UPDATED: Monday 7th May, 8am – We have now updated the post with THIS WEEK AT THE MOVIES – US TOP TEN. Check out the video embed below.
UPDATED: It’s official, THE AVENGERS is the biggest opening film of all time in North America after taking a Hulk size $200.3 million in its first three days, easily eclipsing the previous record holder, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, which opened to $169 million last year. It’s an absolute collosal amount of cash, which I’m sure you’ll agree the film tuly deserved. The figure works out at a massive $46,057 per screen across 4,329 screens in the United States and Canada. Wow.
Other releases seem so insignificant, but last week’s number one film THINK LIKE A MAN, slipped to number two with another $8 million taken. THE HUNGER GAMES rounded out the top three with $5.7 million.
There is not another new entry in sight in the hot ten.
1. Marvel’s The Avengers – $200,300,000
2. Think Like a Man – $8,000,000, $73,029,000
3. The Hunger Games – $5,700,000, $380,727,000
4. The Lucky One – $5,510,000, $47,917,000
5. The Pirates! Band of Misfits – $5,400,000, $18,563,000
6. The Five-Year Engagement – $5,100,000, $19,200,000
7. The Raven – $2,508,000, $12,047,000
8. Safe – $2,470,000, $12,874,000
9. Chimpanzee – $2,395,000, $23,012,000
10.The Three Stooges – $1,800,000, $39,637,000
UPDATED: Sunday 6th May, 2012, 1630 – We are hearing whispers that THE AVENGERS is the biggest opening movie of all time with a three day take of just under $200 million. More news throughout the evening.
THE AVENGERS, or if you’re British, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, is quite literally taking the world by storm. It has been wowing audiences in Europe and beyond for over a week now, and it finally opened in its home territory, North America, this past weekend. The big question on everyone’s lips was; just how much is this Marvel monster going to take on home soil? The big guage of success is opening weekend, and this is how it will be forever judged, despite the massive success it has already received from us foreigners. Will it topple THE DARK KNIGHT as the highest comic book superhero opener? Can it even become the highest opener on North America ever, beating HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2’s 2011 benchmark setter.
Early estimate figures coming from sources in Hollywood late on Friday, suggest that the film was on track to make around about the $160m amount, just beating THE DARK KNIGHT’s 2008 record of $158 million, but not quite toppling HP’s $169.1 million take on its debut last year. However, since then, reports suggest that it is indeed on track to completely thrash Potter’s last adventure, with the latest figues set around the $175 million mark. The total take has been increasing all weekend, and now some sources are suggesting that it could even break the magic $200 million mark, becoming the first film to do so… and that’s just insane!
In all, ‘Avengers’ has made over $575 million around the world in just over a week, and after this weekend, could eyes move towards as to whether Joss Whedon’s film could climb that all important all time worldwide top ten? Sitting proudly at the top is James Cameron’s AVATAR with a collosal $2.782 million in box-office gold, but remember this; AVATAR opened to just $77 million in the US and Canada, but with strong word of mouth and repeat viewings, it showed that it ‘had legs.’ The thing is, ‘Avengers’ is surprising everyone, and indeed with breaking the tradition of opening overseas before home turf, anything is possible. The thing about the film is that it is standing up to repeat viewings, and people are wanting to go back and see it again and again, myself included, and with multiple formats available to it, in 2D, Digital 3D, RealD and IMAX 3D, we could see a new champion of Hollywood. Also, it’s bloody good.
JOHN CARTER is nothing but a distant memory for Disney now…
Source: Deadline, Box-Office Mojo
