Los Angeles, California – After a lackluster Memorial Day weekend, the post-holiday period saw a decline in box office earnings, with all films combined grossing an estimated $68.6 million, marking a 66% drop compared to the previous year. Notably, Sony’s “The Garfield Movie” faced off against Warner Bros’ “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” in its second weekend, with “The Garfield Movie” taking in $13 million compared to “Furiosa” at $11.5 million.
“The Garfield Movie” raked in $3.7 million across 4,018 theaters on the previous day, while “Furiosa” brought in $3.05 million across 3,864 theaters. Paramount’s “IF” in its third weekend aimed to surpass “Furiosa” with $2.86 million on the previous day, expected to reach a weekend total of $11 million. Despite opening below expectations, children’s movies tend to have longevity in theaters.
“Furiosa” managed to maintain Imax auditoriums, while Crunchyroll/Sony’s “Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle” entered the fray with earnings of $1.9 million on the previous day. The film, currently in sixth place, underscores the potential of anime movies in the U.S. market, having already made $75 million in select international markets.
Meanwhile, 20th Century Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” generated $2.4 million on its fourth Friday in theaters, expected to earn $9 million over the weekend, inching closer to surpassing its predecessor’s domestic total.
In other releases, IFC’s horror film “In a Violent Nature” achieved a strong start, recording $410,000 in previews on Thursday. Bleecker Street’s “Ezra” and Roadside Attractions’ “Summer Camp” also made their debuts, aiming for moderate returns at the box office.
As the weekend progressed, competitive dynamics shifted among various films, with “The Garfield Movie” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” leading the pack in a challenging post-holiday box office landscape. The industry continues to navigate changing audience preferences and theatrical trends, highlighting the resilience of certain genres and the evolving strategies of film distribution and marketing.