Niche Appeal: The Mad Max franchise has always had more niche appeal than the average action movie series1.
Prequel Pitfalls: Movie prequels often underperform at the box office due to their predetermined ending and lack of compelling storytelling1
Timing: Furiosa was released almost ten years after Mad Max: Fury Road, which might be too late to reap the rewards
High Production Budget: Furiosa’s opening weekend yielded a return of just $64-66 million, which is a long way from topping its whopping production budget of $168 million
Character Portrayal: Audiences are tired of “strong female characters” as modern Hollywood defines them, and it can’t be denied that they are rebelling
Streaming Services: Quicker turnaround from theaters to streaming may have made potential ticket buyers “iffy” about shelling out for a feature when prices are high and it will be on streaming within a few months
Box Office History: Before Fury Road, Mad Max sequels underperformed at theaters compared to the first one2
Market Conditions: Furiosa has a huge budget and it’s arriving in a much more precarious filmgoing landscape.
Lack of Novelty: The Mad Max series has never been a massive box office draw