Notable Openings This Weekend: Mad Max: Fury Road, Pitch Perfect 2
Oh boy, do we have a weekend battle for you. If you were to ask me a month ago, I would have said Avengers: Age of Ultron would definitely still be on a high, and poor Mad Max would do fine, but get lost in the shuffle. I certainly don’t feel that way any more. Everything is breaking right for Mad Max: Fury Road, and not so much the Avengers. It dipped more than I thought it would last weekend. But like I said last week, nobody is crying for the Avengers. I’m just comparing its disappointment relative to the first film, so everybody relax. Not only is Mad Max opening, but Pitch Perfect 2 is no slouch either. It’s Anna Kendrick Vs. Bane, with Tony Stark still sprinkled in – let’s break it down.
I’ve been excited about Mad Max: Fury Road for years, despite how long it’s taken to get here. While the role of Max Rockatansky has always been associated with the iconic performance of Mel Gibson, I think it’s safe to say people are willing to forget him, and allow Tom Hardy to slide right in. While Mad Max is very popular among the die-hard film crowd, it’s still a niche property. Add in the fact that the last movie came out 30 years ago, and that’s a lot to overcome. All the concerns I’ve had for this film though have been totally erased by great marketing and insane reviews. Seriously, the reviews. Wow. As I write this, the film sits at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s kind of high. The social media buzz is rampant, and the stage is set for this to be the surprise hit of the summer. Mad Max went from most likely losing to Avengers, to all but a certainty it will finish #1 this weekend.
We also have Pitch Perfect 2, which reunites Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson. The first one was the little movie that could, where everybody who saw it sang its praises. It also gave Rebel Wilson star notoriety. It’s certainly going to do better than it’s near $15 Million opening weekend for the original. I get the counter programming of releasing this in the summer, but it could have really cleaned up in February or March. Relative to its budget, this movie is a no brainer big time profit.
HOW WILL IT ALL BREAK DOWN…
Not only do I think Mad Max: Fury Road finishes #1, it does so easily. It’s a two-pronged effect: the buzz is at a fever pitch, and the Avengers buzz has completely evaporated. I also wouldn’t be completely shocked if Pitch Perfect 2 made a run for the #2 spot, but that’s still doubtful. Warner Brothers is sure to be cracking open the champagne after Mad Max, and I guarantee a “sequel is going into production” announcement will follow next week.
1. Mad Max: Fury Road — $65 Million
2. Avengers: Age of Ultron — $38.5 Million
3. Pitch Perfect 2 — $35 Million
4. Hot Pursuit — $7 Million
5. Age of Adaline — $3.5 Million
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Daniel Cohen is the Film Editor for Pop-Break. Aside from reviews, Daniel does a weekly box office predictions column, and also contributes monthly Top Tens and Op-Ed’s on all things film. Daniel is a graduate of Bates College with a degree in English, and also studied Screenwriting at UCLA. He can also be read on www.movieshenanigans.com. His movie crush is Jessica Rabbit. Follow him on Twitter @dcohenwriter.
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