Franchises are still on top in the box office. While some recent reboots haven’t seen great returns, there is no sign of slowing for most big franchises. Below are some of the biggest box office opening weekends of all time. The future of film can be left to the experts like Heather Parry, but in the meantime, it is worth revisiting some of these massive successes.
Avengers: Endgame
This absolutely gargantuan hit landing in the number one spot won’t come as a surprise to anybody. Avengers: Endgame, the culmination of more than ten years of work from Marvel Studios, smashed almost all records. In its opening weekend alone, the film amassed $1.2 billion worldwide. Additionally, this made it the fastest film to ever reach the billion dollar mark. While the movie has since faltered a bit in repeat viewings and was unable to topple the winner for all-time box office success (James Cameron’s Avatar), the impressive box office haul is certainly one for the books.
Avengers: Infinity War
Appropriately, the number two spot goes to Avengers: Endgame‘s predecessor: Avengers: Infinity War. As part one of the conclusion of this portion of the Marvel saga, audiences rushed to theaters opening weekend to the tune of $640 million worldwide. This film reached the billion dollar mark in eleven days, a record that Endgame easily smashed to pieces. Experts studying box office trends believe the large openings for Marvel films can be attributed in part to the “spoiler” nature surrounding many of the films — seeing the movie before the internet starts discussing it freely is part of the experience.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Released more than a decade after any previous Star Wars entry, Star Wars: The Force Awakens signaled the return of a tentpole franchise. Audiences rushed to the theater to welcome it back, resulting in an opening weekend of $529 million worldwide. Not all reboots and remakes could sustain such excitement, but JJ Abrams’ thoughtful and nostalgic direction left audiences satisfied yet excited for the new saga.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
As a result, the next installment of the Star Wars franchise was also a great success. This film ultimately proved to be a more polarizing entry to the beloved series, so eyes are on December’s Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker to see what the results may be for the film set to conclude the new trilogy. If the results are anything close to previous installments, Disney will certainly be happy.