Avengers: Age of Ultron
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” debuted to a massive $201.2 million across 44 territories this weekend.
Disney and Marvel's super team adventure was the highest-grossing film in everywhere it opened, and has now rolled out in 55% of the international marketplace, including such major locales as France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Korea and Australia.
Going into the weekend, Disney was projecting a foreign debut of between $160 million to $175 million.
“The bar was high, but this is a sign of unbelievable momentum in the marketplace,” said Dave Hollis, Disney's distribution chief. “It all goes back to the strength of the brand and the incredible work the Marvel team does in telling stories in such a consistent way and creating these worlds.”
The hotly anticipated superhero sequel opens next week in the US, where it is expected to earn north of $200 million and could top the first “Avengers” film's record-breaking $207.4 million bow. Bringing Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and co. together isn't cheap, and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” carries a $250 million price-tag.
The success of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is a testament to the strength of the global market, which now accounts for 70% or more of a major film's box office gross. Two decades ago, foreign ticket sales usually comprised less than half of a movie's revenues.
Enthusiasm for the film gave Imax the largest international opening in its history, not counting China, with the $10.4 million of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” gross coming from the widescreen locations. In a sign of the Imax's popularity when it comes to comic book titles, its newly opened Denmark theatre, its first venue in Scandinavia, did a staggering $172,000 on one screen.
Source: Variety
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