Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy dominated the box office over the weekend, rounding out with a record-breaking $94 million, according to studio estimates from Rentrak.
Earlier this week, the James Gunn-directed film became the highest Thursday opening of the year with an $11.2 million debut. It subsequently topped 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum, which formerly held the number one spot for highest August opening.
“Having a great movie that’s original is such a rare thing anymore. This film and its reception around the world proves Marvel can break new ground with unique characters,” said Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis.
Guardians of the Galaxy cost $170 million to produce and is the first from Marvel that isn’t part of the Avengers universe. It includes a diverse cast, starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Bradley Cooper (voice of Rocket Raccoon), Vin Diesel (voice of Groot), Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glen Close and Benicio del Toro.
The action-adventure film maintains a positive rating from both moviegoers and critics alike on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 93 percent “fresh” rating, and a solid A CinemaScore.
Guardians will be joining only five other blockbusters that debuted above $90 million for this year. They include Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past ($90.8 million), Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 ($91.6 million), Warner-Legendary’s Godzilla ($93 million), Marvel-Disney’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($95 million), and Paramount’s Transformers: Age of Extinction ($100 million).
This is Marvel’s fourth film to open above $90 million this year, thanks to “the strength of the Marvel brand,” says Rentrak’s Paul Dergarabedian.
With all the hype around Guardians, Marvel and Disney have already announced plans at Comic-Con International for a sequel to release on July 28, 2017, with James Gunn returning to direct.
This weekend’s new release includes Universal Pictures’ Get on Up, which debuted with $14 million. The James Brown biopic earned a solid score from fans and critics – receiving an A CinemaScore, and a 77 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it did not defeat last week’s thriller Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson, which took second place with $18.3 million.
Paramount’s Hercules follows in fourth place with $10.7 million, and Fox’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in fifth with $8.7 million.
Top 10 Films at the Weekend Box Office:
- Guardians of the Galaxy – $94 million
- Lucy – $18.2 million
- Get On Up – $14 million
- Hercules – $10.7 million
- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – $8.7 million
- Planes: Fire & Rescue – $6.4 million
- The Purge: Anarchy – $5.6 million
- Sex Tape – $3.6 million
- And So It Goes – $3.34 million
- A Most Wanted Man – $3.32 million
