Box Office: ‘Tomorrowland’ battles ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ at the top
Britt Robertson as Casey in a scene from Disney’s “Tomorrowland.”
In the battle at the Friday box office, new release “Tomorrowland” is holding its own against last week’s crowning glory “Pitch Perfect 2.” Both films pulled in an estimated $9.7 million to start off the Memorial Day weekend.
“Tomorrowland” is Disney’s latest theme park-based film, starring George Clooney and Britt Robertson. It scored $725,000 in its limited Thursday night opening in 701 U.S. theaters for pre-shows, which is far less than the typical Thursday night haul for a major release. That makes it difficult to judge what the number portends for the movie, but its Friday night showing bodes well as families head to theaters throughout the holiday weekend.
The movie is expected to gross up to $50 million in the U.S. and Canada in its debut weekend, according to analysts. It received both a 49% Rotten Tomatoes fresh rating and a B grade from audience polling firm CinemaScore.
Universal Pictures’ “Pitch Perfect 2,” a musical comedy about an all-female a cappella group, will likely continue in a similar vein to its record-breaking debut grossing $69.2 million. The opening weekend for “Pitch Perfect 2” surpassed the entire $65-million domestic theatrical run of the original film, which was released in 2012. In the sequel, Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Brittany Snow reprise their roles as members of the misfit college a cappella group the Bellas.
In third place, MGM and Fox 2000’s remake of the 1982 cult classic “Poltergeist” garnered $9.4 million Friday night. The film, which received only a 35% fresh rating and a C-plus from CinemaScore, stars Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt and Saxon Sharbino.
At the bottom of the pack is Warner Brothers’ “Mad Max: Fury Road” and Disney’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
“Mad Max,” the reboot of George Miller’s dystopian franchise, pulled in an estimated $6.7 million Friday night. With its stunning 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B-plus audience grade from CinemaScore, it will likely benefit this weekend from its rave reviews and word of mouth. The action film stars Tom Hardy in the title role made famous by Mel Gibson, and Charlize Theron as a new character named Furiosa.
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” continued its hold on the charts pulling in another $5.4 million Friday night, in its fourth week.
Follow the reporter on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
