Weekend Box Office Report: May 15-17, 2015

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Pitch Perfect 2 sings a song of success!

Moviegoers wanted to see another performance by the Barden Bellas this weekend, putting PITCH PERFECT 2 on top at the box office with an estimated $70.3 million!

The PG-13 musical-comedy sequel (with a reported $29 million cost) had the exact opposite opening of the original: in September 2012, PITCH PERFECT opened with $5.1 million on just 335 screens, then expanded wide and slowly made it to a domestic total of $65 million.

It clearly benefited from its expanded fanbase after a lucrative home release and hit soundtrack, leading to a rare case where the first movie's entire total is surpassed in a single weekend by its follow-up (the second AUSTIN POWERS movie also achieved this feat).

Besides the biggest opening for a musical, the feature directing debut of co-star Elizabeth Banks (who previously contributed to the comedy anthology MOVIE 43) marks the second-highest opening for a female director, after FIFTY SHADES OF GREY's $85 million debut.

Anna Kendrick and her harmonious girls received a 69% Rotten Tomatoes critical average (compared to the first movie's 81%) and an 'A-' CinemaScore from audiences. The tuneful ladies have also enchanted another $38 million from overseas crowds.

Opening in second place was MAD MAX: FURY ROAD with $44.4 million. The R-rated post-apocalyptic epic (carrying a $150 million price tag) was wasteland warrior Max Rockatansky's first appearance in three decades, with Tom Hardy stepping into Mel Gibson's leather boots post-THUNDERDOME and Charlize Theron joining him as a fierce accomplice.

FURY ROAD makes the biggest opening weekend for director George Miller, and his bonkers desert chase found almost universal praise from critics (98% on Rotten Tomatoes) and received a 'B+' CinemaScore from crowds. Max also drove away with an additional $65 million from international audiences.

In third place was AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON with $38.8 million, relinquishing the box office crown after two weeks on top (one week sooner than AVENGERS, which gave it up to MEN IN BLACK 3 in 2012). Marvel's champions have collected a $372.1 million domestic total to become 2015's highest-grossing release, and have assembled $1.11 billion worldwide so far.

The Reese Witherspoon/Sofia Vergara comedy HOT PURSUIT was in fourth with $5.7 million, down 58% from its opening last weekend. PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 was once again in fifth place with $3.6 million and a domestic total that has more than doubled its reported $30 million cost.

FURIOUS 7 is still idling in the Top 10 after seven weeks in theaters, while THE AGE OF ADELINE slipped past it from a third place slot last weekend. The computer-animated HOME and the A.I. thriller EX MACHINA were near the bottom, and the latest adaptation of FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD jumped onto the list in tenth after adding nearly 200 screens. Disney's live-action CINDERELLA and the horror movie UNFRIENDED both exited the chart this week.

Next weekend has a couple of new offerings for the Memorial Day weekend in Disney's sci-fi adventure TOMORROWLAND from THE INCREDIBLES director Brad Bird, and a remake of the 1982 spooker POLTERGEIST.

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