LOS ANGELES (AP) – The a capella singers of “Pitch Perfect 2” proved their box office might with a stunning $69.2 million debut. For a film that cost only $29 million to produce, the Elizabeth Banks-directed sequel is already a smash success and has earned more than the first film’s entire domestic run.
Universal Pictures’ homegrown franchise also sped past the other new opener, “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which brought in $45.4 million. George Miller’s $150 million post-apocalyptic film performed well for an R-rated action movie. It should only grow in the weeks to come, thanks in part to the rave reviews.
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Rentrak:
1. “Pitch Perfect 2,” Universal, $69,216,890, 3,473 locations, $19,930 average, $69,216,890, 1 week.
2. “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Warner Bros., $45,428,128, 3,702 locations, $12,271 average, $45,428,128, 1 week.