The summer movie season is off to a slow start with Memorial Day weekend box office numbers hitting a two-decade low. Despite the release of highly anticipated films like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie,” both failed to push ticket sales significantly. “Furiosa” claimed the top spot for the weekend with $25.6 million, while “The Garfield Movie” took the lead for the four-day holiday weekend earning an estimated $31.9 million. These numbers mark the lowest earning No. 1 movies in 29 years, apart from last year when theaters were closed due to COVID-19.
Analysts attribute the lackluster box office performance to several factors, including the absence of a Marvel movie and the overall slow start to the summer movie season. Despite positive reviews and buzz surrounding “Furiosa,” the film fell short of expectations, opening in the $40 million range instead of the projected $100 million range. The movie, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, has a reported production budget of $168 million and faces a challenging road to profitability.
“The Garfield Movie,” a more modestly budgeted film at $60 million, fared better than “Furiosa” and is being viewed as a solid launch for the franchise. Despite scathing reviews from critics, the movie received a B+ CinemaScore from audiences. Other films like “IF” and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” also contributed to the holiday weekend box office, but overall ticket sales are on track to fall short of previous summer seasons.
The lack of a breakout hit in the early summer months has put pressure on upcoming films to deliver big numbers at the box office. Major releases on the horizon include “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Despicable Me 4,” and “Twisters,” with high expectations for their performance. The industry is hopeful that the summer movie season will pick up momentum as more blockbuster films are released in the coming weeks. Despite the slow start, there is still optimism for a successful season at the box office.
As studios await final domestic box office figures, the overall ticket sales for the weekend paint a grim picture for the summer movie season. With major releases yet to hit theaters, the industry is banking on future films to drive audiences back to cinemas. The pressure is on for upcoming blockbusters to deliver strong performances and help boost ticket sales for the remainder of the summer. Despite the challenges, analysts remain hopeful that the tide will turn as more big-budget films hit theaters in the coming weeks.
