‘Furiosa’ Wins Awful Memorial Day Frame With $32M+, But ‘Garfield’ Will Bite Back Next Weekend – Tuesday Update

Anthony D'Alessandro
·9 min read

TUESDAY PM: So, at the end of the day, The Garfield Movie did not beat Warner Bros’ Furiosa for the No. 1 spot over an extremely poor Memorial Day weekend that saw all movies gross $132.1M per ComScore. Here’s the good news: It wasn’t as low as Memorial Day weekend 2021 when theaters were reopening post Covid, that 4-day posting $97.8M. This weekend was +35% over that point and -20% off from last Memorial Day when Disney’s The Little Mermaid led the chart with $118.8M.

Furiosa, boasted by 50% of its business from PLFs and Imax –meaning that’s how fanboys chose to watch the movie–saw a 4-day of $32.3M while Alcon/Sony’s The Garfield Movie settled for $31.2M. It was expected that matinees would rally Garfield on Sunday and Monday, however, that really only happened yesterday when the comic strip feline led all titles with $7.2M. Bad storms in the South kept audiences at bay, this despite a strong turnout from Latino and Hispanic crowds at 44%. Furiosa made $6M on Monday, while Paramount’s second Monday of IF was nickels ahead at $6.1M. 4-day for IF was $22.3M with a running total of $64.8M. The movie also flew past $100M worldwide.

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But with no major studio wide release next weekend, the only ones being IFC’s In a Violent Nature, Crunchyroll’s Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, Bleecker Street’s Ezra and Roadside Attraction’s Summer Camp, many figure it’s Garfield‘s weekend to lose with at least a -50% hold off its $24M 3-day for $12M to Furiosa‘s at least -60% decline from its 3-day of $26.3M for $10.5M.

MONDAY AM: Warner Bros.’ Furiosa had the edge over The Garfield Movie on Sunday, $7.6M to $7.4M, which is putting her ahead on the four-day estimates of the orange cat, $32M to $31.1M.

Many were expecting Garfield to own matinees yesterday. The movie showed a strong Hispanic and Latino audience turnout at 38% throughout the weekend, and the notion is that bad weather in the South kept moviegoers inside. There is still a world as of tomorrow AM whereby Garfield bests the George Miller Mad Max prequel. In regards to admissions, EntTelligence shows more people going to Garfield over Furiosa, 2.8M to 2.1M and that’s because the cat’s average ticket prices were lower than the one-armed desert renegade, $11.87 to $13.73.

Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider

Everyone who thinks that this past Memorial Day weekend was some sort of doomsday at the box office has to get a grip as it all boils down to product: Female-led action movies, outside of franchise pics Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, have always been challenged as a sub-genre at the box office, and Furiosa‘s 3-day ($26.3M) and 4-day are in the realm of such movies as the 2018 Alicia Vikander Tomb Raider ($23.6M 3-day), and even 2019’s Alita ($28.5M 3-day, $37.2M 4-day). Hope for a better summer resides in the first day presales for Disney/Marvel Studios’ Deadpool and Wolverine which are the best for an R-rated movie at $8M+; that Shawn Levy directed threequel opening on July 26.

Also, as we mentioned, Memorial Day weekend more often than not is the best place for a major studio to hide a tentpole which might not work, and that’s because they’ll get the extra day of grosses. Among the misfires launched over the frame are 2010’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($37.8M 4-day), 2015’s Tomorrowland ($42.6M) and 2016’s Alice Through the Looking Glass ($33.5M). Furiosa is by far not the first movie which hasn’t worked over the holiday.

AMC Lincoln Square in NYC was the best theater for Furiosa at $170K, while Garfield‘s was the AMC Burbank with close to $47K.

As we told you yesterday in regards to dollars and cents on Garfield, it’s a win for Alcon and Sony, the animated pic only costing $60M before P&A and global grosses at $97.6M.

Without a studio wide release next weekend due to the lack of product on account of the strikes, it will be a downer weekend for sure. What Furiosa won’t have that Mad Max: Fury Road did was the ability to play into a holiday weekend. That perk went to No. 3 family pic, IF, from Paramount which posted a second weekend of $16.1M, -52%, 4-day of $21M, domestic of $63.5M and worldwide of $100M. Sony hopes to rev everything back up again with Bad Boys: Ride or Die on June 7 which is eyeing a $50M start. Domestic through 11 days is pacing 5% ahead of Ryan Reynolds’ original action PG-13 pic, Free Guy, which ended its run at $121.6M.

1.) Furiosa (WB) 3,804 theaters, Fri $10.35M, Sat $8.3M Sun $7.6M Mon $5.7M 3-day $26.3M 4-day $32M/Wk 1

2.) The Garfield Movie (Alcon/Sony) 4,035 theaters, Fri $8.4M Sat $8.2M Sun $7.4M Mon $7M 3-day $24M 4-day $31.1M /Wk 1

3.) If (Par) 4,068 theaters (+27) Fri $4.3M (-59%) Sat $6.1M Sat $5.7M Mon $4.8M 3-day $16.1M (-52%), 4-day $21M, Total $63.5M/Wk 2

4.) Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (20th/Dis) 3,550 (-525) theaters, Fri $3.4M (-50%) Sat $5.1M Sun $4.9M Mon $3.8M 3-day $13.4M (-47%), 4-day $17.2M, Total $126.6M/Wk 3

5.) Fall Guy (Uni) 2,955 (-890) theaters, Fri $1.6M (-32%), Sat $2.29M Sun $2M Mon $1.66M 3-day $5.99M (-28%),4-day $7.65M Total $73.9M/Wk 4

Froy Gutierrez as “Ryan” and Madelaine Petsch as “Maya” in THE STRANGERS Trilogy, a Lionsgate release.
Froy Gutierrez as “Ryan” and Madelaine Petsch as “Maya” in THE STRANGERS Trilogy, a Lionsgate release.

6.) Strangers -Chapter 1 (LG) 2,856 theaters, Fri $1.65M (-68%) Sat $2M Sun $1.84M Mon $1.34M 3-day $5.5M (-53%)4-day $6.9M Total $22.6M/Wk 2
The reboot of the horror franchise from Renny Harlin is pacing 20% ahead of the 2018 predecessor, The Strangers: Prey at Night, that movie having finaled at $24.5M stateside.

7.) Sight (Angel) 2100 theaters Fri $1M Sat $886K Sun $810K Mon $800M 3-day $2.79M 4-day $3.6M/Wk 1

8.) Challengers (AMZ MGM) 1,089 (-849) theaters, Fri $438K (-53%) Sat $483K Sun $494K Mon $346K 3-day $1.41M (-51%) 4-day $1.76M/Total $46.8M/ Wk 3

9.) Back to Black (Foc) 2013 theaters (+3), Fri $300K (-75%) Sat $400K Sun $380K Mon $270K 3-day $1.08M (-62%), 4-day $1.35M, Total $5.2M/Wk 2

10.) Babes (NEON) 590 (+578) theaters, Fri $480K (+603%), Sat $300K Sun $280K Mond $168K 3-day $1.06M (+550%), 4-day $1.22M, Total $2M/Wk 2

EARLY SUNDAY AM UPDATE: The 4-day fight between Warner Bros’ Furiosa and Alcon/Sony’s The Garfield Movie will drag out into Monday, both titles currently in a dead heat, eyeing $31M over 4-days, $25M over 3-days.

There are those showing the 48-year old comic strip feline eating the one-armed desert renegade’s lunch with $31M to $30.96M, but it’s too close to call right now. In regards to Garfield upsetting Furiosa, we told you this was in the cards.

Whether Garfield or Furiosa wins, it will be the lowest opening for a Memorial Day weekend No. 1 title in 29 years, the last being 1995’s Casper at $22M.

After beating Furiosa on Saturday, $8.3M to $8M, Garfield looks to have the edge over it on Sunday and Monday. Garfield is booked at 4,035 boosted by some PLFS. Furiosa is in play at 3,804 juiced by 400 Imax auditoriums, Dolby, 4DX, D-box, etc.

Some blame Warners for starting the last leg of their campaign too late in May. Realize that they did kick off Furiosa in late Q4 at Brazilian Comic-Con with Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth in tow. That’s a pretty big platform to blast word of mouth off from, and it’s the same place Warners re-ignited the campaign for Legendary’s Dune: Part Two. Others believe that the slowdown here stems from Taylor-Joy taking over the title role from Charlize Theron. However, anyway you cut it, the reality is that Furiosa and Mad Max appeal to a finite fanboy, largely male audience. It’s R-rated, not five quad, which is why there wasn’t a lot of heat coming off of the first trailer drop in November.

In PostTrak exits, 52% said they went to Furiosa because it was part of a franchise they love, while 34% cited director George Miller, 32% cited Taylor-Joy, and 25% Chris Hemsworth. In regards to Garfield, the overall reason why people bought tickets was because it looked fun.

Sony and Alcon are high that they’ve revived Garfield, and who can disagree. Pic’s opening even on a 3-day beats the previous debuts of 2006’s Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties ($7.2M 3-day) and 2004’s Garfield: The Movie, which opened to $21.7M. The Garfield Movie off a $60M production cost before P&A is bound to be profitable, with $50M already in the till from its offshore release.

Paramount’s IF at 4,068 theaters is still third, with a $15.6M second weekend, -54%, after a $6M Saturday, +41% from Friday’s $4.3M. 4-day is $20.2M, running total by EOD Monday is $62.7M.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes from 20th Century Studios/Disney at 3,550 theaters posted $5M Saturday, +48% over Friday. Third weekend is $12.8M, -50%, 4-day is $16.5M, and running total is $125.9M. The pic became the first title of summer 2024 to cross $100M last weekend. See, there is some pulse in the marketplace.

Fifth goes to Universal’s Fall Guy at 2,955 with a $2.3M Saturday, +44%, for a 3-day of $6M, 4-day of $7.6M and running total by end of Monday of $73.8M.

Angel Studios’ faith-based title Sight is crashing with $830K Saturday, off 24% from Friday’s $1M which translates to a 3-day of $2.8M and 4-day of $3.6M.

For the first part of our weekend analysis, and why we shouldn’t worry about the fate of theatrical, click here.

We’ll have more updates for you on Monday.

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