Movie News

The Avengers Makes $80.5 Million Its Opening Day!

Source: Walt Disney Pictures , Edward Douglas

May 5, 2012

Walt Disney Pictures is reporting an opening day of $80.5 million for Marvel's The Avengers in 4,349 theaters nationwide, building upon the $18.7 million from midnight screenings the night before. If this number sticks, it will be the second-biggest opening day for a movie ever, following behind the $91 million grossed by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 its opening day last summer.

In our report yesterday on the movie's midnight grosses, it didn't seem like The Avengers was going to be setting any records other than May opening, because it earned less at midnight than last month's The Hunger Games, but what a difference a full day makes. The extraordinary business the movie brought in Friday is a strong indicator that the movie may indeed break the current opening weekend held by "Deathly Hallows." In fact, we could now see the movie opening somewhere between $170 and 180 million, which would completely demolish the $169 million made by the current record holder.

We certainly know better than to "count our chickens" and breaking that record will mainly depend on whether that Friday business holds up through Saturday and Sunday--the film's rare A+ CinemaScore is a good sign it will have legs. Either way, Marvel Studios' first movie distributed and marketed through Walt Disney is already looking to be the biggest movie released by either, and this puts even more pressure on Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises and its release later this summer.

Internationally, the movie added another $30 million yesterday, having also opened in Russia and China, and globally, the movie has grossed $415 million, which means that it may have already made back its reported $220 million production budget.

COMMENTS (100)

Posted by:

Harker

May 5, 2012

*stands up and applauds Joss*

Posted by:

Halen

May 5, 2012

*sniffles* and we are poor due to increased downloading of feature films..*sniffle Sniffle* now lil jonyy sonofa***** cant afford his fully tricked out private jet because we can not afford to pay him 20 million to act in a movie *sniffle* please stop downloading so we can be filthy ritch for doing nothing again....Hmmm in reality MAKE ORIGINAL FILM EARN BIG BUCKS! keep remaking the 80s and yous will keep losing $ but hey you always have downloading to blame for your money woes! not bad writters who aint writting anything..

Posted by:

brian

May 5, 2012

*starts slow clap*

Posted by:

thefrasier

May 5, 2012

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It has everything you want from a fun mindless summer action/comedy. Joss Whedon did an excellent job with what he had. Very entertaining.
Having said that, I'll also mention how the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises was also attached to every print of The Avengers...
The Avengers is good fun, but there really isn't any substance. I don't think TDKR will have trouble topping it. It looks like it may fill this desire.
I think it'll be just like summer 2008. Really fun popcorn movie is HUGE at the begging of summer. Then really serious meaningful movie is even bigger.

Posted by:

thefrasier

May 5, 2012

*beginning

Posted by:

Pete

May 5, 2012

This was a mediocre movie at best. Plot sucked, cheesy lines.. pfuuu
Tha Dark NIght was unbelievably better (as was Iron Man "1" and Spiderman 2)
Period.
Now, talk nerds!

Posted by:

Katie

May 5, 2012

thefraiser I did not see TDKR during my Avengers movie here in Texas. I did see The Amazing Spiderman, The Hobbit, and MIB 3. The thing I enjoyed most about Avengers is it felt like a comic book movie it was fun and upbeat. TDKR isn't really a comic book movie IMO.

Posted by:

Somebody Else

May 5, 2012

Yeah, this whole internet piracy thing is really hurting the poor entertainment industry :(

Posted by:

tim

May 5, 2012

@thefraiser

even though i do believe TDKR will be better quality film i dont think it will beat out the avengers not if the forcast of it beating out HP's numbers are close to accurate (dosn't mean they are) but never the less TDKR will have the stronger performances and more serioous script (not that that makes it better, i just think it will in this case)

Posted by:

Mockingjay87

May 5, 2012

Dont doubt The Avengers, well deserved.