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The universe belongs to Marvel. "Avengers: Endgame" broke the record for the biggest opening weekend with ticket sales estimated at $ 350 million and $ 1.2 billion worldwide, hitting a new high in the world. era of blockbusters dominated by comics studio.
The final of the "Avengers" has even exceeded its expectations by far, according to studio estimates Sunday. It was expected that the film would open between $ 260 and $ 300 million in American and Canadian theaters, but the audience was so numerous that "Endgame" broke the previous record of $ 257.7 million. Last year by "Avengers: Infinity War". it surpassed "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ($ 248 million or about $ 266 million in inflation-adjusted dollars).
"Endgame" was just as huge abroad. Worldwide, it has erased the previous record of $ 640.5 million, also established by "Infinity War". ("Infinity War" did not open in China, the world's second largest film market, until two weeks after its debut.) "Endgame" set a new weekend record in China , where he reported $ 330.5 million.
In one fell swoop, "Endgame" has already done more than just movies like "Skyfall", "Aquaman" and "The Dark Knight Rises" swollen in their entire series, not taking into account inflation.
Alan Horn, president of Disney, thanked Marvel Studios and its president, Kevin Feige, for questioning "the notions of what is possible in the cinema".
"The monumental success of this weekend reflects the world they imagined, the talent involved and their collective passion, and the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world," Horn said in a statement. .
To meet the demand, Walt Disney Co. has broadcast "Endgame" in more theaters – 4,662 in the United States and Canada – than any previous opening. Pre-ticketing services set new records. The first ticket buyers crashed on the AMC website. And from Thursday, some theaters even stayed open 72 hours in a row.
"We have really tired staff," said John Fithian, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners. "I spoke to a Kansas exhibitor who said:" I've never sold a 7-hour show on the Saturday morning before, "and they did everything on their tour. "
Not working in favor of the film was its long duration: 161 minutes. But the theaters have added thousands of programs for "Endgame" to display on more screens than any movie before satiating the frenzy surrounding "Endgame". The film by Joe and Anthony Russo connects the screenplay "Avengers" as well as the previous 21 releases of "The Cinematic Universe" of Marvel, started with "Iron Man" in 2008.
For an industry that suffers from uncertainty about the growing role of streaming, the weekend has been a gigantic demonstration of the lucrative power of the movie theater. Fithian may have called it "the most significant moment in the modern history of cinema".
"We are expecting more than 30 million Americans and more than 100 million global guests who have experienced" Endgame "on the big screen in a weekend," Fithian said. "The numbers are staggering."
Good reviews have been even more positive for "Endgame". It currently ranks at 96% cool on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest rating of all Marvel movies, apart from "Black Panther". The audience attributed the film to a CinemaScore A-plus.
On its own, "Endgame" has led the national box office to a record $ 400 million in ticket sales, according to Comscore. "Endgame" accounted for 88% of these tickets. The film's earnings were helped by 3-D projections (a record $ 540 million in worldwide ticket sales) and by IMAX (a company record of $ 91.5 million).
"Our exhibition partners did a good job with us on this film and when they saw the need, they opened screens," said Cathleen Taft, Director of Distribution at Disney. "Although there may have been a concern – will there be enough space available? – I think this exhibition has responded to this request and has been up to it."
But if there was a shadow at the weekend for the theatrical industry, it was just how much the theaters depended on one studio: Disney.
Disney now holds one of the 12 best box office openings of all time except one. (The "Jurassic World" of Universal is the only exception.) The studio is on the verge of a record year, with releases including "Aladdin", "Toy Story 2", "The Lion King", " Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker "and" Frozen 2 "on the horizon.
Following the acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Disney is expected to account for at least 40% of national box office sales in 2019, a new market share record. The company's "Captain Marvel" – positioned as a sort of introduction to Marvel's "Endgame" – also reached second place on the weekend, eight weeks after its opening.
But room owners regularly speak of a "halo effect" around a movie like "Endgame". Such sensations attract new moviegoers and expose millions of people to a barrage of movie trailers.
"This must be the biggest weekend in the history of popcorn," said Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst at Comscore. "Think about gallons of soda and sold hot dogs, it's going to go on all week and beyond, so it will provide long-term playability for sure."
A huge success was essential for a box office that, early in the week, was 16% behind the pace of ticket sales last year, according to Comscore. "Endgame" has returned the needle to the negative 13.3%, but the increase has been less significant since the opening of "Infinity War" the same weekend in 2018.
No other new broad version has dared to open against "Endgame". Warner Bros. & # 39; "The curse of La Llorona", the flagship film last week, slipped to third place with $ 7.5 million.
The guessing game will now move on to how far "Endgame" can go. Given its beginnings, it should compete with the world's top three wholesalers: "The Force Awakens" ($ 2.068 billion in 2015), "Titanic ($ 2.187 billion in 1997) and" Avatar "($ 2.788 in 2009) .
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Estimated ticket sales from Friday to Sunday in US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where applicable, the latest international issues from Friday to Sunday are also included.
1. "Avengers: Endgame", $ 350 million ($ 859 million international).
2. "Captain Marvel", $ 8.1 million.
3. "The curse of La Llorona", 7.5 million dollars.
4. "Breakthrough", $ 6.3 million.
5. "Shazam!" $ 5.5 million.
6. "Little", 3.4 million dollars.
7. "Dumbo", 3.2 million dollars.
8. "Pet Sematary", $ 1.3 million.
9. "We", $ 1.1 million.
10. "Penguins", $ 1.1 million.
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Follow AP movie writer, Jake Coyle, on Twitter at the following address: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
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