The disappointment of the biggest Hollywood blockbuster of summer 2024

Furiosa didn't open as well as expected.

Hollywood once had faith in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Garfield Movie will attract a large audience to theaters in the summer of 2024. However, the performance of the two films in theaters on Memorial Day is contrary to expectations.

Warner Bros. reports Furiosa has earned just $25.6 million through May 26. The film is in a tight race for the uninspired top spot with Sony's animated The Garfield Movie, which brought in $24.8 million over the weekend and is expected to earn $31 million in four days.

"Neither could salvage the weekend. It was Hollywood's worst Memorial Day opening weekend," the AP reported.

Why the "Mad Max" prequel wasn't a box office hit

Not only was it ignored by North American audiences, Furiosa is also reportedly languishing at the international box office, grossing just $33.3 million from 75 territories. Its global total now stands at a modest $58.9 million .

At this slow pace, the chances of the fifth installment in director George Miller's post-apocalyptic series making a profit are slim. The film cost $168 million to produce (not including a massive promotional tour with a stop at the 77th Cannes Film Festival), so it needs to earn at least $380 million - $400 million .

David A. Gross, executive director of film consultancy Franchise Entertainment Research, said Furiosa had a poor opening for several reasons. According to him, prequels like Furiosa lack appeal because they don't feature the stars from the original series.

He cited the case of Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) - a standalone film about the young Han Solo - one of the most important heroes in the Star Wars universe, meeting the stature of a blockbuster with eye-catching battles. But when compared to Rogue One, The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi, it is clearly the worst part, bland and forgettable. The biggest flaw of the film lies in the character development.

Or, even The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023) grossed $337 million , but it also failed to live up to the original Hunger Games story due to the absence of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. But thanks to Lionsgate spending less on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes than its predecessors, the prequel was a financial success.

"In the case of Furiosa, Warner Bros. apparently did not take this into consideration and did not cut costs, resulting in the film having to set higher standards for profitability," wrote Variety.

"Furiosa reaffirms the notion that prequels with reimagined characters are a hard sell to mainstream audiences," said Shawn Robbin, founder of Box Office Theory.

Before Furiosa, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron also fell into a similar situation. Hailed as one of the best action movies, this movie was not exactly a box office hit. The movie opened with $45 million and grossed a total of $380 million against a $150 million budget, which was not too profitable. Mad Max: Fury Road did not even make the top 20 highest-grossing movies of 2015.

Mad Max, a 45-year-old series beloved by film buffs, has yet to resonate with mainstream audiences. Furiosa, in particular, has been criticized for not reaching out to older audiences in a meaningful way.

When does summer movie season kick into gear?

Memorial Day holiday revenue at theaters in the U.S. and Canada fell sharply compared to the same period last year, Comscore said, leaving theater owners worried.

The 2024 summer movie season is off to a slower start than usual.

In addition to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Garfield Movie, other films screened during the event include Paramount's If is expected to pocket $21 million , and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is expected to gross $17.1 million after the holiday closes. Meanwhile, The Fall Guy is also expected to sell another $7.6 million in tickets.

"None of these numbers bode well for the summer movie season, which certainly won't hit the $4 billion mark. 2024 is the first year that Marvel won't open the summer, and there aren't many blockbusters in May. Audiences have been lukewarm on most new titles, despite the majority of them being critically acclaimed," Variety wrote.

According to Business Insider, industry giants and theater owners are hoping upcoming releases, including Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2, will boost box office receipts to make up for initially sluggish profits. Deadpool & Wolverine's release date was moved from May 4 to July 26, after the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed production.

Faced with prolonged disappointment, observers remain optimistic that from the end of June, the theater system will be bustling again with Despicable Me 4, Twisters, A Quiet Place: Day One and Horizon: An America Saga.

"This summer movie season is off to a slower-than-expected start, but I believe the next two months will pick up steam," said Shawn Robbin, founder of Box Office Theory.

TB (according to Znews)

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