The hit show The Mandalorian is coming out with its third season next year. It has a big fan base that is expected to grow even larger.
The series also has a big budget that is comparable to the final season of The Game of Thrones. It costs a lot to make a live-action Star Wars show that appeals to existing and new fans alike.
How much did The Mandalorian cost and earn? The show cost as much as a movie production and its earnings have come in the form of franchise value.
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The Mandalorian Budget
During season 1 of The Mandalorian, the series drew attention not only for its compelling cast and story, but also for its production costs.
The show had a stunning budget of $100 million for the first eight episodes. That figure breaks down to about $12.5 million per episode and is quite costly for a “small-screen” production.
Other sources place the per episode cost at $15 million, which raises its production standards even higher.
With either estimate, this television series’ budget is comparable to movie productions. The average budget for a Hollywood movie is about $65 million.
Once you add in the marketing costs, the average goes to about $100 million. This is the same amount as the budget for The Mandalorian.
Marketing expenses are what really drive up the costs of movies. The budgets for movie productions include putting them in theaters (distribution), trailers, and other marketing efforts.
Although The Mandalorian is a television show, it has comparable costs. Yet, it also has a way to reduce expenses.
By streaming the show, Disney+ reduces its expenses and can make a better return. So, the company must have made big profits…
Mandalorian Earnings
Given the show’s budget, audiences expected The Mandalorian to do well with its earnings. The opposite was true for season 1.
Because of its large budget, the series lost money, around $2 million in total. The main reason is the gap between that movie-size budget and the low cost of a Disney+ subscription.
Someone can get a basic subscription for $7.99 per month. That low rate apparently counteracted the potential reduction in marketing costs and added up to losses, not earnings.
However, one of the goals of The Mandalorian was to earn Disney+ viewers, and the show has certainly done that.
By early 2021, The Mandalorian had helped Disney+ get over 90 million subscribers. By 2024, Disney+ is projected to gain over 230 million subscribers. The streaming business is going well for Disney, and that is where we see earnings.
The Mandalorian and Other Shows
The Mandalorian has also been outdone by other shows in terms of budget.
For example, the Hawkeye series is estimated to have cost $150 million total or about $25 million per episode. As with The Mandalorian, the Hawkeye show is comparable to a movie budget, such as MCU’s Captain Marvel.
Other Marvel shows like Loki also cost about $25 million per episode.
The Prime Video show The Rings of Power is reportedly the most costly television program yet. This show’s total budget is $715 million, with the first episode taking up $465 million.
So, The Mandalorian is not alone with these types of budget ventures.
Within the Star Wars universe, The Book of Boba Fett cost about the same as The Mandalorian, while next year’s Skeleton Crew is estimated to cost around $136 million.
These shows, like The Mandalorian, aim to build up Disney+, draw in new Star Wars fans, and expand the franchise.
The Mandalorian was the first show out of the gate and set the precedent for high production, alluring shows that helped set up not just The Book of Boba Fett, but also Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor.
The Mandalorian and the Star Wars Franchise
For Disney+, The Mandalorian served as the launching show for its streaming service. That move certainly paid off. This year it was reported that this series had the highest streaming rate of all the Disney+ programs.
That means it surpassed other Lucasfilm shows, like The Book of Boba Fett, and Marvel series too, such as WandaVision. The show also helped Disney+ compete with rivals such as Netflix and Amazon Video.
As we get close to season 3 of the series, it has become evident how valuable the show is not only to Disney+ but to the whole Star Wars franchise.
As the show developed beyond a bounty hunter story and became a central element of the franchise, fans have even been pressing for a Mandalorian movie.
Whether a movie will happen is not certain, but the series has spawned a new wave of Star Wars shows.
Some of the reasons why the show has done so well include its ability to dive deeper into stories, such as with the Sand People. Of course, the main characters Din Djarin and Grogu help appeal to audiences.
Fans have also pointed to the production value, including cinematography and choreography, areas that cost money.
The Cost and Return of The Mandalorian
As a highly successful show, The Mandalorian cost between $12.5 and $15 million per episode. That level of spending is high and similar to movie productions.
Yet, this kind of spending appears to be a rising trend. Some shows, like Marvel’s, cost more than The Mandalorian.
While The Mandalorian has not made positive earnings, this show has expanded its fan base and helped push Disney+ and Star Wars franchise forward.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan who has expanded into writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has written about recent shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor and classic topics like Darth Vader, the Jedi, and Boba Fett. His recent articles include the MCU’s Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Todd is the author of a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.