As of Sunday (26th), the North American premiere weekend box office revenues for “Garfield: Farm Adventure” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” were $24.77 million and $25.5 million respectively, neck and neck. However, in comparison based on production budgets, “Garfield” performed better at the box office.
According to Box Office Mojo statistics, “Garfield: Farm Adventure” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” grossed $98.17 million and $58.8 million globally, considering the production costs of $60 million and $160 million for both films respectively. “Garfield” showed relatively better box office profits compared to the rather dismal performance of “Furiosa.” Additionally, “Garfield” was more popular in the global market.
“Furiosa” received positive reviews on the film review website “Rotten Tomatoes,” with critics and audiences giving it 90% and 90% freshness ratings respectively. In North American audience ratings on CinemaScore, it received a grade of “B+.” “Garfield” received mixed reviews on “Rotten Tomatoes,” with critics and audiences giving it 37% and 83% freshness ratings respectively, yet both films received a “B+” grade on CinemaScore.
According to reports from “Variety” and “Collider,” although “Furiosa” topped the North American box office over the weekend, it might struggle to reach the global box office level of $380 million set by its predecessor, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The film currently performs strongest at the box office in South Korea with $4.5 million, followed by France with $2.6 million, the UK with $2.5 million, Mexico with $2.4 million, and Australia with $2.2 million.
“Garfield” ranked second in the North American weekend box office. So far, its strongest markets are Mexico with $17.4 million and Germany with $5.2 million. It has not been released in major markets like Japan, France, and Australia, as well as Indonesia, Poland, and Taiwan. The film has been more popular in the global market, leading in international box office compared to “Furiosa” and outperforming “IF”, a similar family-themed movie, by 22%.
Previously released in the United States were 20th Century Fox’s “Garfield” (2004) and “Garfield 2” (2006), with production budgets of $50 million and $60 million respectively. They grossed $203 million and $143 million globally, but received negative ratings of 38% and 43% on “Rotten Tomatoes.” In comparison, Sony Pictures’ “Garfield: Farm Adventure” received double the audience rating, showing potential for higher earnings.
In its second week of release in North America, “IF” earned $16.1 million at the box office, ranking third with a global box office of $103 million. Fourth place belonged to “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” in its third weekend in North America, grossing $13.4 million domestically and reaching a total global box office of $298 million. The film had a production budget of $160 million and is expected to surpass $320 million in profits next week.
In fifth place was “The Fall Guy,” which earned $5.9 million at the North American box office in its fourth weekend, with a global box office of $145 million. The film’s production budget was estimated to be between $125 to $140 million, indicating it still has some distance to go before achieving profitability. Reportedly, the film was released on digital platforms this week.
“Garfield: Farm Adventure” deviates from the usual Garfield storyline, starting from Garfield’s childhood. The story depicts a young and adorable Garfield in his early years, who, despite being a stray cat, is adopted by an elderly ginger, leading to a peaceful and comfortable family life. Unexpectedly, one day, Garfield and his loyal partner Odie are kidnapped, thrusting them into unknown events and embarking on an unpredictable and adventurous journey with the Garfield squad on the farm adventure.
“Garfield: Farm Adventure” is set to premiere in Taiwan on June 7 and in Hong Kong on June 22.