Posted on 05/07/2012 12:32:37 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
It's safe to say that everyone expected Marvel's "The Avengers" to smash the box office when it opened in U.S. theaters this weekend, but no one could foresee just how many records it would break.
According to Deadline Hollywood, the Joss Whedon-directed film grossed more than $207 million domestically this weekend, blasting away the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" record of $169 million. The film now also holds the #1 spot for highest Saturday gross of all time with a whopping $69.7 million made in a single day.
"We are really in uncharted territory now with an opening like this," Phil Contrino of BoxOffice.com told MTV News.
With "Avengers" exceeding fan and critic expectations, is the film poised to break any other records? Box Office Guru editor Gitesh Pandya predicts some hefty numbers. "It also broke the speed record for hitting $200 million, doing it in a mere three days, beating a trio of past hits that did it in five days," he said. "And I project it will become the fastest film in history to smash the $1 billion global box-office mark, doing it in about 20 days or so. 'Avengers' just might end up becoming the highest-grossing non-James Cameron film ever."
Exhibitor Relations' Jeff Bock agrees, saying, "[It] will likely take down many of 'The Dark Knight' and 'Deathly Hallows, Part 2' [records], including best first-week gross and fastest to $300 million."
But with such huge numbers in the beginning, there's a chance the film could drastically drop in weeks to come. "I don't think it can possibly manage to drop only 55-60 percent like most summer blockbusters, but if it does then it could very well challenge the $533.3 million domestic gross of 'The Dark Knight,' " Contrino said. "I don't think it will catch 'Titanic' or 'Avatar' domestically, but I wouldn't completely rule it out either. It all depends on how much repeat business it gets."
Pandya agrees that "Avengers" will have a sizable drop in its second weekend in theaters. "We won't see 'Titanic' or 'Avatar'-type legs here, but a final domestic gross of more than $450 million seems likely."
Bock is a little more optimistic, putting the overall domestic tally at $500 million. "As reviews have been through the roof, it will definitely benefit from repeat viewings," he said. " 'The Avengers' success is now the model by which all comic book franchises will now be judged. This certainly played out like a sequel, because it was built like one. In fact, this was a super-sequel arriving with the most built-in buzz in the history of modern-day cinema."
Contrino credits the buzz to Disney's incredible campaign to market the film. "They combined traditional marketing — TV spots, trailers — with plenty of outreach on Facebook and Twitter. Marketers will be studying this for years to come."
But marketing departments won't be the only teams studying up on Disney and Marvel's success. Bock believes DC Comics should be taking some notes. "Marvel maneuvered their characters like Bobby Fischer moved chess pieces — always thinking of the next move," he said.
"This was Marvel's master plan from the beginning and it turned into a master class. If DC can eventually get all their universe straightened out, there is no reason a Justice League movie couldn't blow up the box office like Marvel's 'Avengers' did."
Pandya agrees, crediting the success in part to the directors. "Other studios should learn to trust big franchises in the hands of talented directors and to keep fans engaged throughout the process so they feel like they are part of the team," he said. "Give audiences a solid piece of entertainment and they will reward you back with huge bags of cash."
—Contrino credits the buzz to Disney’s incredible campaign to market the film. —
That’s pretty funny. Last week I said to my wife, “I hope this remake is better than the original movie with Uma Thurman.”
She said it was not the “Emma Peel” Avengers but a bunch of superheros. You miss out on a lot of marketing when you don’t have tv.
Also, I just bought Captain america on blue ray and noticed the black guy in your photo looks just like the guy in that movie, right down to the scratches over the eye.
Is this a sequel to Captain America?
Saw it. Good vs evil. Conservative as hell. American as apple pie. Humor in all the right places.
—...great lines...—
That is a Joss Whedon trademark.
“But I had misgivings because three of the big stars are “Conservatives Are Racists” lunatic leftists”
Ah, but Robert Downey, Jr -— now sober -— is a nice conservative Republican Jewish boy.
—And really movie are $10, even broke people can usually find a way to scrape up $10...—
This concept is why I think the movie industry flourished during the great depression.
—And yes, going to a movie is cheap—
I wait for them to come out at Redbox. The bluerays are a buck fifty and the movies are better on my 46” screen at home than in the local theaters. And the floor isn’t sticky.
They just increased their student loan.............
I haven’t had TV since 1997, but I was exposed to Firefly. I now own the series as well as the movie. It is seriously quality stuff. Jane cracks me up.
I susPECT he is. He is certainly no leftist and has said words nearly exactly to that effect. Whatever Downey is, I love his interpretation of Tony Stark.
Not a sequel but part of the continuum. That’s been the big thing Marvel has been doing with their movies since Iron Man, actually bringing the Marvel Universe to the screen, not just individual characters. Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury (the black guy) has appeared in all the Marvel movies since Iron Man, mostly in a very small roll in a teaser at the end of the credits, plus they’ve had other bits and pieces like Thor’s hammer appearing in the desert at the end of Iron Man 2. All building up to this movie, Avengers, one of Marvel’s big superhero teams (and unlike other teams always made up mostly of characters that have their own book series, with their own plots and such). Historically Cap is almost always a part of the Avengers, so he was kind of the last building block, and also why they called that movie “the first Avenger”. So it’s kind of not a sequel to any of them and a sequel to all of them. That’s the way the Marvel Universe works, tie it all together but let it stand independently. Everything you might need to know from the previous movies is explained, so it can stand alone, but if you’re steeped in the Universe it gains a lot of depth.
True, but your picture erroneously shows Diana Rigg NOT in a catsuit! ;]
As a comedian, Hulk may have the highest laugh/word ratio
in history. Banner’s alter-ego’s unsuspected backhand
of Thor and comment post-KO of Loki rocked the theater.
Worth seeing in 3D.
Yes, and I remember, about 5 months before Captain America: The First Avenger came out, its director was quoted on an early junket as saying (paraphrasing) “he [Cap] isn’t a big flag waver” in the movie. I was apoplectic. What is the point of bothering to MAKE a Cap America film (and I could understand not making it; but IF you make it) and then NOT having him be the flag-waving patriot he IS?
Fortunately, that comment proved to be largely wrong. And fortunately, Cap’s patriotism was deftly handled in “The Avengers.”
—...and also why they called that movie “the first Avenger”.—
I noticed that and wondered if it had to do with the new Avengers movie. I’ll have to see Iron Man II and Thor now.
I really hope he can stay that way. He's really very talented...and I don't say that about many actors.
Hard to believe that’s the same guy from “Back To School.”
IMII is kind of weak. Not nearly as good as the first. Thor is fun, but it’s a Thor story, they’re always kind of silly (he’s a Norse god that flies by swinging his hammer around really fast). The peak of the movies that lead up to this are IM1 and Cap. They picked up the Hulk where his movies left him off, but those movies were before the “Universe” project started, and they kind of suck, especially the first one. Just setting expectations.
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