'Pitch Perfect 2' edges out 'Mad Max: Fury Road' to top UK box office

UNIVERSAL

Repeating its domestic success, Pitch Perfect 2 hit the high note at the UK box office with an excellent $7.8m (£5m) debut from 496 sites.

Universal’s sequel recorded a superb site average of $15,815 (£10,081) across the weekend, a figure made all the more impressive as it achieved it without 3D or IMAX uptakes.

It will shortly surpass Pitch Perfect’s final UK result of $10.5m (£6.7m) and looks set for a healthy extended run as counter-programming to what will become an increasingly blockbuster-heavy market.

Overall, Pitch Perfect 2 achieved the sixth biggest opening of the year to date behind Avengers: Age of Ultron, Fifty Shades of Grey, Fast & Furious 7, Taken 3 and Home, but is the fifth biggest Fri-Sun result ahead of Home.

Also for Universal, Unfriended scared up $393,000 (£250,378) for a solid $5.2m (£3.3m) after three weeks in play, while Fast & Furious 7 has now amassed $59.8m (£38.1m) after seven weeks.

WARNER BROS

It may have missed out on top spot, but Mad Max: Fury Road is off to a terrific start in the UK.

Warner Bros’ critically acclaimed revival of the iconic character raced to $7.1m (£4.5m) from its 546 sites, including $1m (£638,000) in previews. It’s worth noting that its Fri-Sun tally of $6.1m (£3.9m) would also have seen it land in second.

According to figures from Rentrak, Mad Max: Fury Road has already outgrossed the lifetime totals of Mad Max 2 ($3.9m/£2.5m) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome ($6.4m/£4.1m). Figures are unavailable for Mad Max.

It also marks director George Miller’s best-ever UK bow, previously Happy Feet’s $5.8m (£3.7m) bow from 445 sites. The animation is also Miller’s highest grossing outing in the UK at $29.6m (£18.9m).

DISNEY

Hit by the duo of big-hitting arrivals, Avengers: Age of Ultron fell 53% on its way to a $2.6m (£1.66m) fourth weekend.

Disney’s latest Marvel outing is now up to a mighty $67.7m (£43.24m) in its quest to surpass the $81.3m (£51.9m) result of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, which stood at $70.4m (£45m) at the same stage in its run.

Also for Disney, Cinderella has waltzed to $31.7m (£20.24m) after eight weeks in play.

FOX

Spooks: The Greater Good dropped two places to fourth as it fell 45% (excluding previews) on its way to a second weekend of $837,000 (£533,843). The Pinewood Pictures release, through Fox, is now up to $3.2m (£2.1m).

Also for Fox, Far from the Madding Crowd rounded off this week’s top five with $622,000 (£396,414) for $7.4m (£4.7m) after three weeks in play, as Home reached $36m (£22.9m) with a $396,000 (£252,245) ninth weekend.

Bombay Velvet grossed $146,000 (£93,214) from its 73 sites on its UK debut.

LIONSGATE

Following VE Day previews and an exclusive run at Odeon Leicester Square, Lionsgate’s A Royal Night Out expanded nationwide to take a soft $431,000 (£274,955) from its 333 sites for a running total of $494,000 (£315,246).

That marks one of the lowest UK openings for director Julian Jarrold, behind Brideshead Revisited’s $589,000 (£375,270) from 256 sites.

ENTERTAINMENT

With a drop of over 50%, Entertainment’s The Age of Adaline added $303,000 (£193,494) for a ten-day tally of $1.7m (£1.1m).

Also for Entertainment, Woman in Gold has grossed $4.2m (£2.7m) after six weeks in play.

EONE

Falling 44% in its third weekend, eOne’s Two by Two journeyed to a further $259,000 (£164,924) for $2.2m (£1.4m) to date.

Also for eOne, Big Game dropped a hefty 71% (excluding previews) on its way to a $218,000 (£139,167) second weekend for $1.4m (£883,438).

CURZON FILM WORLD

Cannes 2014 Competition title Clouds of Sils Maria posted a non-final $86,000 (£54,749) UK debut, including previews, from its 30 sites through Curzon Film World.

It narrowly missed out on being director Olivier Assayas’ best-ever UK opening, which remains the $91,000 (£58,229) bow from 23 sites of Summer Hours.

STUDIOCANAL

Falling 25% (excluding previews) in its second weekend, StudioCanal’s Girlhood took a non-final $53,000 (£33,957) for $211,000 (£134,764) to date.

METRODOME

Released in 17 sites through Metrodome, Cannes 2014 Critics’ Week title The Tribe posted a UK bow of $20,000 (£12,727), including previews.

DOGWOOF

Music documentary Lambert and Stamp recorded a UK debut of $12,000 (£7,527) from its 12 sites through Dogwoof.

UPCOMING RELEASES

This week sees saturation releases for Disney’s Tomorrowland: A World Beyond, Fox’s Poltergeist and Vertigo/Lionsgate’s The Moomins on the Riviera.

Metrodome’s The New Girlfriend receives a wide release, while StudioCanal’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Metrodome’s Spring and Arrow Films’ Return to Sender are among the films receiving a limited release.