Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga witnessed an underwhelming opening weekend during Memorial Day, despite its hype and the fantastic cast assembled for the film. Connected to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road as a prequel, George Miller’s latest installment had initially anticipated big box office numbers. However, Furiosa’s path to Valhalla was unfortunately tarnished.
Earning a disappointing $32M domestically in the four-day Memorial Day weekend and around $36.5M overseas, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga took its worldwide total opening weekend haul to a lowly $66-68M. But, despite the box office collection diminishing hopes for George Miller’s next installment Mad Max: The Wasteland, reaction from audiences continues to drive its success.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s Disastrous Opening Weekend Haul
After more than four decades since George Miller first introduced audiences to his action-packed Mad Max franchise, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth appeared on the big screen with their latest installment Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on May 23, 2024. However, despite releasing during the Memorial Day weekend, the movie unfortunately witnessed a disappointing box office collection.
As per THR reports, the prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road opened to a disappointing $32M domestically during the four-day weekend while earning a mere $36.5M overseas. The film’s unexpected results thereafter reduced the chances for George Miller‘s next installment, Mad Max: The Wasteland, that he had been toying with for years. Acknowledging the possibility of The Wasteland, Miller noted,
I’ll definitely wait to see how this [Furiosa] goes before we even think about it.
Meanwhile, if we compare Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s opening weekend with its predecessor Mad Max: Fury Road, Anya Taylor-Joy’s movie seemingly made more than the 2015 installment. According to The Numbers, Fury Road managed to gross $45M during the opening weekend, while Furiosa grossed $66-68M. But eventually, Charlize Theron’s movie went on to make around $369M against its $150M production budget.
Despite Box Office Bomb, Mad Max’s Fanbase Continues to Grow
It seems, despite Mad Max: Fury Road’s initial disappointment during the opening weekend, the movie gradually picked pace at the box office. Therefore, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga might have similar possibilities awaiting to change its fate. Meanwhile, considering Furiosa’s box office stress, George Miller’s next installment, The Wasteland, appears to be awaiting a complicated fate.
However, if we go by reactions from moviegoers, which equally determines the possibility of future installments, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga garnered 90% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and earned a B+ on CinemaScore. Thus, it seems the Mad Max franchise has turned into a staple of action-packed cinema for decades, with a loyal fan base ensuring its success.
IP like Mad Max and Ghostbusters is old, and they have the fans they’re going to have. If studios can budget to that, they might make some decent money. One theater chain executive noted.
So it seems George Miller’s Mad Max franchise might still have a stable future, despite Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s disappointing opening weekend. And why not? Despite introducing audiences to the Mad Max movies in 1979, Mel Gibson’s initial trilogy grossed less than $70M combined domestically. And yet Miller had the opportunity to work on Charlize Theron‘s 2015 sequel. Thus, considering Fury Road‘s $45M opening and Gibson’s trilogy’s disastrous collection, Miller’s The Wasteland might have a significant chance despite Furiosa‘s current box office collection.
Thus, the franchise’s ability to endure and thrive can be attributed to its dedicated fan base, which has grown across generations. The film series’ unique blend of high-octane action, stunning stunts, and post-apocalyptic landscapes has captivated audiences worldwide. In the end, the Mad Max films remain an unstoppable force in the world of cinema, continuing its legacy, despite box office collections.
Mad Max movies are available on Prime Video.
