grossing “Star ⁠Wars” film, “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” brought in $103 million over the 2018 Memorial Day weekend and was considered a flop.

The “Grogu” movie, however, had a smaller ​production budget than most other “Star Wars” movies, costing about $165 million to make ​rather than the ⁠typical $300 million-plus.

Audiences were more enthusiastic about “Grogu” than critics. Verified moviegoers gave the movie an 89% positive score, compared with 62% of critics, according to the Rotten Tomatoes website.

“Star Wars” debuted in 1977 and became one ⁠of the highest-grossing ​movie franchises of all time with more than $10 billion in ​global ticket sales.

Disney purchased the franchise from creator George Lucas in 2012.

The next movie, “Star Wars: Starfighter” featuring Ryan Gosling, is ​scheduled to hit cinemas in May 2027.