Furiosa Box-Office Failure is Partly Caused by its Female Fanbase and Now We Have the Numbers to Prove It
George Miller’s post-apocalyptic movies in the Mad Max saga have always delighted fans of action and thrill. From journeys across vast wastelands to mind-blowing twists and turns in the story, the movies often become fan favorites in no time.
However, the latest installment in the Mad Max saga did not do so well. Furiosa is a story about a young girl who gets separated from her family and ends up in the wrong territory. Battling evil forces and finding her way home, Furiosa dives into the past of the female protagonist.
What caused Furiosa’s Failure?
Looking at the box office numbers for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, it’s safe to say that the movie failed to attract the masses to the theatres. Despite the star power with Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth in the lead, Furiosa only managed to collect $32 million domestically for the four-day Memorial Day weekend and $36.5 million internationally, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The disappointing sum might just be the reason for halting the entire Mad Max franchise altogether.
Regardless of the numbers, Furiosa has gotten only positive reviews from the audience with a 90% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. So, the question arises: What failed in pulling the masses to the theatres to watch Furiosa? Some believe it is because of a female lead, while others claim that fans did not really want the back story of Furiosa when there are so many more intriguing characters out there.
Another massive reason behind the low numbers is the low turnout of women viewers and young males. When compared to Fury Road’s viewership back in 2015, which stood at a ratio of 60% males to 40% females, Furiosa only managed to attract less than 29% female viewers. Despite being marketed as a female-driven movie, if the female audience is not supporting such ventures, then how will the industry be motivated to make more such projects?
Some are still predicting that the movie might recover soon and pick up pace. It might even face a revival as Madame Web did on streaming platforms. However, the interest among the masses is also low, pointing to the fact that recovery is close to impossible in this case.
Are there more movies in the Mad Max Saga?
George Miller, the brain behind these smashing hit movies, has had one idea after another in this burgeoning franchise. However, considering how Furiosa bombed at the box office, Miller might not get a chance to tell more stories set in the same post-apocalyptic world. He has reportedly penned another movie called The Wasteland back in 2015 when Mad Max: Fury Road was released. He was further encouraged to conjure more narratives after Fury Road became such a massive hit and even won six Oscar awards.
Even though The Wasteland has not started production, Miller hinged its possibility on the latest prequel’s success. While Warner Bros and the audience at Cannes, who gave a seven-minute standing ovation to Furiosa, still believe that the movie is incredible, the subsequent box office numbers suggest otherwise.
Furiosa is currently in theaters worldwide.
