The Garfield Movie Aims To Repeat Chris Pratt's Mario Magic At The Box Office

The summer movie season could use some help, and Chris Pratt might just be here to save the day. The "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World" actor returns to the silver screen next weekend in "The Garfield Movie," an animated take on Jim Davis' orange, Monday-hating cat. For Sony Pictures, there is one big question; can some of that Pratt magic that made "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" ($1.36 billion worldwide) such a major hit last year rub off on this one? Even a fraction of that magic would be most welcome here.

"The Garfield Movie" is opening directly against George Miller's "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." While the animated, family-friendly film would typically have the edge, it looks like "Furiosa" is going to win the weekend in the early going, with an opening between $46.5 and $59 million. But that doesn't mean this cat is out of luck, as Sony's latest is eyeing a debut between $32 and $41 million, per Box Office Theory. That figure also doesn't account for the Monday Memorial Day holiday, which can certainly benefit an animated flick such as this one.

Should director Mark Dindal's film come in at the higher end of those projections, it would be a solid enough start. It's nowhere near the record-breaking $204 million five-day opening posted by "Mario" last year. That said, "Garfield" reportedly carries a shockingly low $60 million production budget. Even if it's closer to $80 than $60 million, we're still not talking about a $200 million Pixar production that needs to make a ridiculous sum all around the world to break even. At that price, a $40 million opening should get it in the game. It should, on a longer timeline, have no trouble topping 2004's live-action "Garfield: The Movie" ($208 million worldwide) and its sequel, 2016's "Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties" ($148 million worldwide). 

The film centers on the Lasagna-eating cat who has an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson). Garfield and his dog pal Odie then leave their pampered life to join him on a high-stakes heist. Hannah Waddingham ("Ted Lasso"), Ving Rhames ("Mission: Impossible"), Nicholas Hoult ("Renfield"), Cecily Strong ("Saturday Night Live"), Harvey Guillén ("Harley Quinn"), Brett Goldstein ("Ted Lasso"), Bowen Yang ("SNL"), and rapper Snoop Dogg also star.

One thing that helps is the relative lack of family-friendly films in the marketplace. That's what has allowed titles like "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" and "Elemental" to leg it out even after soft opening weekends. The only downside on that front, in this case, is the fact that Pixar's "Inside Out 2" is due to hit screens on June 14. But that still gives "Garfield" several weeks to take the ball and run with it. Also, not for nothing, but the film has already opened in a handful of overseas markets, pulling in $36 million to date. It hasn't played as big as "Mario," but a finish in the neighborhood of 2011's "Rio" ($487.5 million worldwide) certainly isn't out of the question. Even if things go somewhat poorly, a total closer to "The Angry Birds Movie" ($352.2 million worldwide) would still make this one a hit.

What's undeniable is the star power of Chris Pratt. Just about everything he touches turns to gold, particularly in the IP realm, dating back to 2014's "The LEGO Movie." He's also got the "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World" franchises. Not for nothing, but "Jurassic World" ($1.67 billion) remains one of the highest-grossing films of all time, and "Jurassic World: Dominion" is one of few movies to cross the $1 billion mark globally in the pandemic era. People will show up because of Pratt, and that can't be undervalued in this equation.

"The Garfield Movie" hits theaters on May 24, 2024.