Memorial Day weekend, a usual blockbuster hit for Hollywood, took a surprising turn this year. Warner Bros.’ “Furiosa” managed to grab the top spot with a modest $32 million domestically, outshining Sony’s “The Garfield Movie.” However, the low box office numbers have put pressure on Hollywood to step up its game for the rest of the summer season.
“Furiosa” became the lowest-grossing No. 1 film at Memorial Day box office since 1995’s “Casper,” excluding 2020 due to Covid theater closures. This setback extends beyond 2020 and ranks as Hollywood’s worst Memorial Day weekend since ’95.
Last year witnessed Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” raking in $118 million domestically over the holiday, while Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” soared with $160 million during Memorial Day weekend. Nonetheless, this year faced challenges like disrupted release dates due to Hollywood strikes and a lack of major blockbusters from earlier in the year.
The absence of any movie hitting a $100 million opening weekend so far this year reflects a shift from past trends in comic book blockbusters. The impact of last year’s strikes caused delays in major film releases such as Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible” sequel and Disney’s “Lion King” prequel.
Typically, Marvel movies kick-started summer blockbusters; however, Universal’s “The Fall Guy” and Paramount’s “IF” had lackluster starts this year with less than $100 million each domestically. Experts predict that this summer might barely cross the $3 billion mark compared to last summer’s $4.1 billion driven by hits like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”
Despite these challenges, there is hope on the horizon with upcoming potential hits like Universal’s “Despicable Me 4,” Warner Bros.’ “Twisters,” and Disney’s sequels like “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool and Wolverine.” These releases are expected to breathe new life into the industry after a slow start.
In essence, while Memorial Day box office figures were underwhelming this time around, the future looks promising with exciting movie releases on the horizon that can uplift Hollywood from its current slump. So buckle up movie buffs; better days at theaters are coming soon!