It took a prickly crew of superheroes to topple the record for the biggest domestic box-office opening of all-time. Marvel's The Avengers, uniting Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, and more, raked in $200.3 million in North America, clobbering the previous opening weekend record set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 last year. A look at how that historic haul breaks down:
$200.3 million
The Avengers' opening weekend box-office total in North America, a new record
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$169.2 million
The previous record, set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
25.6 million
Tickets sold to The Avengers over the weekend
4,349
North American locations that screened The Avengers
$80.5 million
The Avengers' gross on Friday, its first full day of release. That's the second-highest opening day ever, behind only the Harry Potter finale's $91.1 million.
52
Percentage of moviegoers who saw The Avengers in 3D. Higher ticket prices for 3D showings inevitably contributed to The Avengers' impressive gross, says Amy Kaufman at the Los Angeles Times.
50
Percentage of Avengers audience members under the age of 25
60
Percentage of Avengers audience members who are male. The film "scored a direct hit on that summer-season sweet spot: The young fanboy demographic," says Jen Chaney at The Washington Post.
93
Percentage of critics who gave The Avengers a positive "fresh" rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes
A+
Average grade assigned by moviegoers after screenings, according to market research firm CinemaScore. Such positive word of mouth suggests that The Avengers could join the billion-dollar club at the worldwide box office, says Kaufman.
11
Films in the elite billion-dollar club, including Avatar and Titanic
$641.8 million
Total worldwide gross of The Avengers so far. The film was released in most international markets a week before its U.S. premiere.
$220 million
Reported amount Marvel and Disney spent to produce The Avengers
$100 million
Reported amount the studios spent on global marketing
80
Percentage of the weekend's domestic box office haul accounted for by The Avengers
$130.7 million
Combined domestic opening weekend gross of last summer's two Avengers-related superhero flicks: Thor ($65.7 million) and Captain America ($65 million). "When Marvel superheroes combine forces, they can not only achieve swift justice but also a much stronger immediate cash flow," says Jen Chaney at The Washington Post.
Sources: AP, LA Times, NY Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Wash. Post
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