Sunday, December 22, 2024

Furiosa the $168m FLOP! Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth’s Mad Max Saga manages just $25.5m over the slowest Memorial Day weekend in nearly 30 YEARS

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The four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend is typically one of the biggest box office events of the year… though that is not the case this year.

Furiosa – which starred Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character – barely edged out The Garfield Movie to win this coveted weekend, for now, though they may swap spots when the four-day numbers are released Monday.

Furiosa topped the box office with an estimated $25.5 million, via Deadline, with The Garfield Movie just behind at $24.8 million. 

It looks set to be the lowest Memorial Day weekend at the box office in 29 years, since Casper topped the box office in late May 1995 with $22 million, not counting the 2020 box office when theaters were closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

While Warner Bros. is waiting until Monday to release its four-day estimates for Furiosa, Sony has The Garfield Movie taking in $31.8 million over the holiday frame.

The four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend is typically one of the biggest box office events of the year… though that is not the case this year

While Warner Bros. is waiting until Monday to release its four-day estimates for Furiosa, Sony has The Garfield Movie taking in $31.8 million over the holiday frame.

Furiosa screened in 3,804 theaters over the holiday weekend, earning a solid $6,703 per-screen average.

The soft debut means there is a long road ahead for the film, which has a lofty production budget of $168 million, not counting publicity and advertising.

The film – a prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road – didn’t fare much better in foreign markets, with a $33.3 million opening from 76 foreign markets, for a worldwide debut of $58.8 million.

Many box office analysts had projected a debut for Furiosa in the $40 million to $50 million range, but, much like The Fall Guy, it fell well under expectations.

Much like The Fall Guy (81% on Rotten Tomatoes), the critics embraced Furiosa as well, earning an 89% rating on RT.

Still, the strong critical reception and word-of-mouth from its various premieres still couldn’t pave the way for Furiosa to succeed at the box office. 

Furiosa is a prequel to the 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, with Anya Taylor-Joy playing a younger version of the title character first played by Charlize Theron. 

The film is set over a 16-year period in Furiosa’s life, set years after a global catastrophe that has turned Australia into a radioactive wasteland.

Furiosa is a prequel to the 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, with Anya Taylor-Joy playing a younger version of the title character first played by Charlize Theron

Furiosa is a prequel to the 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, with Anya Taylor-Joy playing a younger version of the title character first played by Charlize Theron

Furiosa screened in 3,804 theaters over the holiday weekend, earning a solid $6,703 per-screen average

The soft debut means there is a long road ahead for the film, which has a lofty production budget of $168 million, not counting publicity and advertising

The soft debut means there is a long road ahead for the film, which has a lofty production budget of $168 million, not counting publicity and advertising

The film - a prequel to 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road - didn't fare much better in foreign markets, with a $33.3 million opening from 76 foreign markets, for a worldwide debut of $58.8 million.

The film – a prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road – didn’t fare much better in foreign markets, with a $33.3 million opening from 76 foreign markets, for a worldwide debut of $58.8 million.

The Garfield Movie debuted to much worse reviews - just a 37% rating on RT - but still managed to make it a close race at the box office with $24.8 million

The Garfield Movie debuted to much worse reviews – just a 37% rating on RT – but still managed to make it a close race at the box office with $24.8 million

The Garfield Movie debuted to much worse reviews - just a 37% rating on RT - but still managed to make it a close race at the box office with $24.8 million

The Garfield Movie debuted to much worse reviews – just a 37% rating on RT – but still managed to make it a close race at the box office with $24.8 million

The film follows Furiosa from when she was just 10 years old (Alyla Brown) and was abducted by Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), leader of the Biker Horde. 

Furiosa also stars Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack, Lachy Hulme as Immortan Joe and Angus Sampson as the Organic Mechanic. 

The Garfield Movie debuted to much worse reviews – just a 37% rating on RT – but still managed to make it a close race at the box office with $24.8 million.

The Sony animated film starring Chris Pratt was shown in 4,035 theaters, pulling in  a decent $6,140 per-screen average.

It took in an additional $66.3 million in foreign markets for a worldwide debut of $98.1 million.

The Garfield Movie debuted to much worse reviews – just a 37% rating on RT – but still managed to make it a close race at the box office with $24.8 million.

The top 5 was rounded out by holdovers IF ($16.1 million), Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ($13.4 million) and The Fall Guy ($5.9 million).

The top 10 is rounded out by The Strangers: Chapter 1 ($5.6 million), Sight ($2.7 million), Challengers ($1.4 million), Babes ($1.1 million) and Back to Black ($1.1 million).

Next weekend brings Summer Camp starring Kathy Bates in wide release with Young Woman and the Sea debuting in limited release. 

1. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” $25.5 million.

2. “The Garfield Movie,” $24.8 million.

3. “IF,” $16.1 million.

4. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” $13.4 million.

5. “The Fall Guy,” $5.9 million.

6. “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” $5.6 million.

7. “Sight,” $2.7 million.”

8. “Challengers,” $1.4 million.

9. “Babes,” $1.1 million.

10. “Back to Black,” $1.1 million.

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