Movie theaters have been dealt yet another blow this summer, with Memorial Day weekend seeing a significant decline in box office numbers. Despite the release of "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" and "The Garfield Movie," the weekend earnings are set to hit a two-decade low.

"Furiosa," the highly-anticipated prequel to the popular "Mad Max" franchise, managed to claim the top spot for the Friday-Saturday-Sunday period, raking in an estimated $25.6 million in ticket sales. However, Warner Bros. plans to release their four-day estimates on Monday, leaving room for a potential change in rankings.

Meanwhile, "The Garfield Movie," an animated and family-friendly offering from Sony's Columbia Pictures and Alcon Entertainment, emerged as the No. 1 movie for the four-day holiday weekend, generating an estimated $31.9 million in ticket sales through Memorial Day. Sony estimates its three-day earnings to be $24.8 million.

This disappointing performance marks a significant downturn for Memorial Day weekend box office figures, with the exception of 2020 when theaters were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time the top-earning movie during this holiday weekend saw such low numbers was 29 years ago when "Casper" earned $22.5 million (not adjusted for inflation) in its first four days in 1995.

Traditionally, the Memorial Day weekend has been a lucrative period for the film industry, with several movies surpassing $100 million in ticket sales. Notable records include "Top Gun: Maverick," which set a staggering $160 million launch in 2022. Even amidst the pandemic, 2021 saw a solid turnout with "A Quiet Place Part II" earning over $57 million during the Memorial Day weekend.

Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore, attributed the lackluster performance to several factors. He mentioned the absence of a Marvel movie and the overall sluggishness in the movie industry this year, which hindered the momentum heading into the summer season. Dergarabedian commented, "In a way, we've been playing catch up all year long."

These underwhelming box office figures serve as a stark reminder of the challenges that theaters continue to face in the wake of the pandemic. Despite the ongoing efforts to entice audiences back to the big screen, it is clear that there is still work to be done in reviving the movie industry's once-thriving landscape.