14 DAY TRIAL // Without a doubt, “The Avengers” is Marvel's biggest hit to date, while also being its boldest project ever. Bringing together on the big screen the most popular superheroes of the Marvel universe, “The Avengers” wrote history at the domestic box office in its first weekend of release.
As if that wasn't enough, it also shattered all competition on an international scale, grossing over $640 million (€490.9 million) in just 12 days of release, the New York Times reports, citing a press statement from Marvel.
The film premiered in the US on May 4, while it was made available overseas, in select theaters, as early as April 25.
“In a strong start to Hollywood’s summer movie season the superhero team in 'Marvel’s The Avengers' took in about $200.3 million [€153.6 million] at North American theaters over the weekend, according to Walt Disney Studios, which released the film...,” The NYT writes.
“'The Avengers' – about a star squad of Marvel superheroes, including Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Black Widow – is now on track to take in over $1 billion [€767 million] at the global box office, analysts estimate,” the same report notes.
Granted, the impressive gross is partly explained by the fact that the film comes in 3D but, unlike with other releases, “The Avengers” also opened to good reviews and the highest expectations from comic book fans.
In other words, it was made for success.
Moreover, it's yet to open in major markets like Japan, the aforementioned publication points out, which can only mean that it's bound to shatter even more records in the weeks to come.
“I’m running low on double takes,” Dave Hollis, executive vice president for distribution at Disney, said. “As the numbers came in, we kept thinking, 'Can these numbers possibly be right?'”
“The Avengers” stars Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo and Samuel L. Jackson.
It's directed by Joss Whedon, he of the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (the TV series) fame.