“Furiosa”: A disastrous opening weekend in the US

“Furiosa”
A disastrous opening weekend in the US

After the early numbers suggested a draw: “Furiosa” won the battle over “Garfield” at the box office over the long weekend in America. The “Mad Max Saga” stars Anya Taylor-Joy, 28, and Chris Hemsworth, 40. According to US media It earned $32 million from Friday to Monday. “Garfield: The Extravaganza” landed at a projected $31 million. In the United States, Memorial Day was observed on Monday to remember the fallen soldiers.

Worst “Memorial Day” winner in nearly 30 years

The win over “Garfield” isn't really cause for celebration for the producers around director George Miller, 79. Because “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is the worst “Memorial Day” winner in nearly 30 years — except for the pandemic year of 2020. In 1995, the friendly comedy ghost movie adventure “Casper” grossed only $22 million. Last year, Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid grossed $118 million over the holidays.

Reasons for “Furiosa's” False Start

“Mad Max: Fury Road,” the predecessor to “Furiosa,” grossed $45 million in its first weekend in 2015 — that too in three days. In total, the film, which stars Tom Hardy, 46, as the title character and Charlize Theron, 48, as Furiosa, grossed $380 million worldwide. The “Mad Max” movies weren't a definitive end, not even the first three with Mel Gibson, 68, who were huge box office hits anyway.

Prequels like “Furiosa” are generally less successful than sequels. Especially if they have a different cast than the original. Despite having a female lead character, “Furiosa” failed to reach a target group other than the original “Mad Max” audience: older men. To be a blockbuster, a movie must reach all the major audiences.

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