The showdown between the Barden Bellas and Imperator Furiosa is off and running, but it appears as though this weekend is Pitch Perfect 2’s to lose. The PG-13 Universal sequel grossed a hefty $28 million on Friday with an A- CinemaScore and is headed towards a weekend total of around $64 million—which is almost what Pitch Perfect made in its entire run. Indeed, the wildly entertaining comedy was a fair success in theaters on a modest budget, but it really soared on home video, spurring Universal to greenlight a sequel. Pitch Perfect 2 once again had a relatively low budget ($29 million), so this success is doubly impressive. Moreover, with Elizabeth Banks at the helm it marks the only “blockbuster” movie of the summer directed by a woman and it's a smashing success, so it’s good news all around.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ $150 million, R-rated Mad Max: Fury Road is riding high on virtually universally positive reviews, and while its Friday numbers aren’t out-of-this-world, they’re still solid. George Miller’s masterpiece raked in roughly $16.68 million on Friday and is heading towards a weekend total in the range of $41-$43 million. The B+ CinemaScore rating is a bit disappointing if only because the critical reviews have been so enthusiastic, but it’s a solid audience rating nonetheless.

Pitch Perfect 2’s success is yet another example of a female-driven film making bank at the box office, and it’s kind of funny how Fury Road—seemingly a piece of testosterone-fueled counter-programming to the female-gearing PP 2—is a female-centric and profoundly feminist movie itself. Here’s hoping Fury Road can ride its wave of positive reviews and find continued success in the coming weeks. If you haven’t seen this movie, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

---

Peruse Friday’s Top 5 below, and check back tomorrow for full weekend estimates.