The latest installment from Disney’s Marvel Studio, The Avengers broke film records with a phenomenal $1.2billion intake on its opening weekend.
“Avenger: Endgame” earned $350 million in the United States and Canada, blowing through the $258 million mark held by the superhero team’s own gloved hands with last years “Infinity War.”
Walt Disney Co. now boasts the top four spots for opening weekends in the US and Canada, rounded out by “The Last Jedi” and “The Force Awakens” from the Star Wars franchise, according to researcher Comscore Inc.
The film took in $330.5 million in China, just one of the opening records set in 44 countries, Disney said on Sunday.
The picture, the latest installment from Disney’s Marvel Studio, caps a 22-movie story line that began with “Iron Man” in 2008. The Avengers superheroes, including Captain America, Hulk and Black Widow, are now battling the intergalactic villain Thanos, who was last seen wiping out half the living creatures in the universe.
“We are floored and amazed by the response from all the moviegoers and fans around the world,” said Cathleen Taff, the president of distribution for Walt Disney Pictures, said in an interview.
While there was wide appeal, results were clearly driven by a young, male audience. The crowds were reported to be 57% male, with 28% of them between the ages of 25-34. Essentially the people who were there for the birth of the franchise in their teenage and early adult years. Families comprised just 18% of the audience, a figure that may rise after the initial crush of the testosterone crowd who lined up for tickets. Taff is expecting more families and even younger viewers to turn up to future screenings as the film continues to play in cinemas.
Disney, which also owns the Star Wars franchise and is usually cautious with forecasts, has originally suggested an opening weekend in the$300 million range.
With this kind of hype of an opening weekend there’s every reason to believe that “Endgame” will challenge the $2.07 billion worldwide gross of “The Force Awakens,” set in 2015. Only two other films in the history of Hollywood have taken in more, and those are “Avatar” in 2009 and “Titanic”, released in 1997.
Marvel machine has been a huge money maker for Disney. Last year’s “Infinity War”, for example, earned an estimated $985 million in profit, including TV, toys and theater ticket sales, according to S&P Global
Looking forward, Disney’s Taff would not say whether it was possible to top this record. “While this is an end in the Marvel Cinematice Universe, it is certainly not THE end,” she said. “It’s going to open up a whole new world of possibilities.”
Source: The Irish Times