The WORST Memorial Day Weekend box office in DECADES: 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' and 'Garfield' predicted to have opening ticket sales comparable to the '90s

Furiosa is fighting Garfield for one of the worst Memorial Day box office draws in recent history.

With an estimated $31 million over four days, the 'Mad Max' prequel is the lowest chart-topper for the May holiday since 'Casper' in 1995.

The Chris Pratt-led comedy about the cat who hates Mondays, moreover, has fared worse, with industry estimates currently putting the animated film's four-day opening somewhere around $27.5million.

The numbers from theaters across the country show how May has had a brutal start to the summer season as far as the box-office is concerned, as it continues to reel from marquee titles being pushed back because of last year's labor strikes. 

Last summer, studio execs warned how the then ongoing double strike could spell doom for the entertainment industry, with anticipated sequels like Deadpool 3, Gladiator 2, and Venom 3 put on the backburner.

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With an estimated $31 million earned over four days, the 'Mad Max' prequel is the lowest chart-topper for the May holiday since 1995

The numbers show how May has been a brutal start to the summer season as far as the box office is concerned, as it continues to reel from titles being pushed back because of last year's labor strikes. Affected productions included the anticipated Deadpool 3

These warnings appear to be only now coming to fruition,  with Marvel Studios usually now kicking off its summer during the first weekend of May - but instead leaving a superhero-sized hole where titles like Deadpool and Wolverine should be. 

It was one of many delayed nearly three months because of last year's SAG-AFTRA strike, with films like George Miller‘s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Garfield Movie now failing miserably to fill the gap.

Most of these delayed films have been setback to the late summer, making this season a historical one in that a lot of big titles will be noticeably absent.

Based on Friday numbers, George Miller‘s newest creation starring Anya Taylor-Joy is set to rake in somewhere between $31 and $33 million by Monday, putting it just barely ahead Garfield.

That said, the family film isn't in nearly as bad of a spot - with a reported production budget of just $60 million before marketing, a fraction of Furiosa's $168 million.

That should allow the film to break even, experts say - though the same cannot be said for the Mad Max prequel. 

Still, the two are in a closer-than-expected race, one that most studio heads reportedly believe will end with Warner Bros' Furiosa taking the top spot.

But neither film really impressed with audiences, each receiving a B+ CinemaScore - the same score as 2015's Mad Max Fury Road, which famously received critical acclaim, but did not fare as well theatrically.

The Chris Pratt-led comedy about the cat who hates Mondays, moreover, has fared worse, with industry estimates currently putting the animated film's four-day opening somewhere around $27.5million

Both are the lowest chart-toppers for the May holiday since 1995's infamous flop 'Casper', which made $22million way back then

It comes on the heels of last year's SAG-AFTRA strike, and films like George Miller‘s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Garfield Movie are failing to fill the gap

Based on Friday numbers, George Miller‘s newest creation starring Anya Taylor-Joy is set to rake in somewhere between $31 and $33 million by Monday, putting it just barely ahead Garfield

Furiosa, a prequel that sees Taylor-Joy play a younger version of Charlize Theron’s character in the last film, has appeared to follow suit, also receiving praise from critics, but so far underperforming at the box office.

It grossed $10.2 million on Friday from 3,804 theaters, as opposed to $8.4 million for Garfield from 4,035. That’s a marginal gap considering the latter is a family film, which, on average, draw in a great deal less cash than a summer blockbuster.

Furiosa, of course, fits that criteria - and may still get some help from overseas, experts have said.

But with such a disappointing weekend now basically in the books, there’s little to indicate that it will be able to have a better box office future than its also unimpressive predecessor, which started of with a three-day gross of $45.4 million on its own opening weekend.

And Sony's The Garfield Movie may even still take the top spot, studio bosses have said - citing a historically thin field that includes little other competition. 

This includes the John Krasinski-directed IF, which managed to hold on to the third spot despite it being its second week, with an estimated four-day gross of $20.7 million from 4,068 locations.

Another animated film, it is set to earn $16million over three days - a number down 53 percent from its opening week largely because of competition brought on by Garfield.

In fourth is expected to be The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which came out two weeks ago, but still is set to rake in an estimated four-day gross of $16 million before the long weekend is through.

That said, the family film isn't in nearly as bad of a spot - with a reported production budget of just $60 million before marketing, a fraction of Furiosa's $168 million

That should allow the film to break even, experts say - though the same cannot be said for the Mad Max prequel, which also stars Chris Hemsworth (pictured)

Still, the two are in a closer-than-expected race, one that most studio heads reportedly believe will end with Warner Bros' Furiosa taking the top spot

Sony's The Garfield Movie may even still take the top spot, studio bosses have said - citing a historically thin field that includes little other competition

This includes the John Krasinski-directed IF, which managed to hold on to the third spot despite it being its second week, with an estimated four-day gross of $20.7 million from 4,068 locations 

In fourth is expected to be The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which came out two weeks ago, but still is set to rake in an estimated four-day gross of $16 million before the long weekend is through. 

In fifth should be The Fall Guy, which is expected to round out the top five with $7.3 million from 2,955 locations. Pictured: Star Ryan Gosling

In fifth should be The Fall Guy, which is expected to round out the top five with $7.3 million from 2,955 locations.

That comes as the Ryan Gosling-Emily Blunt-led film enters its fourth week in theaters, already available to rent on premium VOD.

As for Furiosa, the movie was already projected to bring in a very low $40 million this weekend, but is now expected to fare even worse.

Last summer, Bob Iger, the boss of The Walt Disney Company, forecast that the strike would have a 'very damaging' effect on both the film and TV industries, especially as it lingered into September.

'It will have a very, very damaging affect on the whole business, and unfortunately, there's huge collateral damage in the industry to people who are supportive services, and I could go on and on. It will affect the economy of different regions, even, because of the sheer size of the business.

Affected productions, at the time, included the anticipated sequels Deadpool 3 and Gladiator 2 , as well as the Tom Hardy-led Venom 3. 

Twisters - an update to the 1996 movie starring Daisy Edgar-Jones - were also put on pause. TV series such as Sydney Sweeney 's Euphoria were also not spared, with the show's season three pushed back to 2025.

Overall revenue for the four-day weekend for all films is set to clock in at only $125 million.

That's the lowest showing in two decades since 1995's Casper excluding 2020 and 2021, when the pandemic was still raging

Analyst Michael Nathanson said those delays could hurt the studios administering them, telling the LA Times: 'We're looking at class warfare.

'Working-class people are looking to take their anger out on the studio executives.'

And with no late additions to contribute in the coming months, it appears his and others' warnings - including one from Disney boss Bob Iger - proved right.

Overall revenue for the four-day weekend is set to clock in at only $125 million.

That's the lowest showing in two decades since 1995's flop Casper, excluding 2020 and 2021, when the pandemic was still raging.

Even then, Paramount’s A Quiet Place II was able to score $57.1 million on Memorial Day Weekend 2021.