There were early reports that said Universal’s “Pitch Perfect 2” was going to have the edge over Disney’s “Tomorrowland,” and while those calculations were wrong, it was close. “Tomorrowland” took the #1 spot this weekend with a $32.2 million bow, but considering it was a would-be four-quadrant tentpole on almost 4000 screens that could crossover into the lucrative kids market (and the parents that have to take them there), this wasn’t exactly a stellar opening, and you can bet Disney was hoping for something north of $50 million. Reviews of the Brad Bird-directed movie weren’t kind (here’s our tepid one) and, perhaps not boding well for future weekends, the movie received a lukewarm B Cinemascore from audiences. Worse, “Tomorrowland” cost $180 million without the give-or-take $60 million it took to market the picture. If Disney hopes to break even on the film — the movie is already tracking to a low $100-110 million total stateside — it needs a huge boost from the overseas market. Translation: they are “John Carter”-esque numbers.
“Pitch Perfect 2” on the other hand grossed $30.3 million in its second week of release, only dipping 56.2% from its near $70 million opening last weekend. The musical comedy sequel is now at $117.8 million domestically in week two. So far that’s 21.4% higher than the entire U.S. run of the original, which couldn’t quite crack the $100 million mark in 2012.
Overall, it was a dismal weekend for Memorial Day, which is traditionally a huge frame for audiences. All the films in the top 10 combined could only hit the $141.5 million mark, and that’s the worst Memorial Day weekend total since 2001. Worse, not one film in the top 10 made over $40 million, and the last time that happened was 20 years ago in 1995. In short, the ailing domestic box-office problem continues, and aside from “Jurassic World” (already tracking for a opening higher than $100 million), this could prove to be one of the most challenging (read: worst) summers for the studios in recent years if this downward trends continues.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” fared well in week two, dropping only 47.7% and taking its stateside total to almost $90 million. International numbers aren’t in yet, but as of Friday the movie was at $135 million worldwide, and when the full international numbers arrive, the movie should likely be north of $220 million. Hit with mediocre to poor reviews, 20th Century Fox’s “Poltergeist” didn’t fare amazingly well, but it at least cracked the $20 million mark in week one (here’s our review). But don’t be surprised if it vanishes from the top 10 in a hurry. That said, it should probably hit around $60 million when all is said and done, which will be decent business for the low-cost film. Disney’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” added another $20 million and change to its tally, and the film has now crossed the $400 million mark at home. Its total is $1.26 billion, and while it’s now surpassed “Iron Man 3” to become the 2nd highest grossing superhero film to date, its unclear if its domestic grosses — trailing about 25% from the first film — will allow it to outgross "The Avengers" and its $1.51 billion haul from 2012.
Fox Searchlight’s "Far From The Madding Crowd" fared well in its fourth week of release. The studio added almost 600 screens and the movie jumped 82%, adding $5.4 million to its impressive indie total so far. Rounding out the top 10, “Hot Pursuit” had a strong hold in week three, only dropping 39%, "Furious 7" nears the $350 million mark domestically, and "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2" and "Home" are finishing their runs within the top 10.
More numbers, international, indie, and otherwise later this afternoon.
1. Tomorrowland — $32.1 million
2. Pitch Perfect 2 — $30.3 million
3. Mad Max: Fury Road — $23.8 million ($87.3 million total)
4. Poltergeist — $23 million
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron — $20.9 million ($404.1 million total)
6. Hot Pursuit — $3.4 million ($28.9 million total)
7, Far from the Madding Crowd — $3 million ($6.3 million total)
8. Furious 7 — $2.6 million ($347.5 million total)
9.Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 — $3 million ($66 million total)
10. Home — 1.6 million ($167.9 million total)