“Furiosa” and “The Garfield Movie” Struggle at Box Office Over Memorial Day Weekend

Movie theaters experienced low turnout over Memorial Day weekend 2024, marking one of the lowest-grossing periods in nearly three decades. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, led the Friday-to-Sunday box office with $25.6 million according to Warner Bros. estimates. The film, a prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” eventually estimated $31 million through Monday.

Meanwhile, “The Garfield Movie,” voiced by Chris Pratt, claimed No. 1 for the four-day holiday with $31.9 million, according to Sony’s Columbia Pictures and Alcon Entertainment. Both films earned a B-plus CinemaScore from audiences.

Despite “Furiosa” premiering at the Cannes Film Festival to strong reviews (89% on Rotten Tomatoes), it fell short of its estimated $40 million debut. With a production budget of $168 million, the film faces a lengthy path to profitability. “The Garfield Movie,” with a budget of $60 million, received negative critical reviews (37% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Other films, including “If” by John Krasinski and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” continued to perform decently but did not reach blockbuster levels. 2024 has yet to see a film break $100 million on opening weekend, leading to higher expectations for upcoming potential hits like “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Despicable Me 4,” and Disney’s “Inside Out 2.”

The lackluster results saw the total estimated revenue for the weekend at approximately $125 million, significantly down from previous years. Nonetheless, industry optimism remains for the coming summer releases.