The Avengers Sets New US Opening Weekend Record Of $200.3 Million

Marvel's "The Avengers" has just set the biggest US opening weekend of all time, pulling in $200.3 million since its midnight release on Thursday. That beats the record set last year by "Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part Two" of $169 million. Incredibly, on its few three days of release "The Avengers" has beat the final domestic tallies of both "Thor" ($181 million) and "Captain America: The First Avenger" ($176 million). The Avengers' worldwide gross now stands at $600 million and it could hit $1 billion in a fortnight if audiences stay strong and repeat business is good. Immediate competition for the film includes Tim Burton's completely wacky looking "Dark Shadows" that will do high business for the Burton/Johnny Depp factor but possibly for little else and that shouldn't hurt "The Avengers" too much, and then "Battleship", which did ok internationally but was critically savaged here in the UK when it was released last month. "The Avengers" caps off a multi-film saga for Marvel Studios that started all the way back in 2008 with the huge success of "Iron Man" and is the culmination of what Marvel have publicly called "Phase 1" of their filmic universe. Next on the agenda for them is the beginning of "Phase Two", and although initially the routinely expected sequels "Iron Man 3", "Thor 2" and "Captain America 2"are on the horizon next, we imagine characters and themes will cross-pollinate, new heroes will be introduced and the build up to an "The Avengers 2" mega-movie will be imminent. Most of us initially expected 2016 for "The Avengers 2", giving Marvel plenty of time to introduce the likes of "Ant-Man" and possibly "Doctor Strange", but given how well the first movie has performed, it seems almost certain that the May 16th, 2014 release date that Marvel has claimed but not yet announced a movie for, will be given it. It goes without saying Joss Whedon will once again direct. He ain't gonna turn down another turn with this playground. Top Ten Opening US Weekends of All Time 1 Marvel's The Avengers BV $200,300,000 100.0% 4,349 $46,057 $200,300,000 5/4/2012 2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 WB $169,189,427 44.4% 4,375 $38,672 $381,011,219 7/15/2011 3 The Dark Knight WB $158,411,483 29.7% 4,366 $36,283 $533,345,358 7/18/2008 4 The Hunger Games LGF $152,535,747 40.1% 4,137 $36,871 $380,727,000 3/23/2012 5 Spider-Man 3 Sony $151,116,516 44.9% 4,252 $35,540 $336,530,303 5/4/2007 6 The Twilight Saga: New Moon Sum. $142,839,137 48.2% 4,024 $35,497 $296,623,634 11/20/2009 7 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Sum. $138,122,261 49.1% 4,061 $34,012 $281,287,133 11/18/2011 8 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest BV $135,634,554 32.0% 4,133 $32,817 $423,315,812 7/7/2006 9 Iron Man 2 Par. $128,122,480 41.0% 4,380 $29,252 $312,433,331 5/7/2010 10 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 WB $125,017,372 42.2% 4,125 $30,307 $295,983,305 11/19/2010