Avengers reassemble at #1!
Marvel's mightiest heroes gathered once again with marvelous success, putting AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON on top at the box office this this weekend with an estimated $187.6 million!
The second senses-shattering adventure of the costumed champions couldn't quite climb to the heights of the first AVENGERS' record-smashing $207 million opening. But Marvel still has bragging rights with the top three all-time biggest domestic opening weekends — AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is firmly in second place on the list, ahead of IRON MAN 3's $174.1 million debut two years ago.
In addition, the pulse-pounding superhero epic had the second-biggest opening day with $84.4 million (behind HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT. II with $91 million), and Joss Whedon's sequel has already reached a worldwide total of $627 million.
(It's conceivable that the anticipated Mayweather/Pacquiao pay-per-view match on Saturday impacted AVENGERS business, but it's hard to say what the crossover audience percentage might be between boxing and blockbusters.)
In second place was an age of a different sort as the Blake Lively fantasy-romance THE AGE OF ADALINE made $6.2 million, a 52% drop from its opening last week (not bad considering the muscular competition). It was enough to stay ahead of FURIOUS 7, which finally downshifted to third with $6.1 million after a full month in first place.
With a $1.4 billion worldwide total, FURIOUS 7 has also passed HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT. II to become the fourth highest-grossing release in history, now only behind AVATAR, TITANIC and Marvel's THE AVENGERS.
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 was in fourth with $5.5 million (and a total that's barely a third of the original's $146.3 million finish), followed by the animated HOME in fifth place with $3.3 million.
After departing the ballroom last weekend, Disney's CINDERELLA waltzed back onto the chart all the way to sixth place with $2.3 million. Alex Garland's artificial intelligence exploration EX MACHINA was in seventh with $2.2 million, and UNFRIENDED, THE LONGEST RIDE and WOMAN IN GOLD filled out the bottom of the list.
Outside the chart, Disney's MONKEY KINGDOM documentary swung away and Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart's GET HARD got limp, while limited releases FAR FROM THE MADDENING CROWD and Kristen Wiig's WELCOME TO ME respectively played to $17k and $19k per-screen.
Next weekend pairs Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara for the comedy HOT PURSUIT, while James Marsden and Jack Black chase laughs on THE D TRAIN and Arnold Schwarzenegger cares for his zombie daughter MAGGIE in limited release.
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| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | $187.6 M | NEW |
| 2 | The Age of Adaline | $6.2 M | $23.4 M |
| 3 | Furious 7 | $6.1 M | $330.5 M |
| 4 | Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 | $5.5 M | $51.1 M |
| 5 | Home | $3.3 M | $158.1 M |
| 6 | Ex Machina | $2.2 M | $10.8 M |
| 7 | Cinderella | $2.3 M | $193.6 M |
| 8 | Unfriended | $1.9 M | $28.5 M |
| 9 | The Longest Ride | $1.7 M | $33.2 M |
| 10 | Woman in Gold | $1.6 M | $24.5 M |