Key Takeaways:
– The Garfield Movie nearly topped Furiosa, with earnings of $31.1 million compared to Furiosa’s $32 million.
– Despite being more costly to produce, Furiosa beat out Garfield over the holiday weekend.
– Furiosa’s success at the box office depends largely on foreign earnings.
– The Garfield movie was less expensive to produce and is likely to deliver a profit for distributor Sony Pictures.
– Subsequent weekends and audience word-of-mouth could greatly impact Furiosa’s earnings.
Box Office Champions
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga won a close box office battle over the holiday weekend, earning $32 million over The Garfield Movie’s $31.1 million, according to the official figures released by Comscore. Despite the odds, this George Miller epic retained a tenuous lead, even though some analysts had predicted ‘The Garfield Movie’ to be the weekend’s top earner.
The Cost of Earnings
While Furiosa came out ahead by a small margin, keep in mind that The Garfield Movie had a significantly lower production budget. Hence, Sony Pictures, Garfield’s distributor, is unlikely to consider this a loss. Even though Furiosa topped the charts, it still depends heavily on international earnings to break even, having already made $33 million globally.
In Comparison with Predecessors
Its predecessor, Mad Max: Fury Road, garnered a whopping $379 million worldwide total. Whether Furiosa will match this, though, is uncertain. The lack of considerable competition in the coming week might allow Furiosa to hold onto its top spot, albeit with a decrease in earnings.
Initial Projections Vs Reality
Initial predictions had set the bar high, with experts expecting an opening of no less than $40 million for Furiosa. In reality, it grossed only $25.55 million, ascending to the top spot with the lowest holiday weekend gross since Return of the Jedi in 1983. The silver lining, however, is that it managed to earn more than The Garfield Movie, which made $24.775 million.
Public Reception
Both Garfield and Furiosa managed to acquire good, but not exceptional B+ CinemaScore ratings, suggesting a warm, rather than a hot, reception. In Furiosa’s case, the marketing strategy, which overly centered it around Anya Taylor-Joy while it was actually an ensemble, might have triggered mixed reactions among the audience.
Looking Ahead
Compared to The Super Mario Bros Movie, The Garfield Movie opened with lower earnings. However, thanks to its reasonable production costs, it is still expected to turn a handsome profit. Domestic earnings, coupled with lack of strong competition until the arrival of Despicable Me 4 in July, should work in its favor. Consequently, The Garfield Movie might possibly outdo other films released this month, including Furiosa.
On the other hand, Furiosa has the advantage of minimal competition next weekend. Consequently, it could theoretically maintain its leading position, albeit with a modest decline in earnings. With public word-of-mouth and the potential for repeat business, Furiosa might rise to the occasion and emulate the success of its predecessor, Mad Max: Fury Road.
Keep watching this space for more box-office updates and feel free to share your thoughts on these films in the comments!
