The weekend of May 15-17, 2015 saw two films actually worth going to the theaters to check out open in wide release. Pitch Perfect 2 with actress Elizabeth Banks at the helm revisited the world of the Barden Bellas, bringing back all of the a cappella fun with a fresh, new story and new musical performances.
Mad Max also returned to the screen in Mad Max: Fury Road with Tom Hardy taking over the role originally played by Mel Gibson in the post-apocalyptic action franchise. Although Max is in the title, it’s equally Imperator Furiosa’s (played by Charlize Theron) film. Furiosa’s a one-armed a**-licking machine and Theron is fantastic in the role.
At the box office, Pitch Perfect 2 has already surpassed Pitch Perfect‘s total take of $65 million in just three days of release. It also easily earned back its budget (estimated to be around $30 million). Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth film of the series, also proved to be a winner at the box office, pulling in $44 million, which isn’t bad for a sequel to a franchise launched way back in 1979. The third film of the franchise, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, opened in theaters in 1985 and made $35 million domestically during its theatrical run. Mad Max: Fury Road has already earned $109 million worldwide, making it the biggest-grossing film of the series.
Commenting on Mad Max: Fury Road‘s box office performance, Warner Bros President of Domestic Distribution Dan Fellman said, “George Miller, together with his extraordinary cast, led by Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and fellow filmmakers, has created a movie-going experience that critics agree is not to be missed, as evidenced by the 98% ‘Fresh’ score on Rotten Tomatoes—resulting in the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated actioner so well-reviewed. Word of mouth is already tremendous and should drive box office returns well into summer.”
May 15-17, 2015 Box Office Top 10
1. Pitch Perfect 2 – $70,328,250
2. Mad Max: Fury Road – $44,400,000
3. Avengers: Age of Ultron – $38,837,000
4. Hot Pursuit – $5,780,000
5. Furious 7 – $3,647,940
6. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 – $3,600,000
7. The Age of Adaline – $3,200,000
8. Home – $2,700,000
9. Ex Machina – $2,103,404
10. Far From the Madding Crowd – $1,300,000
