‘FURIOSA' TO FIRE BACK AT FURBALL AS MAD MAX PREQUEL HAS EDGE OVER ‘GARFIELD' DURING MEMORIAL DAY FRAME – BOX OFFICE EARLY LOOK
Moviegoing remains in a sling, evident in Universal’s Fall Guy currently coming in lower than expected with $28M this weekend. Perhaps Furiosa and Garfield can bring some zing over Memorial Day weekend at the end of the month. Both hit three week tracking yesterday with the Mad Max Warner Bros/Village Roadshow prequel eyeing a $40M-$50M domestic opening over the Friday-Monday span of May 24-27 with Sony/Alcon Entertainment’s Garfield at $35M.
Earlier this week, some box office prognosticators believed it would be a closer race between the two at $30M+ apiece over four-days, with the orange cat having the edge. However, Furiosa has the fire power of Imax and PLFs and a Cannes Film Festival world premiere as a global loudspeaker.
Garfield, of course, is tracking with families and older adults. Unaided awareness (the polling category where respondents immediately name a movie they plan on seeing without being guided by a pollster) is just under that of Kung Fu Panda 4 ($57.9M) and 2019’s The Addams Family animated movie ($30.3M 3-day). First choice is strong with women under 25.
Furiosa‘s first choice is best with dudes over 25 with overall unaided awareness behind Mad Max Fury Road ($45.4M), Blade Runner 2049 ($32.7M) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ($60.3M).
Biggest Memorial Day weekend of all-time at the domestic box office was notched in 2022 by Top Gun: Maverick with $160.5M. Last year, Disney’s live-action take of classic toon, Little Mermaid, sang its way to a $118.8M stateside start over the four-day stretch.