Though U.S. viewers will have to wait until May 5 to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the film has already opened in 58% of its international market, including in big box-office countries like Brazil, France, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. It hauled in $101.2 million from these markets in its opening weekend, a total which puts it, according to Deadline, “57% ahead of the first Guardians, 50% bigger than Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 19% above Thor: The Dark World when comparing the same suite of territories and all at today’s exchange rates.”
These initial results should have Marvel and Disney pretty pleased. The first Guardians of the Galaxy was a hit with both audiences and critics back in 2014, so much so that the studio brought back director and co-writer James Gunn for the sequel. Plus, they’ve been marketing the life out of this thing, so I’m sure they want all that money to pay off.
However, Scott Mendelson at Forbes urges some caution in interpreting these numbers. “At a glance, I would argue that we’re looking at a more frontloaded title,” he wrote. “It’s that early May launch date that has produced some of the least leggy MCU films, it’s a sequel (and thus less of a known quantity compared to the first film) and Walt Disney has Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on tap for Memorial Day weekend.”
What do you think? Do you feel like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will surprise everyone? Or will its popularity drop significantly after the opening weekend(s)?
Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and many others, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opens in the United States on May 5, 2017.
(Via Forbes and Deadline; image via Marvel Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios)
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