The long-awaited fifth instalment in the Mad Max series of movies was finally released to a disappointing reaction from the public. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth had one of the poorest opening weekends in recent decades. So, why did this post-apocalyptic movie fail, and what does that mean for the future?
The Current Popularity of Dystopian Stories
One thing we can be sure of is that Furiosa didn’t flop because we’ve lost interest in the dystopian genre. While the Hunger Games series has captured the imagination of millions of viewers, Blade Runner, The Matrix, and Robocop are all among the most-loved movies set in a dangerous future where society is falling apart. Our love of the gritty atmosphere and strange characters in this genre has led to it reaching other types of entertainment too.
In the world of television, Amazon is reportedly working on a sequel to the Blade Runner movies titled Blade Runner 2099 while The Last of Us and Black Mirror have been among the most popular shows of recent years. The appeal of dystopian societies can also be seen in the list of slot games online at Paddy Power. Dystopia: Rebel Road is among the games that take us into a dangerous future. These slots retain the classic fruit machine format but include symbols such as futuristic warriors and weapons to add atmosphere.
Why Did Furiosa Flop?
Why has this movie brought the successful Mad Max franchise to a shuddering halt? The original Mad Max was released in 1979 and was the most profitable film in history for close to two decades. The new film is set a couple of decades before 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road and shows the origin story of the Imperator Furiosa. Early reviews have been mainly positive, with many critics pointing out that it has more emotional weight than previous films in the series.
It was given five stars in the NME review and received a six-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the Cannes Festival. To understand why box office receipts were so low, we need to understand the Furiosa release as part of a disappointing Memorial Day Weekend performance by virtually every new movie.
This appears to reflect a change in our viewing habits rather than a dismissal of Furiosa by audiences. Many movie fans now prefer to wait for new releases to hit one of the streaming platforms rather than going to the movie theater to watch them.
What Happens Next?
It seems unlikely that the poor box office receipts stop the dystopian genre in its tracks but what about the Mad Max franchise? There still appears to be plenty of appetite for more instalments, with director George Miller working on Mad Max: The Wasteland as the next release. It’s set a year before Fury Road and Miller has confirmed that its filming depends on the success of Furiosa.
We’ll need to wait to see if the unexpected failure of Furiosa ends the Mad Max saga, but we can still expect to see a lot more entertainment from the dystopian genre in the future.