BOX OFFICE: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY MOVIE BREAKS RECORD WITH LEADING $95 MILLION THIS WEEKEND AND GROSSING #35 MILLION
Guardians of the Galaxy is in a box office universe of its own.Marvel-Disney’s sci-fi actioner opened to $37.8 million Stateside on
Friday. It looks to sky-rocket to $92 million-plus this weekend, which
would crush the record for August’s top debut, currently held by The
Bourne Ultimatum’s $69.3 million launch in 2007. With the pic
originally tracking for $65 million, this showing was far from
unexpected.
The blockbuster also has the widest August opening in history, playing in 4,080 theaters (about 3,200 in 3D).
Only five movies have opened above $90 million this year —
Paramount’s Transformers: Age of Extinction with $100 million,
Marvel-Disney’s Captain America: The Winter soldier with $95 million,
Warner-Legendary’s Godzilla with $93 million, Sony’s Amazing
Spider-Man 2 with $91.6 million, and Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past
with $90.8 million.
Guardians had the highest Thursday opening of the year earlier this
week with $11.2 million, overtaking the Captain America sequel, which
earned $10.2 million in April.
The movie has already reeled in $11 million overseas, including $3.5
million in Russia, $2.3 million in the U.K. and Ireland, and $1.6
million from several South and Central American countries.
The Group of heroes cost $170 million to produce. It’s directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt,
Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper (the voice of Rocket) and
Vin Diesel (the voice of Groot). A sequel has already been slated for
July 28, 2017.
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