Avengers: Age of Ultron Takes in $201M in International Box Office

The Avengers
The Avengers

The juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe just keeps rolling.  It’s latest offering, Avengers: Age of Ultron, opened this weekend in 44 international territories to the tune of $201.2M.  The film, which stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner, is the sequel to Joss Whedon‘s 2012 smash hit The Avengers.  Though the U.S. debut won’t happen until May 1, 2015, analysts have predicted this sequel to surpass the record-breaking box office take of the first film. The new film has already exceeded The Avengers by 44% in sales on opening weekend. IMAX saw the largest non-China international opening of all-time with $10.4M and a $60K per screen average.

Captain America and Thor
Captain America and Thor

Prior to its international release, Disney had predicted opening weekend sales to fall between $160-$170M.  The weekend take is a sign that Marvel/Disney is putting out films fans want to see.  Disney’s distribution chief Dave Hollis had this to say regarding its success, “The bar was high, but this is a sign of unbelievable momentum in the marketplace.  It all goes back to the strength of the brand and the incredible work the Marvel team does in telling stories in such a consistent way and creating these worlds.”

Iron Man vs. the Hulk
Iron Man vs. the Hulk

Here’s a brief synopsis of Avengers: Age of Ultron:

When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jumpstarts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers to reassemble. As the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, the team is put to the ultimate test as they battle Ultron (James Spader), a technological terror hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.

Watch an Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer here:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zGFZzvdsJ0&w=560&h=315]