APRIL 29 UPDATE: Avengers: Endgame has reached unprecedented heights, smashing global, international, Chinese, and North American opening weekend box office records en route to a $1.22bn five-day global debut.
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES INTERNATIONAL
UPDATED: The Marvel Studios tentpole has grossed a best-ever $1.22bn worldwide (beating previous record-holder Avengers: Infinity War on $640m excluding China) after crossing $1bn in a record five days (Infinity War held the previous record of 11 days), and set further records in the form of $866.5m internationally (previous best was $443.2m by The Fate Of The Furious), $330.5m (RMB 2.22bn) in China (for the highest local or Western film debut of all time), and $357.1m in North America. It set opening weekend records in 44 territories, earning a record $56m in the UK.
This is the second billion-dollar release of 2019 for Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Studios after Captain Marvel, and Marvel Studios’ eighth billion dollar film. Marvel Studios now holds the top two global debuts of all time as well as six of the top 10 North American and two of the top three international. Endgame’s debut means that the 22 Marvel Cinematic Universe films have grossed a collective $19.9bn.
By region, this was the biggest launch in Asia-Pacific on an estimated $545m, surpassing the previous record held by Avengers: Infinity War of $340m; the biggest in Latin America on an estimated $100m, overtaking $74m set by Avengers: Infinity War; and the biggest across Europe and the Middle east on $214m, surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens on $172m.
China delivered not only the biggest opening weekend, but the biggest three-day opening, a new mark for the fastest film to reach RMB 2bn, a record $107.8m (RMB 725m) opening day (including midnight previews), and the biggest single day on Saturday on $81.7m (RMB 550m). It already ranks as the fourth highest Western film of all time in the territory.
The $56m UK opening weekend record overthrew the previous record established by Spectre, which opened in the holidays over seven days. In a slew of other industry opening weekend records, South Korea generated $46.9m, Mexico $31.9m, Australia $31.2m, Brazil $26.4m, Philippines $18m, Indonesia $15.4m, Thailand $14.2m, Spain $13.4m, Taiwan $12.8m, and Hong Kong $12.7m.
Elsewhere Germany delivered $27.1m, India $26.8m, France $25m (a new record for admissions to a non-local film), Italy $19.6m (a record for a non-local film), and Japan $13.2m.
There were record opening weekends in every Latin American and Middle Eastern territory, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, New Zealand, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia/Herzogovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, East Africa, Egypt, Hungary, Iceland, Jordan, Netherlands, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Syria, Turkey (for a non-local film), Ukraine, and West Africa.
Including China and the UK, Avengers: Endgame set single day records in 29 markets: everywhere in Latin America, as well as Australia, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, India (western), Vietnam, Hungary, and Ukraine.
Endgame – only the second film to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras – nearly doubled IMAX’s worldwide opening weekend record, earning $91.5m and eclispsing the previous mark of $47.6m set by Star Wars: The Force Awakens by 92%.
The film set territory IMAX opening weekend box office records in 50 markets, including China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, India, Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.
In North America, Endgame grossed $26.5m on 412 IMAX screens – surpassing Infinity War’s opening weekend by 14%. It is the second highest grossing North American IMAX opening weekend ever behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In China, the tentpole took $42.4m on 609 IMAX screens over its five-day run, surpassing previous record holder The Wandering Earth by 66%. The five-day IMAX China box office run has already surpassed the entire IMAX China run of Infinity War ($41.2m).
Endgame also delivered the highest grossing 3D opening of all-time worldwide, with approximately 45% of the estimated $1.2bn coming from roughly $540m in the 3D format.
The blockbuster opens in its final market of Russia on Monday (29).
“Kevin Feige and 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 The Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn. “Though ‘Endgame’ is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world.”
“From the very beginning with ‘Iron Man,’ all we’ve wanted to do was tell stories that brought these characters to life onscreen the way we’ve experienced them as fans of the comics,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. “That we’ve had so many other successes in this journey leading to this unbelievable result with ‘Avengers: Endgame’ has been almost entirely due to the fans around the world who have supported us through it all. Our directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, and our writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, really brought this story home, and I am also incredibly thankful for our cast and filmmakers from across the MCU and all who’ve worked so hard to make these films the best they can be, including the amazing teams at Marvel Studios and Disney. And of course, without Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, none of this would have been possible.”
Disney has other films in release. Captain Marvel added $10.2m globally to stand at $1.11bn and ranks number 24 on the all-time pantheon. A $2.1m weekend boosted the international running total to $696.6m. Dumbo added $6.4m internationally for $220.6m, and $327.6m worldwide. Fox’s faith-based drama Breakthrough has reached an early $8.4m internationally and stands at $35m worldwide. Brazil is the lead market on $4.9m.
WARNER BROS PICTURES INTERNATIONAL
UPDATED: The Curse Of La Llorona grossed an estimated $7.7m from 71 markets as the running total reached $45.5m and the worldwide tally climbed to $87.3m.
France earned $1.2m (€1.1m) to rank fifth and reach $3.7m (€3.3m), lead market Mexico $1.1m (Ps. 20.9m) and second place for $8.5m (Ps 158.8m), and Spain $579,000 (€515,000) and third for $2.9m (€2.6m). The horror film added $470,000 (Rbl 30m) in Russia for third and $1.9m (Rbl 122.4m), and Italy $431,000 (€383,000) and third for $1.8m (€1.6m). The next key markets to release are UK this week followed by Japan on May 10.
DC Entertainment’s Shazam! added $5m from 80 for $214.7m, and $345.9m worldwide. The superhero adpatation added $625,000 (¥69.9m) in the second weekend in Japan to reach $3.5m (¥390.2m), and $364,000 (£280,000) in the fourth session in the UK, where it now stands at $16.8m (£12.8m). China is the lead market on $43.8m.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES INTERNATIONAL
Family animation Wonder Park grossed $5.6m from 53 markets as the international running total grew to $58.1m, led by a $1.2m haul in the fourth weekend in France for $7.7m. Germany has delivered $2.5m after three, China $4m after two, and the Netherlands $932,000 after two.
Stephen King horror adaptation Pet Sematary added $2m from 49 for $49.7m, and has reached $5.5m in France after three sessions, and $4.3m in Germany after four. It opens in Italy and Brazil on May 9.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES INTERNATIONAL
UPDATED: Body-swap comedy Little added $700,000 from 13 territories as the early tally climbed to $6.6m, and $42.6m worldwide. The UK has produced $2.2m after three weekends.
Jordan Peele’s horror release Us added $500,000 from 48 for $76.6m from 63 overall, and $249.5m worldwide. DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World added $600,000 from 35 for $356.7m from 68 overall, and $516.5m worldwide.
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