NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — “Pitch Perfect 2” hit all the right notes at the box office this weekend.
The musical comedy from Universal Pictures made an estimated $70.3 million in its opening weekend at U.S. theaters.
The film’s main competition, Warner Bros.’ “Mad Max: Fury Road,” made $44.4 million.
“Pitch Perfect 2” smashed most industry projections, which had the film’s opening at $50 million to $55 million.
The film, a sequel starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, made more in its first weekend than the original made in the U.S. during its theatrical run. The predecessor, “Pitch Perfect,” made $65 million domestically and $115.3 million worldwide in 2012.
The big box office performance by “Pitch Perfect 2” is another win for Universal. The studio’s “Furious 7” opened in April with a $147 million box office haul.
And Universal has two other potential blockbusters on the summer slate: “Jurassic World” in June and the animated film “Minions” in July.
This weekend’s No. 2 box office draw, the post apocalyptic action film “Fury Road,” did well at the box office considering the last movie in the series came out in 1985.
“Fury Road,” which starred Tom Hardy, also garnered acclaim from critics and fans. It had a CinemaScore of B+ with audiences. It holds an almost perfect 98% fresh rating on review site “Rotten Tomatoes.”
