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Is the box office cursed in 2024? While “The Garfield Movie” managed to snag the number one position for its second weekend in theaters, overall ticket sales continue to lag significantly behind pre-pandemic levels. Here’s a breakdown of the top movies and the struggles cinemas are facing:
- Garfield Takes the Lead: Sony’s animated comedy “The Garfield Movie” earned an estimated $14 million in its second weekend, surpassing last week’s champion “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.” With a total domestic gross of $51.5 million so far, the $60 million-budgeted film is performing solidly.
- Furiosa Falls Short: Despite critical acclaim, “Furiosa” sputtered in its sophomore outing, landing in third place with $10.7 million. The R-rated prequel to the “Mad Max” franchise faces a steeper climb to profitability due to its hefty $168 million price tag.
- Box Office Blues: Don’t let Garfield’s win fool you. The industry is experiencing a major slump. Ticket sales for this weekend were a staggering 65% lower compared to the same period in 2023. Overall revenues remain down 24% year-over-year and a worrying 40% below pre-pandemic times.
- Labor Strikes Blamed: Industry experts point to the labor strikes of 2023 as a major culprit behind Hollywood’s summer woes. Many big-budget films were pushed back to 2025, leaving a significant gap in the release schedule. Analyst David A. Gross believes it will take another year for the release schedule to return to normal.
- Holdover Titles Fill the Gaps: In the absence of a major new release, holdover titles like Paramount’s “IF” (fantasy comedy, $10.8 million) and Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (sci-fi adventure, $8.8 million) rounded out the top 5. Both films are tracking slightly behind their predecessors at the box office.
Other Notable Releases:
- The Fall Guy (action-comedy): Starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, this film sits at number five with $4.2 million in its fifth weekend. While it has earned a decent $80 million domestically, it needs to keep performing well to recoup its $140 million budget.
- Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle (anime): Sony/ Crunchyroll’s anime offering debuted in sixth place with $3.5 million. Despite a so-so domestic showing, the film has already earned a strong $75 million overseas.
- In a Violent Nature (horror): This critically-acclaimed slasher film landed at number eight with $2.1 million. It follows a killer targeting teenagers in the wilderness.
- Ezra (comedy): Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne, and Bobby Cannavale star in this family comedy that secured ninth place with $1.18 million. Reviews for the film have been mixed.
While “Garfield” may be enjoying some success, Hollywood is anxiously awaiting a blockbuster to reignite the box office. The road to recovery seems bumpy, but with a more consistent release schedule on the horizon, things could improve by next year.