While many people expected The Avengers to do well this weekend, few could predict just how well the superhero film would perform. The Avengers raked in an astounding $200.3 million, shattering the record for best opening weekend in Hollywood history. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 was the previous record holder with an opening of $169.2 million.
"You have to step back and appreciate how you get to a place like this — and a lot of the credit goes to the years of work that it took to create traction for these characters," Dave Hollis, Disney's executive vice president of distribution, told the Los Angeles Times. "Through each of the characters' films, a string of equity was built, and that ultimately paid off with this culmination."
Think Like a Man earned $8 million over the weekend, securing the film a second-place spot. The comedy has so far earned $73 million. Third place goes to The Hunger Games which brought in another $5.7 million. The dystopian drama, approaching its eighth week at the box office, has so far earned $380 million. The Lucky One and The Pirates! Band of Misfits round out the list of top five box office performers with respective earnings of $5.5 and $5.4 million.
Next up is The Five-Year Engagement and The Raven, two second-week films that earned $5.1 and $2.5 million. Action thriller Safe placed eighth with a box office take of $2.4 million. Last, but not least, are Chimpanzee and The Three Stooges, the ninth and tenth place-films that earned $2.4 and $2.3 million, respectively.
Next week brings the release of the horror flick Dark Shadows. Check back next week to see how the film fares. How much do you think The Avengers will earn next weekend?
Box Office Mojo