It’s undisputed that “Avengers: Infinity War” will have a monstrous opening at the box office next weekend. The question is: How high can it go?
Initial tracking indicated that the superhero adventure would launch to $175 million to $200 million, but projections have since increased to between $190 million and $235 million-plus. If those numbers continue to increase, “Infinity War” could be eyeing the highest premiere of all time.
2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” currently boasts the biggest opening weekend with $248 million, and went on to haul over $2 billion. Only five films in history have hit the $200 million mark in their debuts.
At the very least, “Infinity War” could have the top opening for a Marvel movie. That title currently belongs to the original “Avengers” film, which launched in 2012 with $207 million.
“Infinity War” looks to be another win for the Disney-owned Marvel, building on the recent success of “Black Panther’s” massive $202 million opening. Ryan Coogler’s tentpole continues to shatter records, and has earned an impressive $1.3 billion worldwide. “Black Panther” became a cultural touchstone, and Marvel is taking every opportunity to drive that point home. “Infinity War” TV spots feature the Wakanda chant and plenty of footage of “Black Panther” characters, making it the rare near-sequel to debut just a few months after the original film’s release.
Joe and Anthony Russo directed “Avengers: Infinity War,” which picks up two years after the events of “Captain America: Civil War” and sees the Avengers teaming up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop the evil Thanos from inter-galactic dominance. Among the heroic cast is Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Chris Evans’ Captain America, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther, Chris Pratt’s Star Lord, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk.
Disney looks to dominate the summer box office once again. Last year, the studio fielded some of the highest-grossing films of the summer with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” and “Cars 3.” It shows no signs of slowing down in 2018, as “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “The Incredibles 2,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp” round out the studio’s popcorn season slate.
Other hopeful summer blockbusters include Universal’s “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” Warner Bros.’ “Ocean’s 8,” and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — Fallout.”
“Avengers: Infinity War” bows on April 27.