Warner Bros. Lost $120 Million on ‘Furiosa’

After the box office failure of “Furiosa,” it would take a near-miracle for George Miller, now 80, to direct another Mad Max film. The latest numbers are rough—and honestly, it pains me to see them.

Deadline just released a report listing the five biggest box office flops of 2024, and the usual suspects made the list: “Megalopolis” ($76 million in losses), “Kraven the Hunter” ($71 million), “Borderlands” ($80 million), and “Joker: Folie à Deux” ($144 million).

Surprisingly, “Furiosa” is also included—and not just included, but ranked as the second-biggest bomb of the year, with estimated losses nearing $120 million. That’s far more than I expected. The calculations go that “Furiosa” only made $211M in theaters and home release after costing a total of $331M to make, market and release.

So, what went wrong?

After successfully rebooting the franchise with “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Miller chose not to follow it up with a direct sequel. Instead, he focused on a prequel centered around “Furiosa,l the breakout character from ‘Fury Road,’ but controversially recast Charlize Theron with Anya Taylor-Joy. Theron’s absence likely played a role in reducing audience interest.

The marketing didn’t help either—Furiosa’s promotional campaign closely mirrored that of ‘Fury Road,’ failing to create a sense of novelty or urgency. While the film received strong critical praise, earning a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ CinemaScore (matching ‘Fury Road’), it became clear that “Furiosa” should have been made on a much smaller budget than the reported $168 million.

Had Furiosa succeeded, Miller likely would have gone straight into production on his long-gestating sequel, “Mad Max: Wasteland,” with Tom Hardy. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The film grossed only $68 million domestically, and Hardy has since cast doubt on his return. “I don’t think that’s happening,” he told Forbes.

The main obstacle standing between Miller and another Mad Max installment is money. Would Warner Bros really greenlight another $170 million entry after Furiosa’s performance? While the film has found a broader audience on streaming, and its reviews were stellar, I wouldn’t bet on Miller getting the go-ahead for ‘Wasteland.’