Garfuriosa
Hollywood had an unremarkable Memorial Day Weekend this year, as the American box office notched an estimated $132M from Friday through Monday — the lowest total gross (excluding the pandemic era) in 26 years, according to data from Box Office Mojo.
Both Furiosa, the 5th installment in the popular Mad Max franchise, and The Garfield Movie, the 6th film in the Garfield cinematic universe, struggled over the long weekend, which is typically a heavy hitter in the box office calendar. Indeed, despite favorable reviews, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga took just $32M over the 4-day period, the lowest gross for a Memorial Day #1 debut since Casper in 1995 (not adjusted for inflation).
Flop era
Hollywood’s holiday disappointment is very much in keeping with what’s been a seriously slow start to 2024 at the US box office, with hopes now pinned to Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine — which is still 2 months out — to save ailing ticket sales and turn the year around following a string of “megaflops”.
Last year, takings across the 4-day period sat at a comparatively gargantuan $204M, while 2022’s was even more impressive at $223M, in no small part thanks to the sensation that was Top Gun: Maverick. The truth, which is hard for cinema-lovers everywhere to reconcile with, is that the box office is just not what it once was, and shows few signs of getting back to its glory days. What’s to blame? Streaming, “sequelitis”, the pandemic, the size of your TV at home... maybe even all of the above.
