The “Mad Max” franchise faces an uncertain future after the recent release, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” a prequel to the 2015 hit “Mad Max: Fury Road,” failed to meet box office expectations. This setback occurred during one of the least successful Memorial Day weekends in recent decades. “Furiosa” managed to garner only about $70 million globally against a production budget of $160 million, not including additional costs for marketing and promotion.
Why #Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Bombed At The Box Office pic.twitter.com/022uDQ0iN2
— Looper (@looper) May 30, 2024
Due to this underperformance, the studio has decided to pause further development on “Mad Max: The Wasteland,” the planned sequel to “Fury Road.” This sequel was intended to continue exploring the dystopian world established by director George Miller, who co-wrote the script for both “The Wasteland” and “Furiosa” with Nico Lathouris during the development of “Fury Road.” “The Wasteland” was set to focus on Max Rockatansky’s adventures the year before the events of “Fury Road,” featuring a storyline involving a young mother and, as expected, plenty of action.
Despite “Fury Road’s” successful blend of critical acclaim and box office earnings, highlighted by its six Oscar wins, “Furiosa” struggled to attract a balanced audience. It saw a significant gender disparity with 71% male viewership and only 29% female, despite being marketed as a female-centric film. Additionally, attendance among the crucial 18-24 age demographic dropped from 31% for “Fury Road” to 21% for “Furiosa.”
"They're definitely disappointed with this. The movie will not make its money back, for sure." @MrMattCraig joined Alexis Noriega on "Forbes Talks" to discuss how "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" performed at the box office. pic.twitter.com/27CDD1Y9Jk
— Forbes (@Forbes) May 29, 2024
George Miller had previously indicated that the future of the “Mad Max” sequel would heavily depend on the commercial success of “Furiosa.” Although the film performed well among those who viewed it, earning a high rating on IMDB and a strong audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it could not overcome the challenge of attracting enough viewers to theaters. Marketing experts suggest that the film’s struggle was partly due to its deviation from the core elements associated with the “Mad Max” identity, primarily the absence of the iconic character Max himself.
Insiders believe that the high production costs, relative to the actual fanbase size of legacy franchises like “Mad Max,” may not be justifiable. A theater executive noted that such intellectual properties are well-established with their respective fanbases and could potentially be more profitable with more modest budgets that align closely with those fan demographics.
Furiosa Box Office Flop Signals The Death Of Feminist "Boss Babe" Films https://t.co/CuCB551HF7
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 29, 2024
Further commentary from within the industry suggests that the absence of Charlize Theron, who starred in “Fury Road,” was also a significant factor in “Furiosa’s” disappointing performance. While those who saw the film appreciated it, the challenge lay in drawing significant audience numbers to theaters, a task Theron could have potentially aided with her star power.
In related news, Paul Roland Bois, director of the Christian tech thriller “EXEMPLUM,” has seen his film receive acclaim, being available for free viewing on platforms like YouTube and Tubi, with high-quality rentals offered on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, and YouTube Movies. The film has been praised for its unique narrative and quality, drawing comparisons favorably to other notable films.
Major Points
- “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” the prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” grossed only $70 million globally against a $160 million budget during its opening on Memorial Day weekend.
- The disappointing box office results have led to the postponement of “Mad Max: The Wasteland,” a planned sequel to “Fury Road.”
- “Furiosa” faced audience demographic issues, with a notable decrease in female viewership and lower attendance among the key 18-24 age group compared to “Fury Road.”
- Experts suggest the film struggled due to its deviation from core “Mad Max” elements, notably the absence of Max Rockatansky, the series’ main character.
- Despite high ratings from those who watched it, “Furiosa” couldn’t draw enough viewers to theaters, a problem attributed to high production costs and the absence of Charlize Theron.
James Kravitz – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News