LOS ANGELES: Disney and Marvel could be one of the finest teams around.
Continuing
the success of their superhero franchise, "Captain America: The Winter
Soldier" has set a record as the biggest domestic April release ever.
The Disney sequel debuted with $96.2 million, topping the previous
record-holder, 2011's "Fast Five," which opened with $86.2 million.
"The
Winter Soldier," which stars Chris Evans as the shield-wielding
superhero and Scarlett Johansson (whose sci-fi film "Under the Skin"
also debuted this weekend with $140,000) as Black Widow, commanded 32
international markets last weekend.
Expanding to Russia,
Australia and China in its second week, the Marvel comic adaptation,
boasting a budget of over $170 million, earned $107.1 million
internationally this weekend, bringing its overall worldwide haul to
more than $303 million.
Also a touchstone for Imax, "The
Winter Soldier" received $9.6 million of its U.S. haul on 346 screens
showing the film in the enhanced resolution format. Internationally, it
showed on 278 Imax screens, bringing in $6.5 million, $4 million of
which was delivered from China.
"Captain America: The
First Avenger," which had a budget of around $140 million, debuted in
July 2011 with $65 million. Overall, it earned $371 million worldwide.
Why the shift to an April release rather than remaining a summer launch?
"We
looked at the possibility of creating separation from the other summer
tentpoles," said Dave Hollis, head of worldwide theatrical distribution
for Disney. "There was an opportunity. We have the second Marvel film
coming at the end of the summer in 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' We wanted
to start and end the summer and take advantage of this holiday. In the
next month or so we'll have the benefit of spring break."
"The
Avengers effect," as Hollis calls it, set the stage for the
continuation of Marvel's massive box office presence, which includes the
"Iron Man" and "Thor" franchises. With the release of the films'
sequels, both have seen earning jumps of over 35 percent.
"There
are very few movie brands that are this consistent," Paul
Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, said
of the Disney-Marvel team. "For 'The Winter Soldier' to push on $100
million in April shows that you can release a big movie any time of the
year. Every studio is going to be looking at this date to plant their
flag in the future."
Meanwhile, Paramount's biblical saga
"Noah," starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson, took a
drastic dip in its second weekend, earning $17 million after debuting
with $44 million. Still, it sailed into second place, crossing the $70
million mark domestically, while pushing Lionsgate's young adult
science-fiction thriller "Divergent," led by Shailene Woodley, to third
with $13 million in its third week. Its stateside total is now $114
million.
Freestyle Releasing's surprise hit "God's Not Dead" took the No. 4 slot with $7.7 million in its third weekend.
Despite
the decrease in the "Noah" box office performance, the outcome of
film's debut, its overall haul, and the success of both "Son of God" and
"God's Not Dead" bodes well for other biblical-themed films coming this
year, including "Heaven is for Real," starring Greg Kinnear and
"Exodus: Gods and Kings," starring Christian Bale.
Coming
in at No. 5, Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" collected $6.3
million, bringing its domestic total to $33 million. Fox Searchlight
expanded its stylish comedy to 1,263 locations, and the studio plans to
add even more in the coming weeks. This is Anderson's second widest
expansion following 2009's "Fantastic Mr. Fox."
"As this
movie is expanding it is just building an audience," Dergarabedian said.
A total of "$33 million compared to something like 'Captain America'
doesn't sound like a lot, but it's a huge number for a film like 'Grand
Budapest' that is so indie-minded and original."
The
weekend's other releases included Codeblack Films' "Frankie and Alice,"
starring Halle Berry as a dancer with multiple personality disorder.
Playing in 171 locations, it earned $350,000.
And Fox
Searchlight's dark comedy "Dom Hemingway," starring Jude Law and "Game
of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke, had a domestic gross of $32,000 after
showing in only four theaters in New York and Los Angeles. Next week the
film will expand to nearly 40 locations.
Disney's
"Muppets Most Wanted," which landed at No. 6 with $6.3 million in its
third weekend, and Fox's "Mr. Peabody and Sherman," coming in at No. 7
with $5.3 million in its fifth weekend, were the top kiddie films. But
Fox's animated "Rio 2" stands to knock them down a few notches when it
opens in the U.S. next weekend.
