Box Office Preview: ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Eyeing to Defeat ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

It’s going to be a close race at the box office! This weekend’s newcomers Pitch Perfect 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road are eyeing to dominate the top spot on the charts.

Analysts are predicting that both films should premiere roughly in the $40 million range, but many believe the musical comedy – geared towards younger females – will triumph in the end.

Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is still in the race, likely to pull in an additional $40 million, as well, in its third weekend. Thus far, the tentpole has accumulated $923 million globally and is expected to cross the $1 billion mark by this weekend.

Universal’s original Pitch Perfect, which debuted back in the fall of 2012, cost $17 million to produce and went on to collect $113 million. The sequel marks the feature directorial debut of Elizabeth Banks, and stars Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Skylar Astin reprising their roles, as well as newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.

The weekend’s other newcomer Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by George Miller, stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow’s R-rated feature cost $150 million to produce and debuts nearly 30 years since the last Mad Max movie (Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome).

Currently, Perfect 2 holds a 71 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the Mad Max sequel ranks at 99 percent “fresh.”