Just How Bad WAS this Memorial Day Weekend Box Office?

The past few days were absolutely horrific for theater owners. Although the mainstream media is calling the weekend the worst in the last three decades, the reality is that the audience levels have crashed in a way we haven't seen before.

Memorial Day weekend, traditionally a significant marker in the cinematic calendar, has often heralded the beginning of the summer blockbuster season. However, not every Memorial Day weekend has been a financial triumph. In fact, some have been marked by surprisingly low box office returns. This article delves into the history of the worst box office weekend totals for Memorial Day weekends, exploring the factors that contributed to these lackluster performances. Let's chat about some of the "worst" and then see how they fare compared to the last few days.

Memorial Day weekend, spanning the last Monday of May and the preceding Friday to Sunday, has long been a prime release window for Hollywood studios. The extended holiday weekend provides audiences with ample opportunity to visit theaters, making it an ideal time to launch big-budget films. Successful franchises like "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," and "Pirates of the Caribbean" have all enjoyed lucrative releases during this period. However, not all releases have been successful, and some years have seen particularly poor box office returns.

The 1999 Memorial Day weekend is often remembered for its poor box office performance, driven by the lackluster releases of "Instinct" and "The Thirteenth Floor." "Instinct," starring Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr., failed to captivate audiences, earning just over $10 million. Meanwhile, "The Thirteenth Floor," a science fiction thriller, grossed a meager $4 million. These weak performances resulted in one of the lowest-grossing Memorial Day weekends of the decade.

While "Mission: Impossible 2" dominated the box office in 2000 with a strong opening, it was not enough to salvage the overall weekend totals. The total box office earnings for the weekend were disappointing, with many smaller releases failing to draw significant audiences. The lack of compelling new releases beyond the top film contributed to a relatively weak Memorial Day weekend box office.

In 2003, "Bruce Almighty" performed well, but "The In-Laws" failed to make an impact. The lack of a strong secondary release resulted in a lower-than-expected total for the weekend. Although "Bruce Almighty" was a hit, its success was not enough to lift the overall box office, which struggled due to the underperformance of other films.

The 2017 Memorial Day weekend saw disappointing returns despite the release of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" and "Baywatch." While the latest installment in the "Pirates" franchise grossed $62 million, it was significantly lower than previous entries in the series. "Baywatch," a star-studded comedy featuring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, also underperformed, earning just $18 million. The combined lackluster performances of these films led to one of the weakest Memorial Day weekends in recent history, with a total box office gross of just over $176 million.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to the film industry, and Memorial Day weekend 2020 was no exception. With theaters closed across the country, there were no significant box office earnings. This marked the first time in modern history that Memorial Day weekend saw virtually no revenue from traditional theater screenings. The pandemic forced studios to delay major releases, resulting in an empty slate for the holiday weekend and a complete halt in box office revenue.

Now... back to the last weekend. The reality here is that adjusted for inflation, Temple of Doom probably tripled the last weekend -- on its own. Dead Men Tell No Tales adjusted for todays' inflation is a $100m winner. BOTH of the big movies for this past weekend combined don't break $70m. Maybe the 1999 Memorial Day Weekend box office was worse, but only because of a lack of movies. In terms of potential and catastrophic underperformance, this past weekend stands supreme. And for Hollywood, it should absolutely terrify them what it might mean.

Are they ready to wake up?

Your pal,
Pro