Judging by the first day gross, Mad Max: Fury Road is destined to be a sizable success in Australia, but perhaps not the monster hit that some had expected.
George Miller’s action-adventure grossed a tad over $1 million on Thursday, eclipsing Pitch Perfect 2 which raked in $600,000 as it entered its second week, bringing its cumulative total to a lucrative $12.8 million.
Given the massive publicity campaign and rave reviews for the Village Roadshow Pictures/WB co-production, some exhibitors were hoping for a bigger first-day turn-out.
Based on the Thursday figure, the $150 million epic starring Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hugh Keays-Byrne and Megan Gale could earn $6 million- $7 million through Sunday.
One exhibitor is forecasting a final tally of $20 million while some others are tipping $25 million.
In the US, some pundits predict the film will ring up a 3-day figure in the low-$40 million range, versus $50 million plus for Pitch Perfect 2’s debut.
“The R-rating might hurt Mad Max: Fury Road slightly because there are so many more PG-13 and PG alternatives for kids and some parents might be hesitant to let their kids see it,” said Coming Soon.net’s Edward Douglas.
“It should fare well over Memorial Day against Tomorrowland, although it will probably end up grossing around $120 to 130 million domestic and will ultimately rely on international box office.”
After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival the actioner is rolling out in 68 markets on 16,000 screens, excluding China and Japan.
At a media conference in Cannes, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Hardy revealed that when he first saw the completed film he thought, "Oh, my God, I owe George an apology.”
Turning to Miller who was seated next to him, the actor said : “I have to apologize to you, because I got frustrated [during the shoot]. There was no way that George could have explained what he had conceived.”
Rebooting the franchise for the first time since Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 1985, Miller said, "I never wanted to make another Mad Max, but the idea popped into my head and just wouldn’t go away, but I didn’t realize it would take 12 years."