Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hasn't exactly raced away from The Garfield Movie at the North American box office this long Memorial Day weekend. According to Deadline, they're in a dead heat of $31 million over four days and $25 million over three days.
One will ultimately emerge victorious but, as we write this, it's simply too soon to tell.
Critics didn't have kind things to say about The Garfield Movie, something that's evident from its 37% Rotten Tomatoes score. In contrast, Furiosa is "Certified Fresh" with 89%.
Unfortunately, no matter who wins, it appears theaters will lose. This is the lowest opening for a Memorial Day weekend in 29 years since 1995 saw Casper open with a mere $22 million.
Where did it go wrong? The trade believes Warner Bros. Discovery waited too long to start hyping Furiosa, with the last leg of the marketing campaign not kicking off until late May. Other insiders believe Anya Taylor-Joy simply isn't the draw that Charlize Theron was when Mad Max: Fury Road was released in 2015, though that seems a little unfair when Chris Hemsworth is co-starring.
As for The Garfield Movie's struggles, we can likely blame the negative reviews (which parents with excited children are unlikely to care, everyone else almost certainly will take note of them).
Interestingly enough, that and Furiosa have received the same CinemaScore from moviegoers...
As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.
Anya Taylor-Joy stars in the title role, and along with Chris Hemsworth as Dementus, the film also stars Alyla Browne and Tom Burke.
Miller penned the script with Mad Max: Fury Road co-writer Nico Lathouris. The filmmaker has enlisted an impressive creative team, including several of his longtime collaborators (including costume designer Jenny Beavan and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, both of whom won an Oscar for their work on Fury Road).
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrives in theaters in North America on May 24 and internationally beginning on May 22.