Final Box Office: 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Scores Record Debut
After a stellar start to the weekend on Thursday and Friday, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy powered through Saturday and Sunday to open with a record-breaking $94 million debut in North America. This makes the space epic the biggest August opening of all time, surpassing the $69.3 million opening of The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007.
Its debut was nearly as outstanding overseas, to boot. Guardians of the Galaxy, from director James Gunn, raked in $66.4 million from 42 markets, bringing its worldwide gross to $160.4 million for the weekend. This, despite the fact that its international rollout hasn't even properly begun: the film is only playing in 50 percent of possible foreign markets so far.
"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.
However, Guardians of the Galaxy was unable to become the year's top grossing debut, as it's currently the third biggest opening of 2014 behind Transformers: Age of Extinction and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which grossed $100 million and $95 million, respectively.
In short, it's been a fantastic year for major studio action epics. Case in point, in addition to the massive success for Guardians of the Galaxy, Transformers: Age of Extinction became the first film this year to surpass $1 billion in worldwide gross. This is due in large part to a gross of over $300 million in China, where a significant portion of the movie was filmed. It's no longer in America's top 10 at the box office, but this does nothing to dull its incredible summer run.
Last week's No. 1, the Scarlett Johansson vehicle Lucy, dropped to No. 2 with $18.2 million, which was just enough to best the debut of the James Brown biopic Get On Up. The drama, directed by The Help's Tate Taylor, and starring Chadwick Boseman as the Godfather of Soul, placed No. 3 with $14 million, which is less than half of its $30 million budget. Still, it's better news than what Paramount and MGM is getting with the continued fall of Hercules. The mythical epic dropped to No. 4 with $10.7 million, a decline of 63 percent from its first week. On the plus side, the movie grossed $14.2 million from 35 markets to bring its worldwide total to $108.8 million, which should be just about enough to recoup its budget.
The top five, meanwhile, was rounded out by Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which continues its solid run with $8.7 million for the weekend. Its North American gross is now up to $189.3 million, surpassing the entire box office run of its predecessor Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which ended its run at the box office in December 2011 with $176.8 million.
Check out the full Top 10 at the weekend box office below:
1. Guardians of the Galaxy ($94 million)
2. Lucy ($18.2 million)
3. Get On Up ($14 million)
4. Hercules ($10.7 million)
5. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ($8.7 million)
6. Planes: Fire & Rescue ($6.4 million)
7. The Purge: Anarchy ($5.6 million)
8. Sex Tape ($3.6 million)
9. And So It Goes ($3.34 million)
10. A Most Wanted Man ($3.32 million)
Credit: Marvel Studios