LOS ANGELES 鈥� After breaking opening weekend records, 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War鈥� continued to dominate in its second weekend in theatres, but alternative programming like the romantic comedy 鈥淥verboard鈥� also found an audience in what has historically been considered the 鈥渙fficial鈥� kick-off to the summer movie season.
The Walt Disney Co. said Sunday that 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War鈥� will gross an estimated $112.5 million from North American theatres over the weekend, becoming the second highest grossing film in Weekend 2 behind 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens鈥濃�� $149.2 million and just slightly ahead of 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� ($111.7 million).
It鈥檚 a 56 per cent drop from its first weekend in theatres 鈥� less steep than the second weekend fall of 鈥淎vengers: Age of Ultron鈥� (59.4 per cent) or 鈥淐aptain America: Civil War鈥� (59.5 per cent), but more than 鈥淏lack Panther鈥檚鈥� uniquely soft 44.7 per cent sophomore weekend decline.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in uncharted territory again,鈥� said comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. 鈥淭his is a second weekend number that many films would aspire to have on opening weekend.鈥�
Globally, 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War鈥� has now grossed over $1.2 billion and become the first film ever to cross the $1 billion mark in 11 days of release, and it has yet to even open in China.
There was little new competition this weekend in the blockbuster space, although there were a handful of other options, like 鈥淥verboard,鈥� which came in a very distant second to 鈥淎vengers,鈥� but still made a notable splash for a film its size.
MGM and Lionsgate鈥檚 Pantelion Films鈥� gender-swapped remake of Garry Marshall鈥檚 1987 comedy, 鈥淥verboard鈥� scored the highest-grossing opening weekend for Pantelion Films with a better-than-expected $14.8 million from 1,623 theatres. It鈥檚 already surpassed its modest mid-teens production budget.
Pantelion Films CEO Paul Presburger and Jonathan Glickman, president of the Motion Picture Group at MGM, both attribute the success to the star-power of Eugenio Derbez (鈥淚nstructions Not Included,鈥� 鈥滺ow to be a Latin Lover鈥�) who helped developed the bilingual remake with an American star (Anna Faris) to appeal not just to his Hispanic fan base but all audiences.
The cast, including Derbez and Eva Longoria, helped promote the film on their social media accounts too.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have a large base especially in the wake of 鈥橝vengers,鈥濃�� Presburger said. 鈥淲e have a movie out there that plays to families and all audiences that should have success into Mother鈥檚 Day and onwards.鈥�
Although critics were not especially won over by 鈥淥verboard,鈥� audiences gave the film a more favourable A- CinemaScore.
Third place went to 鈥淎 Quiet Place,鈥� which has grossed $159.9 million in five weeks in theatres, and fourth place to 鈥淚 Feel Pretty,鈥� now up to $37.8 million in weekend three. 鈥淩ampage鈥� rounded out the top five with $4.6 million, bumping its domestic total to $84.8 million.
In sixth place, 鈥淭ully,鈥� starring Charlize Theron, launched on 1,353 screens with $3.2 million. It鈥檚 the third collaboration between director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, the team behind 鈥淛uno,鈥� and their second with Theron, who also starred in their film 鈥淵oung Adult.鈥�
Hollywood鈥檚 summer movie season typically runs from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, but this year got a jump-start with the late April release of 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War.鈥�
鈥淭his was not the strongest weekend ever in terms of the official kick-off of the summer season, but we could be looking at a record May ultimately,鈥� Dergarabedian said, noting upcoming releases like 鈥淒eadpool 2鈥� (May 18) and 鈥淪olo: A Star Wars Story鈥�
(May 25). 鈥淭his weekend just shows how the strategy of release dates is changing how the box office plays out.鈥�
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淎vengers: Infinity War,鈥� $112.5 million ($162.6 million international).
2. 鈥淥verboard,鈥� $14.8 million.
3. 鈥淎 Quiet Place,鈥� $7.6 million ($4.1 million international).
4. 鈥淚 Feel Pretty,鈥� $4.9 million ($3.2 million international).
5. 鈥淩ampage,鈥� $4.6 million ($13.7 million international).
6. 鈥淭ully,鈥� $3.2 million ($200,000 international).
7. 鈥淏lack Panther,鈥� $3.1 million ($390,000 international).
8. 鈥淭ruth or Dare,鈥� $1.9 million ($5.7 million international).
9. 鈥淪uper Troopers 2,鈥� $1.8 million ($90,000 international).
10. 鈥淏ad Samaritan,鈥� $1.8 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and sa国际传媒), according to comScore:
1.鈥淎vengers: Infinity War,鈥� $162.6 million.
2.鈥淯s And Them,鈥� $27 million.
3.鈥淩ampage,鈥� $13.7 million.
4.鈥淎 or B,鈥� $11.1 million.
5.鈥淏aahubali: The Conclusion,鈥� $7.9 million.
6.鈥淩eady Player One,鈥� $6.3 million.
7.鈥淭ruth or Dare,鈥� $5.7 million.
8.鈥淐hampion,鈥� $5.5 million.
9.鈥�102 Not Out,鈥� $3.4 million.
10.鈥淚 Feel Pretty,鈥� $3.2 million.
