Does Furiosa box office spell doom for Mad Max: The Wasteland?

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga narrowly beat The Garfield Movie by less than $1 million over the Memorial Day box office weekend, making it clear the film isn’t quite the blockbuster Warner Bros. was hoping it would be. But what does this mean for the next Mad Max movie?

Unfortunately, the news isn’t good, at least for now. A report from THR states that Furiosa‘s disappointing $32 million domestic take is “diminishing hopes for Mad Max: The Wasteland.” Director George Miller had previously acknowledged that the possibility of more Mad Max movies was linked to how well Furiosa performed but added that he wasn’t even going to think about it until after the movie was released.

“There are certainly other stories there. Mainly because in order to tell the story of Fury Road, we had to know the backstory of Furiosa and Max in the year before,” Miller said prior to Furiosa‘s premiere at Cannes. “That was a tool for the cast and crew. We know the Max story from the year before. I’ll definitely wait to see how this [Furiosa] goes, before we even think about it.“

To be fair, it’s been less than a week since Furiosa premiered, so the film could still impress down the road. That said, the franchise has never really been a box office juggernaut, with the first three movies grossing less than $70 million domestically when combined. Mad Max: Fury Road was the biggest success of the franchise, grossing $380 million worldwide, but even that is small potatoes when compared to other big-budget genre movies. However, the cultural impact of the film can’t be denied, especially as it kept fans passionate about the franchise during Furiosa‘s long development process.

As for why Furiosa is struggling at the box office, one studio insider believes the film suffered without Charlize Theron as Furiosa. “People who see the movie love it,” the insider said. “The problem is getting them into theaters. She would have been able to do that.” Perhaps a lower-budget sequel might be in order, but I know fans would love to see more of Mad Max.

The official synopsis for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: “As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by the Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.” Furiosa is playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray and let us know what you think of the film as well!