Box Office

MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS Sets Domestic, Global 3-Day Opening Weekend Records In IMAX Theatres

By Michelle McCue | May 7, 2012

IMAX, Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Studios today announced that the epic Super Hero adventure Marvel’s The Avengers has surpassed IMAX’s domestic opening weekend box office record by generating $15.3 million of the film’s record-setting domestic gross of more than $200 million, resulting in an IMAX per-screen average of approximately $56,000 in 275 digital IMAX® theatres.

Internationally, the film generated approximately $6.1 million over the weekend in 176 IMAX theatres, of which 80 were debut runs. This brings IMAX’s international total to $16 million. Some international markets, including Poland and Japan, have yet to open.

The film also set a new IMAX three-day opening weekend global box office record with $21.4 million, bringing the worldwide gross to$31.3 million in IMAX theatres worldwide since its global release on April 25.

“With sellouts all weekend and IMAX fans around the world coming out in record numbers to see Marvel’s The Avengers, the only way we could have done better would have been to have more seats,” said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “We saw particularly strong results in IMAX’s key growth markets including China, which opened on Saturday to sell-out business across our network.”

“Extremely strong word-of-mouth resulted in exceptional day-to-day as well as week-to-week holds across our global network,” saidGreg Foster, IMAX Chairman and President of Filmed Entertainment. “With more international markets still to open, we expect this trend to continue over the next few weeks as the film continues to play in a number of domestic and international IMAX theatres. Congratulations to our longtime partners at Marvel, Disney and director Joss Whedon – IMAX is honored to be a part of this epic, record breaking cinematic event.”

Marvel’s The Avengers, based on the well-known Marvel comic book series, is directed by Joss Whedon and stars Robert Downey Jr.,Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard andSamuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Distributed by The Walt Disney Studios, Marvel’s The Avengers: An IMAX 3D Experience marks the third Marvel Studios film presented inIMAX, following the releases of Iron Man 2: The IMAX Experience in 2010 and Thor: An IMAX 3D Experience in 2011.

The IMAX release of Marvel’s The Avengers was digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of An IMAX 3D Experience^® with proprietary IMAX DMR^® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that makes audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. “Marvel’s The Avengers” is an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film was produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher,Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The story is by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon and the screenplay is by Joss Whedon. The film was released May 4, 2012, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.