In a closely contested battle at the holiday box office, 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' emerged victorious over 'The Garfield Movie' by a slim margin. Studio estimates on Monday revealed that 'Furiosa' raked in an estimated $32 million in ticket sales over the four-day weekend, edging out 'The Garfield Movie,' which earned $31.1 million in its debut.
While final numbers are yet to be confirmed, Warner Bros. currently holds the top spot at the box office. 'Furiosa' has also garnered $64.8 million globally, including international screenings. Despite its strong start, the film, with a production budget of $168 million and starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, still has a long way to go to achieve profitability.
For Sony, the launch of 'The Garfield Movie' marks a win, even though it fell slightly behind 'Furiosa.' The animated film, featuring the voice of Chris Pratt, is expected to have a successful run at the box office, especially with the summer holidays commencing for school-age children. With an early international release, 'The Garfield Movie' has already grossed over $91.1 million against its $60 million production budget.
However, the Memorial Day weekend box office performance has been lackluster for Hollywood, marking one of the worst showings in decades, excluding the pandemic-impacted year of 2020. Ticket sales are down by 22% compared to 2023, and the gap may widen as the summer progresses.
Notably, the current box office landscape is a far cry from last year when the industry was gearing up for the release of 'Barbenheimer.' The weekend's estimated ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters are as follows:
- 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' - $32 million
- 'The Garfield Movie' - $31.1 million
- 'IF' - $21 million
- 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' - $17.2 million
- 'The Fall Guy' - $7.7 million
- 'The Strangers: Chapter 1' - $6.9 million
- 'Sight' - $3.6 million
- 'Challengers' - $1.8 million
- 'Back to Black' - $1.4 million
- 'Babes' - $1.2 million
