Los Angeles, California – The summer box office season got off to a sluggish start during Memorial Day weekend, marking a near 30-year low in ticket sales. This disappointing turnout was largely attributed to lackluster performances from major releases such as “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie.”
“The Garfield Movie” only managed to pull in $31.1 million over the four-day weekend, as estimated by Comscore on Monday. On the other hand, “Furiosa” fared slightly better with $32 million in earnings. However, despite its slightly higher numbers, “Furiosa” now holds the unenviable title of having the lowest-grossing opening for a Memorial Day No. 1 film in nearly three decades, excluding the abnormal year of 2020 when theaters were shut down due to the pandemic.
It’s worth noting that back in 1995, “Casper” took in $22 million during the holiday weekend, not adjusted for inflation, over its first four days. Final box office figures for both “Furiosa” and “The Garfield Movie” are expected to be released later this week.
The lackluster performance of these highly anticipated films has raised concerns within the industry about the overall health of the box office as it tries to recover from the impact of the pandemic. With many theaters operating at reduced capacity or still facing closures in certain regions, the road to box office revival remains uncertain.
Movie studios and theater owners are closely monitoring the situation, looking for ways to entice audiences back to the big screen. Some are hopeful that upcoming releases and potential blockbusters on the horizon will be able to reignite interest in theatrical experiences and boost box office numbers in the coming months.
Despite the slow start to the summer box office season, industry experts remain cautiously optimistic about the future, hoping that audiences will return to theaters as pandemic restrictions ease and more new films hit the big screen. The coming weeks and months will be crucial in determining whether the box office can bounce back from its current slump and begin to thrive once again.
