Post by Admin on Jun 29, 2019 0:08:12 GMT
deadline.com/2019/06/avengers-endgame-re-release-avatar-record-spider-man-far-from-home-box-office-1202639520/
When Will 'Avengers: Endgame' Dethrone King Of The World James Cameron's 'Avatar' For The All-Time Global B.O. Record?
For close to a decade, it’s been an impossible task for any film trying to beat Avatar‘s mammoth all-time $2.79 billion global box office record.
In fact, it’s a box office feat that filmmaker James Cameron actually had to beat himself for: Prior to Avatar, Cameron’s Titanic with a lifetime of $2.19B WW was the reigning champ for 13 years. Titanic remained a hard No. 2 to beat, a hurdle which recent global blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.07B) and Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War ($2.05B) couldn’t even jump over in working their way up the all-time worldwide B.O. chart.
It only took Disney’s Avengers: Endgame ten days to defeat Titanic‘s lifetime WW record, but when it comes to unseating Avatar‘s WW box office it’s going to take a long time (maybe months) even though as of yesterday, the Anthony and Joe Russo’ finale is just $37M shy of that mark.
Today, Disney is re-releasing Avengers: Endgame back into theaters at 2,025 in U.S./Canada and around 38 offshore markets. The new cut contains a Stan Lee tribute, a Hulk deleted scene, and a short clip during the post credits from Sony/MCU’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. It’s an interesting move by Marvel: They kept some powder dry, not to insert on the DVD, but to place in a theatrical re-release of the film.
You’d think the re-release would be enough to get Endgame over the bump and past Avatar.
Unfortunately, that’s not expected, and if it happens, it would shock many in distribution circles. Even if Endgame in the next week grosses $10M-$15M worldwide, many say that final $22M-$27M will be an uphill slog, and that might require an additional theatrical re-release should Disney decide to go the distance and outstrip the record owned by the mega-franchise filmmaker they inherited from Fox. Some in distribution circles even think that Endgame ultimately won’t out-peg Avatar.
Essentially the Endgame re-release was an opportunity to bask in the sunlight of Sony’s MCU title Spider-Man: Far From Home which opens Tuesday and is expected to own the Independence Day week with $125M-$160M. From what we hear, the Endgame re-release wasn’t part of a greater D-Day Disney distribution strategy to topple the Avatar record.
We saw a similar B.O. phenomenon occur with Captain Marvel in the shadow of Endgame‘s massive record opening weekend ($357.1M domestic, $1.22B worldwide). During that time, the first female MCU movie rose to the No. 2 spot in its 8th weekend at the box office with $8.3M stateside. Following Endgame‘s opening, Captain Marvel went on to make another $17.4M worldwide ($12.9M domestic, $4.5M overseas) as fans rushed back and forth between movies. With Far From Home‘s plot taking place after Endgame, the anticipation is for a similar B.O. halo effect with Endgame. Weekend estimates as of today see Avengers: Endgame with $6.3M in weekend 10, +218%, for a running domestic total by Sunday of $842.1M
This weekend’s new cut of Endgame is primarily a domestic play largely pushed by a digital marketing campaign. Abroad the Russo Brothers’ pic will play in Latin America (Mexico), UK/Ireland, Germany, Spain, Russia and some Asian Pacific corridor countries such as Australia/NZ and Japan.
So, if there’s just a handful of cash that Endgame needs to beat Avatar, then why is that hard to come by?
Essentially, it has to do with the fact that Endgame came up far short of Avatar in lucrative countries outside the U.S. and China. Endgame made 53% of its global gross in U.S./Canada and China, whereas those two territories only repped 34% of Avatar‘s lifetime worldwide ticket sales (the global 2010 re-release only made $33.2M), meaning the Cameron pic made up more ground offshore. Forget about Endgame returning to China where it made a massive $614.3M (to Avatar‘s $204M; the country had a nascent multiplex infrastructure back in 2009). China also has a 30-day play period policy on U.S. pics, and Endgame didn’t receive an extension. Not to mention with piracy rampant in China, it wouldn’t be prudent to bring Endgame back.
Avatar‘s records in key countries were so strong, Endgame hardly had a shot at beating them, i.e. France ($175.6M to $59.3M), Japan ($172M to $54.7M), Germany ($162.3M to $63M), Russia ($117M to $45.6M), Spain ($110M to $32.5M) and Italy ($83.5M to $33.8M). Another reason why we’re not expecting that much on Endgame in these territories is because it’s already played out, with screens promised to the next round of local and Hollywood fare. Much of Avatar‘s success overseas, like the U.S./Canada, had to do with 3D being a fad.
Stateside, Force Awakens owns the domestic B.O. crown with $936.7M, having already beat Avatar‘s U.S./Canada then all-time record ($760.5M) three years ago. Endgame is second on the all-time domestic B.O. list behind Force Awakens and there’s no chance of it toppling it.
Some sources believe that Endgame could earn more cash later this summer if Disney plays it as a double feature with The Lion King. Also, it’s not unusual over Labor Day weekend for majors to re-release their big blockbusters for one last hooray.
However, many say that if Disney/Marvel wanted to truly make up the difference in Endgame‘s cash, then they would have teamed up with Sony and played the finale as an official double feature with Spider-Man: Far From Home next week. However, both films aren’t officially being billed together, and that’s because Sony is steering their own ship on Far From Home.
Still, there’s no such thing as a coincidence, especially in a domestic marketplace where Disney product dominates a majority of screens.
So, don’t be surprised if you find both Endgame and Far From Home playing at the same multiplex in your neighborhood.