Avengers: Endgame smashes opening day record in China with $100 million

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Audiences on this side of the pond have to wait at least one more day to see AVENGERS: ENDGAME, but excited Marvel fans in China are already flocking to the theaters to watch the latest superhero epic. Normally the phrase “in droves” would be applied, but in this case, it’s more “in hordes” as audiences in the Middle Kingdom are racing to the theaters in waves unseen before, propelling the movie to a record-smashing $102 million opening day.

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The results (via Variety) reveal that as of 9 p.m. local time in China, the movie had made the incredible chunk of change from showings beginning at midnight and early morning times that seem impossible to stay awake through, and then all through the rest of Wednesday. This total is the new record for the largest opening day in China, which was perhaps expected after selling $110 million in pre-sale tickets ahead of its Tuesday midnight showings, which demolished the previous record set by local release MONSTER HUNT 2 at $59 million. On top of that, ENDGAME was the first movie to make more than $15 million from midnight screenings and accounted for 99.2% of the tickets sold nationwide on Wednesday. People wanted to see this movie, in short.

As of now, the movie is expected to best the current opening weekend record holder in China, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, which made $191 million and onto a $360 million total finish. Already analysts are predicting ENDGAME to finish with around $520 million, making it the fourth largest-grossing movie in China and the highest-grossing foreign language film – besting the $393 million of THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS.

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To put these numbers into context for records over here, THE FORCE AWAKENS has the record for the largest opening day ever at $119 million, with INFINITY WAR coming in at $106 million, THE LAST JEDI at $104 million and DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2 at $91 million. ENDGAME is expected to top the total of INFINITY WAR for its opening day, though besting FORCE AWAKENS could be a stretch. However, ENDGAME is currently on track to break the $257 million opening weekend record set by INFINITY WAR, with predictions going anywhere between $275-300 million.

Basically, what seems to be the case is that not only is ENDGAME besting the already lofty expectations set for it, but it's doing so by spectacular margins. Not too long ago predictions were in place that made it seem ENDGAME may only have a shot at breaking the opening weekend records, and if so, by a small amount. But now, it seems all but a guarantee. This came after the internet was literally breaking from people buying tickets online when they went on sale, with theater chains adding showtimes early into Friday morning with several major locations deciding not to close for the entire weekend so they can have the movie playing as many showtimes as possible. Very few people are going to be getting sleep this weekend, and theater chains may as well rent out sleeping blankets. 

AVENGERS: ENDGAME is in theaters this Friday and at early showings tomorrow.