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Final ‘Avengers’ blows up Hollywood records with huge weekend take
LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – “Avengers: Endgame,” the hugely
anticipated series-ender from Disney and Marvel, set a new standard for
Hollywood blockbusters this weekend with stunning hauls of $350 million in
North America and $1.2 billion worldwide, industry watcher Exhibitor
Relations estimated Sunday.
To put the North American figure in perspective, that means the final
chapter in the adventures of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and company took in 43
times what the No. 2 film, Disney’s “Captain Marvel,” earned for the three-
day weekend: a more pedestrian $8.1 million.
“Avengers” looks likely to remain strong, having drawn a sky-high 96
percent rating from critics on the Rotten Tomatoes website. With a star-
studded cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris
Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper and Josh Brolin, it took in a
jaw-dropping $329 million in China alone, Variety reported.
“Avengers” could lead to “the biggest revenue-generating summer (and year)
in box office history,” according to Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian.
Back on Earth, last week’s top film, Warner Bros.’ horror flick “The Curse
of La Llorona,” slipped to third spot at $7.5 million. It stars Linda
Cardellini, Raymond Cruz and Patricia Velasquez in the story, loosely based
on Mexican folklore, of a Los Angeles woman trying to protect her children
from a ghost.
In fourth was “Breakthrough,” at $6.3 million. The faith-based story of a
mother (Chrissy Metz) who refuses to abandon hope after her son (Marcel Ruiz)
falls into an icy lake, was produced by NBA star Stephen Curry.
And in fifth was Warner Bros.’ lighthearted superhero tale “Shazam!”, at
$5.5 million. It stars Asher Angel as Billy Baston, an unhappy foster kid who
becomes a muscular superhero (Zachary Levi) when the secret word is
pronounced.
Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were:
BSS/AFP/MSY/0844 hrs