The highly anticipated face-off between Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Garfield Movie couldn’t have resulted more disappointingly for fans and the box office alike.
Furiosa’s Lackluster Performance
George Miller‘s return to the dusty vistas of the Mad Max universe with Furiosa, featuring Anya Taylor-Joy, managed a modest $25.6 million from Thursday night to Sunday. As Memorial Day weekend progressed, it was projected to top out at a four-day gross of $31 million, securing one of the lowest No. 1 openings in nearly three decades.
A Garfield Shock
Sony’s The Garfield Movie, voiced by Chris Pratt, went toe-to-toe with Furiosa. Despite neither film wowing critics—both earning a B+ CinemaScore—Garfield‘s animated capers clawed ahead to claim victory with an estimated $31.9 million over the four-day holiday.
This domestic medley performed tepidly compared to previous years, clocking in at an underwhelming combined revenue when blockbusters were expected to reign supreme.
Cinematic Reflections
Critical reception highlights stark differences between Miller’s 2015 gem, Fury Road, and the new prequel. While Fury Road was raw and grounded, critics found that Furiosa feels like a dream-like reality.
The box office shortfall is also attributed to changing audience tastes. Audiences’ tastes are changing, and it feels like they want more challenging fare,
said Paul Dergarabedian.
The Broader Impact
The Memorial Day box office landscape paints a sobering picture: cinema-goers just aren’t flocking back like before. The comparative revenue across recent years underscores this cinematic lull as theaters struggle against prequels fatigue and programming gaps without tentpole Marvel releases kicking off summers.
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