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."
I'll take 'words beginning with F' for $100, Alex...
That one particular punch did it for me. I was never a big fan either but he was hilarious and Mark Ruffalo gave a tense performance that was much different from what I’d seen on the ‘80s TV show.
Yeah, you’re right. Sighing with melancholy everytime I see The Avengers headline. But we will always have VHS.
“I am the Shoveler. And I shovel well.”
I'm woefully out of it at the moment. I clicked on the thread thinking "Avengers" was a remake of the series with Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg (or Honor Blackman).
Sigh. Now I need to hit Amazon and see what DVD sets of the "real" Avengers are available.
Same here...not sure I remember what that line was...clue me in.
Also was kind of surprised when the audience gave the film an ovation at the end...haven't seen that since the original Star Wars.
“Puny god”
LOL!
The combination action/humor was great.
A friend loaned me a box set of DVD’s from several seasons of the new Battlestar Galactica (I loved the original series) and I thought they were great at first, but after a couple of disks I felt like I was being strung along at a snails pace just to keep me watching. I didn’t even finish them.
I’ve watched my Firefly series several times. The characters are awesome and the action/humor is top notch. One of my favorite lines: “Why are you arguin’ what’s already been decided?”
And this little exchange had us in stitches:
Kaylee: Goin’ on a year now I ain’t had nothin’ twixt my nethers weren’t run on batteries!
Malcolm: Oh, God! I can’t *know* that!
Jayne: I could stand to hear a little more.
Same with me. I thought the the Battlestar Galactica mini-series pilot was great and showed much promise, but they just felt compelled to stretch things out, till I lost interest. It's on cable on BBC, and I'd been having my DVR record it, but I can't really get into it at all.
Firefly, OTOH, was just great. I loved the series. Some were unhappy that the show got cancelled, but it may have been a mercy to end it, and give it a finale with the Serenity movie, than to just allow it to plod after they had milked all they really had to say out of it.
Clooney’s dinner was organized by Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of DreamWorks Animation, and included such celebrity guests as Robert Downey Jr., Tobey Maguire and Barbra Streisand. The event was initially to be a spring gala hosted by Katzenberg at his house. But Katzenberg’s home is under renovation, so Clooney offered to host instead.
A matinee costs only six dollars at AMC theaters here in nyc. Not a big financial hit.
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