Warner Bros.’ latest blockbuster, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, claimed the top spot during the coveted Memorial Day weekend, driving total box office receipts to $101.1 million.
This is a notable achievement, though it falls short of previous years’ Memorial Day totals. Last year, Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid opened with $95.6 million, contributing to a weekend total of $163.1 million. Two years ago, Top Gun: Maverick set a high bar with a $126.7 million debut, leading to a three-day total of $177.2 million for all films.
In stark contrast, Furiosa’s opening weekend brought in just $25.6 million, which is 56% of what Fury Road earned nine years ago. With a production budget of $168 million, the film will need to gross $420 million worldwide to reach profitability, a daunting task given its lukewarm opening. The future of the Mad Max series, including the planned sequel Mad Max: The Wasteland, may hinge on Furiosa’s” performance and the willingness of director George Miller, who turns 80 in 2025, to helm another installment.
Comparatively, this year’s Memorial Day box office numbers are the lowest since 1999 (excluding the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021), when Star Wars: Episode One – The Phantom Menace was the top film in theaters during its second week. Interestingly, Fathom Events recently re-released “The Phantom Menace” to mark its 25th anniversary earlier this month. The ongoing slump in 2024’s box office revenues remains evident, with totals 24% lower than those of 2023 as of last Thursday.
Critics have praised Furiosa for its thrilling action sequences and the depth it brings to its characters. The film holds an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences rating it even higher at 91%.
REELated:
The Garfield Movie Surprises with Strong Opening
Sony’s The Garfield Movie secured second place with a solid $24.8 million opening weekend. The film features the iconic orange tabby cat created by Jim Davis, who first appeared in a 1976 comic strip. Initially named Jon, the character was renamed Garfield two years later when the comic went national. Known for his laziness, sarcasm, and love of lasagna, Garfield holds the Guinness World Record for the most widely circulated comic, appearing in 2,580 newspapers by 2013.
The Garfield Movie is the franchise’s first animated feature, with property rights split between Paramount (comics, merchandise, and TV cartoons), Disney (live-action films via 20th Century Fox), and Sony (animated features).
Directed by Mark Dindal, known for Cats Don’t Dance (1997), The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), and Chicken Little (2005), the film stars Chris Pratt as Garfield and Samuel L. Jackson as his father, Vic, alongside Hannah Waddingham and Ving Rhames.
The plot follows Garfield and his canine friend Odie as they join Vic in a risky heist adventure. While critics gave it a low 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences were more favorable, awarding it an 83% score. With a $60 million production budget, The Garfield Movie needs to gross $150 million worldwide to be profitable. It has already generated $49.0 million from 13 international markets.
In more positive news, Disney announced this week that Deadpool & Wolverine has sold $8 million in advance tickets for its opening day on July 26th. This sets a new record for opening day advance ticket sales for an R-rated film, suggesting that Marvel’s next MCU blockbuster could be one of the year’s top performers.
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