‘Pitch Perfect 2’ hits high notes
LOS ANGELES—The ladies of Pitch Perfect 2 hit all the right notes on opening weekend, amassing a $70.3 million debut, according to Rentrak estimates Sunday.
The Elizabeth Banks-directed sequel to the 2012 sleeper hit and video-ondemand phenomenon cost Universal Pictures only $29 million to produce and was expected to open in the $50 million range. The first film, for comparison, grossed only $65 million domestically across its entire run.
Audiences for the musical comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson were 75 percent female and 62 percent under the age of 25, according to Universal.
George Miller’s critically acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road landed a distant second in its debut weekend with a solid and expected $44.4 million from 3,702 locations. The highoctane, post-apocalyptic film cost a reported $150 million to make and stars Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy.
Although it cost significantly more than Pitch Perfect 2 to produce and didn’t come close to matching its opening, Mad Max: Fury Road still had a promising and successful first weekend in theaters—especially considering the fact that it is R-rated.
“We’re very excited about the opening,” Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman said. “We’re going to have some long legs and some great success on this movie.”
The film, which also played in IMAX and 3D, is one of the best reviewed in the studio’s history. Fellman said that many of the showings ended with applause, only adding to the hope that word of mouth will contribute to a lengthy and successful run.
Audiences for the film were 70 percent male and 46 percent under the age of 35, according to Warner Bros.
Mad Max: Fury Road also made $65 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total to $109.4 million.