As anticipated, Avengers: Infinity War is continuing to break records left and right.
The big budget superhero epic received an incredible boost this weekend. It’s second Friday-Sunday domestic performance was $112.5 million, which has it down 56.3% from it’s universe-shattering opening weekend where it grossed $258 million. This means that it is currently the biggest gross for a film on a non-opening weekend, between the box office performance of Black Panther and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Both films earned $111 and $149 respectively, with The Force Awakens receiving a holiday release boost. The box office multiplier for the film was 3.6x, which made it more financially durable than pevious The Avengers films, but not as durable as Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World.
Avengers: Infinity War’s second weekend gross is the fifth biggest behind Spider-Man ($72 million in 2002/$112.6 adjusted), The Avengers ($103m in 2012/$116.25m adjusted), Jurassic World ($106.5m in 2015/$118.35m adjusted) and The Force Awakens ($157m adjusted). This is extra information, but still important to note as it will become a point in any debate surrounding the economics of these tentpole franchise films.
Also read: ‘Infinity War’ Events Won’t Be Undone By ‘Avengers 4’?
However, there is a small caveat to these numbers. While Infinity War has legs, it still earned $145 million less in it’s second weekend versus it’s opening weekend. It is a film that has accomplished much these past 12 days, but it has also incurred some losses along the way. It is a film that is welcomed among the films that have lost $100+ million and has seen a moderate decrease in raw dollars than any other big budget franchise film, except for The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The recent 56.3% drop that it just had was the second largest for any film with a $200+ million opening. This may not mean anything, as it didn’t have any negative affects on the box office performance for The Last Jedi after it’s plummet before Christmas. Conversely, the pre-sale ticket numbers for the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story are breaking records and has managed to defeat the previous record-holder Black Panther, within the course of 24 hours despite the film being met with some skepticism after it having behind the scenes issues.
The Russo Bros. directed Thanos-led Marvel Cinematic Universe epic has been profitable for the studio. Within just a mere ten days of it’s release, it has earned $450.8 million, which places it between the box office performances of its predecessor Avengers: Age of Ultron and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, which grossed $458 and $448m million respectively. This makes it the second biggest 10-day total next to The Force Awakens, which accumulated $540 million within the same 10-day timeframe.
The positive news of this is that Infinity War has earned a 1.75 multiplier for it’s opening weekend gross, which has it on par with The Avengers, Jurassic World, and Black Panther. This means that it’s financial durability isn’t on shaky ground like The Last Jedi was, but it won’t have the added benefit of having a Christmas Eve to New Years Eve boost over it’s week two timeframe. This makes it likely that the film will fall shortly behind The Last Jedi in terms of the types of legs it has when weekend number 3 concludes.
Statistically speaking, if it has a similar financial performance to prior Marvel Cinematic Universe outings like Iron Man 3, Age of Ultron, or Civil War, then it is poised to accumulate an upwards of $625 to $665 million. However, there is still not enough data available to determine whether it will surpass Jurassic World’s $652 million or Titanic’s $658 million. If it wants to accomplish the long hoped for feat of surpassing Avatar’s $760 million, then it has to be as economically durable as Black Panther.
Based on prior data from the release of Fast Five, which also made it’s debut in the last weekend of April, it likely could get it to $677 million. Comparatively, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Fast Five both took sizable second weekend drops, but then started to even out for the rest of the month. With the third installment to The Avengers having two more weeks of undisputed dominance over the box office before Fox releases Deadpool 2, it does not make $670 million impossible.
There are certain variables in play that make this a possibility. It had an earlier release date than initially planned and there is no major competition for the film compared to other big budget summer films. Fast Five had to grapple with Thor, Bridesmaids, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and The Hangover Part II in its first month of release. Age of Ultron clashed with Pitch Perfect 2 and George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, while Iron Man 3 wrestled with The Great Gatsby, Star Trek Into Darkness and Fast and Furious 6 in it’s first 25 days. Infinity War won’t be challenged until Deadpool 2 releases on May 18th, which will be the film’s 21st day.
It is performing at record numbers outside of North America, having hit $1 billion within the frame of 11 days, and 1 day faster than The Force Awakens. The new overseas total (as of this writing) $713 million, including a record $17.9 million debut in Russia, and a new global total of $1.164 billion. This means that it has already surpassed The Dark Knight Rises’ $1.085 billion, Captain America: Civil War’s $1.153 billion, and Minions’ $1.59 billion which makes it the 15th largest grosser of all time. At this point, it just has to surpass Iron Man 3’s $1.215 billion, which means it could end it’s third weekend with a cume of $1.345 billion without a boost from China, where it will debut this Friday.
China is expected to build on the film’s current $13.5 million record shattering performance. As of this writing, it has earned $80.2m in IMAX alone, including $40 million in North American IMAX theaters.
It is obvious that Infinity War doesn’t need a China-sized boost to be a box office titan, it’s going to be one anyways. As the world’s largest moviegoing market, it could add a cool $200 million just as prior MCU installments like Age of Ultron earned $240 million in China while Civil War nabbed $190 million respectively. As far as we know, Deadpool 2 is not planned to be released there and based on the contents of the film and what had occured with the previous Deadpool film, it is unlikely that the film will benefit from the Chinese marketplace. Solo: A Star Wars Story is undoubtedly poised to perform well in the country, as the Chinese have proven their love for Star Wars based on the financial reception every Star Wars film has received there.
At this point, it is undeniable as to why Infinity War has ascertained the success it has despite the minor losses it has faced. It has a solid hold on the box office, based on the fact that it is not being challenged by any other film which is supported by positive word of mouth. It is likely to end it’s run with around $535 million at the domestic box office and $810 million overseas box office by next Sunday without being open in the Chinese marketplace. If you add in an additional $95-$155 million+ debut in China and Infinity War could end weekend number 3 with being just over the $1.519 billion line of The Avengers. This is the more optimistic outlook. There is also the possibility that it could slightly drag, and accomplish this right around the time when Black Panther, which is still in theaters, moves past a $700 million domestic gross.
What do you think of this news? Are you planning to see Infinity War again? Let us know in the comments down below!
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Danai Gurira, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, and Chris Pratt.
As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.
Avengers: Infinity War is now playing in theaters. Get your tickets NOW!
