The summer box office is off to a disappointing start as Memorial Day weekend brings underwhelming performances for highly anticipated films. Warner Bros.' action epic "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" is projected to open well below industry estimates, failing to meet the expected $40 million-plus mark over the four-day period.

Despite being neck-and-neck with Sony's animated adaptation "The Garfield Movie" on the domestic charts, "Furiosa" only managed to gather $10.2 million from 3,804 locations, including Friday and preview screenings. The film, which benefits from screenings in Imax and other premium large-format auditoriums, falls short of its predecessor's opening day gross. The 2015 film "Mad Max: Fury Road" earned $16 million on its opening day and went on to have a successful run at the box office, reaching $153 million in North America and a total of $369 million worldwide.

Despite receiving positive reviews, "Furiosa" struggles to gain traction at the box office, similar to recent character-based spinoffs like Pixar's "Lightyear" and Disney's "Solo: A Star Wars Story." The hope for "Furiosa" is to have a long-lasting presence in theaters and match the impressive multiplier of "Fury Road," which accumulated 3.38 times its opening weekend earnings. However, with a production budget of $168 million before marketing and distribution expenses, the film faces an uphill battle.

Critics have praised "Furiosa," though not as much as its predecessor, and early audience reactions seem to align with those sentiments, with a matching "B+" grade on Cinema Score. However, with changing audience preferences and the declining staying power of films in theaters, it becomes increasingly challenging for films to replicate the success of box office hits from a decade ago.

On the other hand, "The Garfield Movie" seems to fare better during the Memorial Day weekend, projected to earn over $31 million over the four-day period. The animated film, with a production cost of $60 million, has already garnered positive responses from audiences, receiving a "B+" grade on Cinema Score. Chris Pratt voices the iconic feline character in this adventure where Garfield embarks on a journey with his long-lost father.

In third place, Paramount's "IF" follows with an estimated $16 million, experiencing a modest drop of 53% with the presence of "Garfield" as family-friendly competition. The film, directed by John Krasinski, will face difficulties internationally, potentially hampering its underwhelming domestic debut last weekend. However, it is projected to surpass $60 million in North America by Sunday.

Disney's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" secures the fourth spot, earning $3.4 million on Friday, showing a 50% decrease from the previous Friday. The sci-fi epic is expected to reach $125 million domestically by Sunday, performing well alongside its international box office numbers.

"The Fall Guy" remains in fifth place, projecting earnings of about $7.3 million over the four-day period, pushing its total domestic gross beyond $73 million. In its fourth weekend, the action film, directed by David Leitch, is also available on premium video-on-demand platforms. Universal, known for quick digital turnarounds for underperforming titles, hopes for a boost in revenue. The film has accumulated over $130 million worldwide, still falling short of its $140 million production budget.

Opening this weekend, Angel Studios presents "Sight," a biopic about an immigrant eye surgeon's professional research and Christian faith. Similar to the studio's previous success, "Sound of Freedom," "Sight" includes a direct address to the audience and a QR code. Competitors project "Sight" to earn roughly $3.6 million over the four-day period, and while reviews are mixed, audiences have given it an outstanding "A" grade on Cinema Score.

As the summer box office struggles to gain momentum, the performance of "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" falls short of expectations, raising concerns for the industry as a whole. The underwhelming start to the season leaves exhibitors disappointed, as Memorial Day weekends in previous years have seen successful releases grossing over $100 million.