‘Furiosa’ beats ‘Garfield’ for worst Memorial Day weekend

Garfield has another reason to hate Monday.

At the box office, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” narrowly beat “The Garfield Movie” in the North American charts. On Sunday, Warner Bros. And Sony is at No. 1 for its own film with nearly $25 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million over Memorial Day weekend on Monday.

According to Monday’s estimates, “Furiosa” ended up earning $26.2 million over the weekend and $32 million for the four days. “Garfield” came in a shocking second place with revenues of $24 million over the weekend and $31.1 million over the four days.

Regardless of the final standings, it’s the worst Memorial Day weekend in nearly three decades — with the exception of 2020 when theaters were closed entirely due to the coronavirus. Box office comparisons for the same weekend in 2023 are especially tough — down about 36% — given that Disney’s remake of “The Little Mermaid” took the crown with $118 million, one of the best Which debuted on the holiday. Overall, this Memorial Day extension adds to Hollywood’s summer woes, as ticket sales remain 22% behind 2023 and 41% behind 2019, according to Comscore.

It’s a particularly disappointing showing for “Furiosa,” the fifth entry in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” series. The R-rated film, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, was expected to gross between $40 million and $45 million during the holiday period. Even that wouldn’t be a great start considering the film’s $168 million price tag. Globally, “Furiosa” grossed $65 million. At this rate, it will struggle to live up to the franchise’s predecessor, 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, which opened with $45 million (not over the weekend) and ultimately generated modest box office revenue. $380 million worldwide. Despite the rave reviews, analysts believe Furiosa faltered because prequels rarely do as well as direct sequels, especially when they don’t feature the original stars. And this action epic failed to expand beyond the core demographic of older male moviegoers.

For “Garfield,” which cost $60 million, it’s a good start for a family film while hitting low-end expectations of $30 million to $35 million. The film has already grossed $66.3 million overseas and $91.1 million worldwide, so it’s doing well for its theatrical run. Chris Pratt voices the titular cat who hates Mondays and loves lasagna in “The Garfield Movie,” which is financed and produced by Alcon Entertainment.