Entertainment

‘Avengers’ finale shatters records with $1.2bn debut

Published

5 years ago

April 30, 2019

“ Avengers : Endgame , ” the hugely -anticipated superhero series – ender from Marvel , set a new standard for Hollywood blockbusters this weekend with stunning hauls of $ 357 million in North America and $ 1 . 2 billion worldwide , industry data showed on Monday.

The fourth and final chapter in the adventures of Iron Man , Hulk , Thor and company managed 43 times the domestic take of the No . 2 film , Marvel ’ s “ Captain Marvel , ” which made $ 8 . 1 million .
With a star- studded cast including Robert Downey Jr . , Chris Evans , Mark Ruffalo , Chris Hemsworth , Scarlett Johansson , Bradley Cooper and Josh Brolin , it took in a jaw – dropping $ 330 million in China alone, the highest ever opening in the Middle Kingdom .

With a sky- high 96 per cent rating from critics on the Rotten Tomatoes reviews website, “ Avengers” could lead to “ the biggest revenue- generating summer ( and year ) in box office history , ” Comscore ’ s Paul Dergarabedian said .

Packed with spectacular fight scenes , special effects , gags and tear – jerking moments , it almost doubled the previous world record opening weekend take held by its predecessor , “ Avengers: Infinity War . ”
The movie cost around $ 500 million to make including marketing costs and was expected to break even during its debut weekend, a feat unheard of for a major blockbuster .
Entertainment media are predicting a final global take of up to $ 2 . 5 billion , which would give it a place among the most lucrative movies of all time alongside “ Avatar ” ( $ 2 . 8 billion ) , “ Titanic” ( $ 2 . 2 billion ) , “ Star Wars : The Force Awakens ” ( $ 2 . 07 billion ) , and “ Infinity War ” ( $ 2 . 05 billion ) .

“(The ) Marvel Studios team have continued to challenge notions of what is possible at the movie theatre , both in terms of storytelling and at the box office , ” said Alan Horn , the chairman of Walt Disney Studios , which owns Marvel .

– Around the clock screenings –
Among the many other superlatives being thrown in Marvel ’ s direction , “ Endgame ” is the widest release in North American history, showing on 4 , 662 screens in the US and Canada , according to box office monitor Exhibitor Relations. It averaged $ 75 , 075 a screen — another record .

Around the world , “ Avengers ” fans reserved their tickets well before the movie ’ s release . In India , 2 . 5 million tickets were pre – sold in a variety of languages including English , Hindi , Tamil and Telugu .

Others who had failed to do their advance planning had to line up for hours at box offices to see the final instalment of the story that began with 2008 ’ s “ Iron Man . ”
In Venezuela , beset by blackouts , civil unrest and an economic crisis , fans got up before dawn to watch a special early morning screening , as evening shows were considered too risky in a country with sky -high crime rates .

To meet exceptional demand in the United States , and taking into account the three -hour running time of the blockbuster , AMC cinemas organized around – the – clock screenings over the weekend in dozens of movie theatres across the country, often playing to packed houses .

In total , the film became the biggest opening weekend box office hit in 44 countries , including Britain , Korea , France, Argentina, Brazil , Mexico , Italy and Spain , and broke records for one – day earnings in 29 countries .

“ From the very beginning with ‘ Iron Man , ’ all we ’ ve wanted to do was tell stories that brought these characters to life on screen the way we ’ ve experienced them as fans of the comics , ” said Kevin Feige , the head of Marvel Studios .

– ‘ Unbelievable ’ –
Feige , who has produced all 22 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , ascribed the “ unbelievable ” success of the latest addition to “ fans around the world who have supported us through it all. ”

Back on Earth, last week ’ s top film , Warner Bros . ’ horror flick “ The Curse of La Llorona , ” slipped to third spot behind the two Marvel movies , with $ 7 . 5 million .
It stars Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz and Patricia Velasquez in the story, loosely based on Mexican folklore, of a Los Angeles woman trying to protect her children from a ghost .

In fourth place was “ Breakthrough , ” at $ 6 . 3 million . The faith – based story of a mother ( Chrissy Metz) who refuses to abandon hope after her son ( Marcel Ruiz ) falls into an icy lake , was produced by NBA star Stephen Curry .

And in fifth was Warner Bros . ’ lighthearted superhero tale “ Shazam !” , at $ 5 . 5 million . It stars Asher Angel as Billy Baston , an unhappy foster kid who becomes a muscular superhero ( Zachary Levi ) when the secret word is pronounced .

Despite its title , “ Avengers: Endgame ” will not mark the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . “ Spider – Man : Far From Home , ” which Marvel made in partnership with Disney rival Sony , comes out in July.

( AFP )