'Avengers: Endgame' Shatters Box Office Records with Historic $1.2 Billion Global Debut

Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” made history this weekend with a record-shattering estimated global debut of $1,209.0 million, becoming the first film in history to surpass $1 billion in its opening weekend. It reached the billion-dollar threshold in just five days, more than twice as fast as its predecessor “Avengers: Infinity War,” which held the record at 11 days. The film also set domestic and international records.

“Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios team have continued to challenge notions of what is possible at the movie theatre both in terms of storytelling and at the box office,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “Though ‘Endgame’ is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world.”

“From the very beginning with ‘Iron Man,’ all we’ve wanted to do was tell stories that brought these characters to life onscreen the way we’ve experienced them as fans of the comics,” said Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios. “That we’ve had so many other successes in this journey leading to this unbelievable result with ‘Avengers: Endgame’ has been almost entirely due to the fans around the world who have supported us through it all. Our directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, and our writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, really brought this story home, and I am also incredibly thankful for our cast and filmmakers from across the MCU and all who’ve worked so hard to make these films the best they can be, including the amazing teams at Marvel Studios and Disney. And of course, without Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, none of this would have been possible.”

Said directors Anthony and Joe Russo, “We poured our heart and soul into ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ hoping to tell a story that would inspire audiences around the world. Our family of cast and crew felt honored to be entrusted with bringing the Infinity Saga to a close. To Kevin Feige, everyone at Disney and Marvel, and the incredible, global community of fans – thank you.”

Seven years after releasing the first film to ever break the $200 million mark in its debut with 2012’s “The Avengers,” Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Studios have posted the first-ever $300 million domestic debut in history with “Avengers: Endgame.” The film kicked off with a record $60 million in Thursday previews contributing to a record first-day gross of $156.7 million. A record estimated Saturday of $109 million and a record estimated Sunday of $84.3 million bring the estimated debut to $350 million across three days from an all-time industry high 4,662 theatres.

The estimated international debut of $859 million, including a record estimated debut of $330.5 million in China, is also the highest of all time and even surpasses the previous global debut record of $640 million set by “Avengers: Infinity War” last year (which did not include a day-and-date debut in China).

Key stats for “Avengers: Endgame”:

• #1 domestic ($350M), international ($859M), and global ($1,209.0M) debuts
• #1 domestic Thursday previews ($60M)
• #1 domestic single-day gross and #1 domestic Friday gross ($156.7M)
• #1 domestic Saturday ($109M) and Sunday ($84.3M) grosses; Saturday is first $100M+ day without previews
• #1 China opening day ($107.8M) and opening weekend ($330.5M) and already ranking as the #4 non-local film ever released there
• Fastest film to $1B globally (5 days)
• 8th Marvel Studios film to cross $1B; 2nd to cross $1B this year (with “Captain Marvel”)
• Biggest industry opening weekend across all regions and in 44 markets, including Australia, China, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, France (admissions, non-local), Italy (non-local), Spain, UK/Ireland
• Biggest industry single-day grosses in 29 markets, including Australia, China, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, UK/Ireland
• Biggest IMAX global debut ($91.5M)
• 96% Certified Fresh RottenTomatoes score
• A+ CinemaScore (U.S.)

Marvel Studios now holds the top two global openings of all time (“Avengers: Endgame” and “Avengers: Infinity War”), as well as six of the top 10 domestic debuts and two of the top three international. “Avengers: Endgame” is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an unprecedented collection of interconnected films, all of which have opened #1 domestically. Globally, the films have grossed a collective $19.9 billion to date, with the four Avengers films – “The Avengers,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Avengers: Endgame” – accounting for nearly $6.2 billion. Four of the MCU films currently rank among the top 10 global releases of all time: “Avengers: Infinity War” (#4, $2.05 billion), “The Avengers” (#6, $1.52 billion), “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (#8, $1.4 billion), and “Black Panther” (#9, $1.3 billion). All 22 have been highly rated by critics and audiences, with Fresh RottenTomatoes aggregate scores across the board, including nine over 90%, and 21 out of 22 earning CinemaScores in the A-range.

Here’s what top critics are saying about "Avengers: Endgame" (spoiler-free):

• Washington Post: “If 'Infinity War' was about failure, 'Endgame' is, ironically, all about acceptance and moving on. After 11 long years, the Infinity Saga is finally, fulfillingly over…But oh, what a going-away party these old friends have thrown for themselves.”
• Entertainment Weekly: “Nearly a year to the day, 'Endgame' returns with the promise of many things: revenge, redemption, a runtime that defies the limits of most streetside parking meters. And the movie largely delivers, splashing its ambitious three-hour narrative across a sprawling canvas of characters, eras, and not-quite-insurmountable challenges.”
• Variety: "“Time and again, 'Endgame' makes the point that family matters, whether that means biological ties — as Iron Man, Hawkeye, Ant Man, and Thor have experienced — or those forged by duty. The final takeaway from this decade-long journey is that heroism isn’t defined by bravery or super-abilities, but by what one gives up for the greater good. Among the many frustrations of the Snap was that it robbed so many great characters — and gazillions of anonymous creatures throughout the galaxy — of proactively making that choice. 'Endgame' isn’t exactly a do-over, but it builds to an infinitely more satisfying conclusion.”
• CNN: “Having set up a formidable task and then some with the finish of 'Infinity War,' 'Avengers: Endgame' rises to the challenge, delivering an epic finale that proves immensely satisfying. Without being too grandiose, it also feels like the culmination of everything Marvel has built in conquering the pop-culture universe.”
• Wired: "'Endgame' is a beautiful, massive finale—and it paves the way for all the warriors to come. It’s about time."
• The Sun: “HOW the hell do you summarise, wrap up and deliver a fitting end to a decade’s worth of plot line and characters, which combined have given us 22 movies and generated nearly $19billion in the world’s most successful franchise ever? Well, if you’re the Russo brothers, you deliver the superhero equivalent of 'Lawrence of Arabia' or 'Citizen Kane.' 'Endgame' is a sprawling 3 hour epic, paying as much tribute to the fans who’ve followed the journey avidly as the characters and universe they’ve built.”

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