EARLY SUNDAY AM UPDATE: This Memorial Day weekend has turned into an unexpected box office showdown between Warner Bros' Furiosa and Alcon/Sony's The Garfield Movie. Both films are locked in a tight race, each eyeing around $31 million over the four-day holiday, and $25 million over the three-day period.
Currently, the 48-year-old comic strip feline seems to be edging out the one-armed desert renegade, with some reports showing Garfield slightly ahead at $31 million to Furiosa's $30.96 million. Regardless of the winner, this will be the lowest opening for a Memorial Day weekend No. 1 title in 29 years, the last being 1995’s Casper with $22 million.
Garfield managed to surpass Furiosa on Saturday with an $8.3 million haul compared to Furiosa's $8 million, suggesting the orange cat may maintain its lead through Sunday and Monday. Garfield is showing at 4,035 locations, bolstered by some premium large format screens (PLFS), while Furiosa is playing in 3,804 theaters, enhanced by 400 IMAX auditoriums and other special formats like Dolby, 4DX, and D-box.
Some industry insiders blame Warner Bros for starting the final leg of their Furiosa campaign too late in May. Despite launching at Brazilian Comic-Con with stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, and re-igniting interest with the first trailer in November, the film hasn’t sparked as much excitement as hoped. Others suggest the change in lead role from Charlize Theron to Taylor-Joy might have impacted its appeal. Furthermore, Furiosa's R-rating and its specific appeal to a largely male audience might have limited its reach.
In PostTrak exit surveys, 52% of Furiosa viewers attended because it’s part of a beloved franchise, while 34% cited director George Miller, 32% Taylor-Joy, and 25% Hemsworth. On the other hand, the main draw for Garfield was its fun and entertaining vibe, resonating with a broader audience.
Sony and Alcon are celebrating the successful revival of Garfield, whose 3-day opening beats previous releases: 2006’s Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties ($7.2 million) and 2004’s Garfield: The Movie ($21.7 million). With a $60 million production cost and $50 million already earned from its overseas release, The Garfield Movie is on track to be profitable.
Other box office performers include Paramount’s IF, which is holding steady at third place with a $15.6 million second weekend and a running total of $62.7 million by the end of Monday. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes from 20th Century Studios/Disney is in fourth place with a $12.8 million third weekend and a cumulative total of $125.9 million. Universal’s Fall Guy rounds out the top five with a $7.6 million weekend, bringing its total to $73.8 million.
In contrast, Angel Studios’ faith-based film Sight is struggling, with a 4-day total of $3.6 million.
Stay tuned for more updates on Monday!
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