Today I am going to provide readers with the latest update on Avengers: Endgame and its quest to become the all-time number one movie at the domestic and global box office.
To be honest with you, I hadn鈥檛 planned on doing any 鈥渦pdate鈥� at all. I was going to sit back and wait for it to beat Avatar鈥檚 global record, and then I was going to do this big story about what a great landmark achievement it is.
But I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Now, after the latest stunt that Disney pulled the other day (I鈥檒l explain it in a moment), I have decided I need to get off the couch and say something.
The long and short of it is that Avengers: Endgame now needs some big-time help to be able to set the all-time record.聽聽
As of June 18 its global haul stood at $2,744,012,261, which is short of Avatar鈥檚 record of $2,787,965,087, all U.S. dollars. Its domestic haul stood at $831,768,905, which is well short of the record held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens of $936,662,225.
Business for Avengers: Endgame is really drying up right now. Its domestic haul last weekend was $3,725,855, way behind the $30 million hauled in by the top-grossing release Men in Black International. And keep in mind, MIB International鈥檚 haul wasn鈥檛 even considered to be very good by a lot of people.
The real problem is Avengers: Endgame is running into too much competition from other new releases. We are deep into June, well into 鈥渂lockbuster season,鈥� and people are focused on these other big-ticket movies. What鈥檚 more, there鈥檚 a new Spider-Man movie coming soon, which will put even more pressure on this Disney-Marvel release.
I should point out that when the previous record setters Avatar, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Titanic were released they didn鈥檛 have this problem. Those took advantage of the lack of competition during the 鈥渄ead鈥� season in January and February at the cinemas, and cleaned right up at that point in time.聽
For a while, Avengers: Endgame looked like it couldn鈥檛 be stopped. Take a look at their results page at Box Office Mojo and you will see for yourself all the records it has set, including best opening weekend of all time, top single-day Friday, top single-day Saturday, top single-day Sunday, three-day gross, four-day, ten-day, etc. etc.
Needless to say it is the top grossing movie of the year, which is also no small feat. I have to laugh at the people who say Avengers: Endgame somehow 鈥渦nderperformed鈥� or was a box office 鈥渄isappointment鈥� for not smashing the overall record by now. Hauling in over $2.7 billion at the worldwide box office is nothing to be disappointed about, believe me.
The only ones disappointed are these die-hard Avengers fans who were hoping to take down Avatar鈥檚 record. I鈥檝e read stories of fans going to this movie multiple times in an attempt to help it beat Avatar. These fans want to play a part in making movie history!
Lately, though, the projections have not been encouraging. Current projections have Avengers: Endgame falling short of the global record by about $20 million.
However, that is not stopping Disney from pulling out one final hail Mary at the last minute.
Do you know what these jokers at Disney are doing? Reports are they are adding a bunch of new post-credits footage and deleted scenes, and they will give this movie a re-release next week.
This is a play to encourage the Avengers addicts to shell out money one last time before it leaves the cinemas, and set the all time box office record!聽
Doesn鈥檛 this look like cheating to you?
Really, how low can you go? Avengers couldn鈥檛 set the record on its own with the movie they had, so they felt the need to add this new footage to entice the public to get it over the finish line first.
If this flick does take down Avatar鈥檚 record, it鈥檚 going to be a tainted victory, in my opinion. Yet this is totally within the 鈥渞ules,鈥� because with the box office there are no rules, clearly.聽
Something else to think about: even if they set a new record, it is no done deal.
Next year, in 2020, Avatar 2 is going to be released. If Avengers: Endgame does beat Avatar鈥檚 record, don鈥檛 be surprised if the original Avatar gets its own re-release a month or so before the sequel comes out.
I wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if director James Cameron goes back and adds a few 鈥渄eleted scenes鈥� and other footage to spice a re-release up, just to further entice the Avatar fans and restore his all-time record.聽聽
The bottom line is even if Avengers: Endgame sets the global record, Cameron has his opportunity to take it back. If anyone questions it, Cameron can turn around and say Avengers: Endgame did exactly the same thing! Of course, Cameron will be going for a brand-new all-time record with Avatar 2 in any event.
By the way, Cameron has been nothing but gracious about Avengers: Endgame鈥檚 success. When Endgame鈥檚 passed Titanic on the all-time list, Cameron issued a statement congratulating them and saying how great this was for the movie industry. 鈥淎n iceberg sank the real Titanic. It took The Avengers to sink my Titanic,鈥� he stated.
You know what? This is great for the movie industry. These box-office battles for global supremacy simply heighten awareness of the movies and drive the interest in the blockbuster releases that come out. It鈥檚 all good.
We鈥檒l see what happens with Avengers: Endgame. Maybe it sets the all-time global record, maybe it doesn鈥檛. Maybe it sets the record only to have it taken away by James Cameron next year. It is literally a photo finish at this point.聽
