After ‘Furiosa’ Misfires, When Will Summer Movie Season Rebound?

Challenges and Hopes for a Bumpy Blockbuster Summer

 

This weekend, the box office resembled more of a wasteland than the fruitful Green Place of Many Mothers. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” underperformed, debuting with $25.6 million between Friday and Sunday and an estimated $31 million through Memorial Day. Instead of ruling the box office as expected, it’s in a shockingly close race for first place with Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie,” which collected $24.8 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through the four days. The overall holiday weekend is the worst it’s been in nearly three decades.

The Disappointing Debut of "Furiosa"

“Furiosa,” the fifth entry in George Miller’s post-apocalyptic series starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, struggled internationally as well, earning $33.3 million from 75 territories. This brings its worldwide tally to $58.9 million, a tough start for a film that cost $168 million to produce, excluding a high-profile global press tour and a stop at Cannes Film Festival.

“This is a weak opening in spite of outstanding reviews and a good audience score,” says David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.

Prequel Challenges and Fan Expectations

Part of the problem lies in the nature of prequels, which seldom perform as well as direct sequels, especially when lacking stars from the original. For instance, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” faced similar issues. Even last November’s “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which became a hit with $337 million against a $100 million budget, didn’t reach the heights of the original “Hunger Games” saga without Jennifer Lawrence. Lionsgate managed to keep costs lower for the prequel, aiding its financial success. However, Warner Bros. did not appear to cut back on spending for “Furiosa,” setting a high bar for profitability.

“‘Furiosa’ is even more fan-heavy than projections indicated,” says Shawn Robbin, founder of Box Office Theory. “It reaffirms that prequels with recast characters are tough sells to casual audiences.”

"Mad Max" Franchise Struggles

Despite the acclaim for 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, it wasn’t a box office sensation, opening with $45 million and ultimately earning $380 million against a similar budget. The “Mad Max” franchise, beloved among cinephiles, hasn’t resonated as strongly with mainstream audiences. This trend continued with “Furiosa,” which, despite a female protagonist, did not significantly expand beyond its core demographic of older male moviegoers.

“With action elements that appeal to younger moviegoers, it will be interesting to see after the dust settles if ‘Furiosa’ can attract a broader audience,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst.

Summer Movie Season Outlook

The sluggish start of the summer movie season does not bode well for reaching the $4 billion benchmark. This year lacks a Marvel movie to kick off the summer, and May’s potential blockbusters — including Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s “The Fall Guy,” John Krasinski’s family-friendly “IF,” and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” — couldn’t compensate for the absence of Marvel’s juggernaut. Audiences have been indifferent to these new movies, even though most have received positive reviews.

However, hope remains for the summer box office with several promising films on the horizon. Franchise sequels like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Despicable Me 4,” and “Inside Out 2,” alongside spinoffs and new stories such as “Twisters,” “A Quiet Place: Day One,” and Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An America Saga” are set to release.

“Summer is off to a slower start than expected, [but] the next two months can pick up the pace,” says Robbins.

The summer movie season still has the potential to rebound, and with a strong lineup ahead, it’s time for blockbuster season to put the pedal to the metal.

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Source: Variety

Photo Credit: ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett C

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