It’s one of the biggest box office surprises in recent memory, and after 10 days of release, there appears to be little hope left for Warner Bros.‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The epic action film dropped from number one last weekend to number three this time around at the domestic box office while continuing to struggle in overseas markets as well. Directed byGeorge Miller, the movie infamously deliveredthe lowest Memorial Day holiday debut in nearly three decades, and dropped by nearly 60%in weekend two.
Produced on a reported budget of nearly $170 million,Furiosahas grossed $49 million domestically and another $64 from overseas markets, fora cumulative global haul of $114 million. It’s a disheartening result for a movie that hadseemingly built intense anticipationover the last few years. It had also been deemed worthy of a high budget, which it initially appeared to justify with stellar reviews.Furiosacurrently holdsa 90% “fresh” approval ratingon the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes; incidentally, the film’s audience rating is equally strong, meaning that those who watched it enjoyed it.
Furiosaserves as a prequel to Miller’s 2015 masterpieceMad Max: Fury Road, which opened to $45 million domestically, on its way to a lifetime stateside haul of just over $150 million.Fury Roadtapped outglobally with around $370 million, which wasn’t exactly seen as ideal considering its reported budget of around $180 million. But it was a massive critical success, earning 10 Academy Award nominations and being widely hailed as one of the greatest action movies of all time. It introduced audiences to the character Furiosa, played memorably byCharlize Theron. The prequel featuresAnya Taylor-Joyas the tragic warrior, who is apprehended by the villainous Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and sold off to the tyrannical warlord Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). She goes on an epic revenge mission in the film, which is divided into five chapters and spans several years.
The seriesbegan in 1979, with thegrimy exploitation filmMad Max, starringMel Gibsonin the titular role. Two sequels —Mad Max 2: The Road WarriorandMad Max Beyond Thunderdome— followed in 1981 and 1985.Fury Roadserved as a franchise reboot, withTom Hardystepping into the titular role, but the movie was marred by a turbulent production that reportedly caused animosity between the two stars. TheMad Maxseries has grossed a combined total of over $600 million worldwide. Also featuringAlyla Browneas the young Furiosa andTom Burkeas Praetorian Jack,Furiosais currently playing in theaters.
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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and team-up with Mad Max.
