‘Infinity War’ opens with US$630m, smashing global box-office record – and that’s without China
The latest ‘Avengers’ movie also broke the record for the biggest North American opening weekend, taking US$250m
Avengers: Infinity War took in US$630 million in its first weekend, the highest global opening of all time, industry estimates showed on Sunday.
“The latest Marvel juggernaut … opened with US$630 million worldwide, making it the largest global weekend tally in the history of film, and this was done without China,” which has a later opening, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations said. The film opened in Hong Kong last week, shattering records, but not mainland China, where it is set to open on May 11.
That topped The Fate of the Furious, the eighth instalment of the high-octane action series starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez that opened with more than US$530 million globally in 2017.
Infinity War, which features more than two dozen superheroes fighting to save the universe, also broke the record for highest North American opening weekend, raking in US$250 million at US and Canadian box offices.
That beat The Force Awakens, the seventh film in the long-running Star Wars space saga that made US$248 million in its opening weekend in 2015.
Infinity War is the 19th film in the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), combining a whopping nine franchises and a cast list that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood’s A-list.
Robert Downey Jnr dons the red and gold metal suit once again as Iron Man; Benedict Cumberbatch is Doctor Strange; Scarlett Johansson is back as Black Widow; and Australia’s Chris Hemsworth is Thor.