The universe belongs to Marvel. 91裸聊视频淎vengers: Endgame91裸聊视频� shattered the record for biggest opening weekend with an estimated $350 million in ticket sales domestically and $1.2 billion globally, reaching a new pinnacle in the blockbuster era that the comic-book studio has come to dominate.
The 91裸聊视频淎vengers91裸聊视频� finale far exceeded even its own gargantuan expectations, according to studio estimates Sunday. The movie had been forecast to open between $260 million and $300 million in U.S. and Canadian theatres, but moviegoers turned out in such droves that 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� blew past the previous record of $257.7 million, set last year by 91裸聊视频淎vengers: Infinity War91裸聊视频� when it narrowly surpassed 91裸聊视频淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens91裸聊视频� ($248 million or about $266 million in inflation adjusted dollars.)
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91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� was just as enormous overseas. Worldwide, it obliterated the previous record of $640.5 million, also set by 91裸聊视频淚nfinity War.91裸聊视频� (91裸聊视频淚nfinity War91裸聊视频� didn91裸聊视频檛 open in China, the world91裸聊视频檚 second largest movie market, until two weeks after its debut.) 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� set a new weekend record in China, too, where it made $330.5 million.
In one fell swoop, 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� has already made more than movies like 91裸聊视频淪kyfall,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频滱quaman91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淭he Dark Knight Rises91裸聊视频� grossed in their entire runs, not accounting for inflation.
Alan Horn, Disney chairman, credited Marvel Studios and its president, Kevin Feige, for challenging 91裸聊视频渘otions of what is possible at the movie theatre.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淭his weekend91裸聊视频檚 monumental success is a testament to the world they91裸聊视频檝e envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world,91裸聊视频� Horn said in a statement.
To accommodate demand, the Walt Disney Co. released 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� in more theatres 91裸聊视频� 4,662 in the U.S. and Canada 91裸聊视频� than any opening before. Advance ticketing services set new records. Early ticket buyers crashed AMC91裸聊视频檚 website. And starting Thursday, some theatres even stayed open 72 hours straight.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got some really tired staff,91裸聊视频� said John Fithian, president and chief executive of the National Association of Theater Owners. 91裸聊视频淚 talked to an exhibitor in Kansas who said, 91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檝e never sold out a 7 a.m. show on Saturday morning before,91裸聊视频� and they were doing it all across their circuit.91裸聊视频�
Not working in the film91裸聊视频檚 favour was its lengthy running time: 161 minutes. But theatres kept added thousands of showings for 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� to get it on more screens than any movie before to satiate the frenzy around 91裸聊视频淓ndgame.91裸聊视频� Joe and Anthony Russo91裸聊视频檚 film ties together the 91裸聊视频淎vengers91裸聊视频� storyline as well as the previous 21 releases of the Marvel 91裸聊视频渃inematic universe,91裸聊视频� begun with 200891裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淚ron Man.91裸聊视频�
For an industry dogged by uncertainty over the growing role of streaming, the weekend was a mammoth display of the movie theatre91裸聊视频檚 lucrative potency. Fithian called it possibly 91裸聊视频渢he most significant moment in the modern history of the movie business.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e looking at more than 30 million American and more than 100 million global guests that experienced 91裸聊视频楨ndgame91裸聊视频� on the big screen in one weekend,91裸聊视频� Fithian said. 91裸聊视频淭he numbers are just staggering.91裸聊视频�
Further boosting the results for 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� were good reviews; it currently ranks as 96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, the best rating for any Marvel movie aside from 91裸聊视频淏lack Panther.91裸聊视频� Audiences gave the film an A-plus CinemaScore.
Single-handedly, 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� led the overall weekend at the domestic box office to a record $400 million in ticket sales, according to Comscore. 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� accounted for a staggering 88% of those tickets. The film91裸聊视频檚 grosses were aided by 3-D screenings (a record $540 million in global ticket sales) and IMAX screenings (a company record $91.5 million).
91裸聊视频淥ur partners in exhibition have done a great job with us on this film. As they saw the need, they opened up screens,91裸聊视频� said Cathleen Taft, distribution chief for Disney. 91裸聊视频淲hile there may have been a concern 91裸聊视频� Is there going to be enough seats available? 91裸聊视频� I think that exhibition met that demand and rose to the occasion.91裸聊视频�
But if there was any shadow to the weekend for the theatrical business, it was in just how reliant theatres have grown on one studio: Disney.
Disney now holds all but one of the top 12 box-office openings of all time. (Universal91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淛urassic World91裸聊视频� is the lone exception.) The studio is poised for a record-breaking year, with releases including 91裸聊视频淎laddin,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频漈oy Story 2,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频漈he Lion King,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频漇tar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淔rozen 291裸聊视频� on the horizon.
Following its acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Disney is expected to account for at least 40% of domestic box-office revenue in 2019, a new record of market share. The company91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淐aptain Marvel91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� positioned as a kind of Marvel lead-in to 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� also rose to No. 2 on the weekend, eight weeks after it opened.
But theatre owners regularly speak of a 91裸聊视频渉alo effect91裸聊视频� around a movie like 91裸聊视频淓ndgame.91裸聊视频� Such sensations draw in new moviegoers and expose millions to a barrage of movie trailers.
91裸聊视频淭his has got to be the biggest weekend in popcorn history,91裸聊视频� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. 91裸聊视频淭hink of the gallons of soda and the hot dogs sold. This is going to continue all week and beyond. This is going to have long-term playability for sure.91裸聊视频�
An enormous hit was much needed for a box office that, coming into the weekend, was lagging 16% of the pace of last year91裸聊视频檚 ticket sales, according to Comscore. 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� moved the needle to negative 13.3% but the boost was less significant since 91裸聊视频淚nfinity War91裸聊视频� opened on the same weekend in 2018.
No other new wide release dared to open against 91裸聊视频淓ndgame.91裸聊视频� Warner Bros.91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淭he Curse of La Llorona,91裸聊视频� last week91裸聊视频檚 top movie, slid to third with $7.5 million.
The guessing game will now shift to just how much higher 91裸聊视频淓ndgame91裸聊视频� can go. Given its start, it91裸聊视频檚 likely to rival the top three worldwide grossers: 91裸聊视频淭he Force Awakens91裸聊视频� ($2.068 billion in 2015), 91裸聊视频淭itanic ($2.187 billion in 1997) and 91裸聊视频淎vatar91裸聊视频� ($2.788 in 2009).
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. 91裸聊视频淎vengers: Endgame,91裸聊视频� $350 million ($859 million international).
2. 91裸聊视频淐aptain Marvel,91裸聊视频� $8.1 million.
3. 91裸聊视频淭he Curse of La Llorona,91裸聊视频� $7.5 million.
4. 91裸聊视频淏reakthrough,91裸聊视频� $6.3 million.
5. 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� $5.5 million.
6. 91裸聊视频淟ittle,91裸聊视频� $3.4 million.
7. 91裸聊视频淒umbo,91裸聊视频� $3.2 million.
8. 91裸聊视频淧et Sematary,91裸聊视频� $1.3 million.
9. 91裸聊视频淯s,91裸聊视频� $1.1 million.
10. 91裸聊视频淧enguins,91裸聊视频� $1.1 million.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
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