Box Office: ‘Furiosa’ Aims for $40 Million-Plus Debut, ‘The Garfield Movie’ Targets $30 Million Over Holiday Weekend

variety.com:

Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter “Garfiosa”? “Furiofield”? Whatever the portmanteau for this Memorial Day weekend’s dual release of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie,” the two newcomers are aiming to jolt the sluggish summer season. (“Barbenheimer” it is not, but exhibitors will take what they can get as overall ticket sales remain roughly 20% behind 2023.) “Furiosa,” the fifth entry in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” series, looks to lead the way with $40 million to $45 million from 3,750 venues over the four-day holiday weekend.

Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” should trail in second with $30 million to $35 million from 4,000 venues between Friday and Monday.

Box office comparisons to the same holiday weekend in 2023 will be tough given that Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” remake took the crown with $118 million.

Warner Bros. spent $168 million on “Furiosa,” not including the many millions to market the movie. It’s not expected to live up to the debut of its predecessor, 2015’s “Max Max: Fury Road,” which captured $45 million over three days.