Merrick here...
For a variety of reasons, we tend not to focus too heavily on box office numbers here on Aint It Cool News - usually making only passing allusion to them at best. But some of the indicators / numbers preceding THE AVENGERS' impending North American release were so astonishing that we simply had to share.
Per a press release from movietickets.com...
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS is pre-selling more tickets for the upcoming release than the online ticketing company sold for CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, THOR, IRON MAN 2, and IRON MAN combined at the same point in the sales cycle for each film.
In fact, pre-sales of MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS is over one and a half times that of these past Marvel films combined sales at the same point in the sales cycle.
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS is selling 3,995% more tickets than CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER at the same point in the sales cycle.
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS is selling 1,034% more tickets than THOR at the same point in the sales cycle.
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS is selling 114% more tickets than IRON MAN 2 at the same point in the sales cycle.
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS is selling 1,406% more tickets than IRON MAN at the same point in the sales cycle.
56% of pre-sales for MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS are from fans wanting to see the film in 3D.
Nearly 37% of pre-sales for MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS are from moviegoers buying tickets to see the film in IMAX 3D.
Per THIS piece at Deadline, the film has already opened spectacularly overseas - around $17 million in a very short period of time says BoxOfficeMojo.
At last night's Austin screening of the film, Harry and I were talking about the primal, knee-jerk reaction people seem to be having to seeing these heroes assembled (ahem) on-screen. I've encountered a number of folks who hadn't shown interest in the films of Avengers who've had solo adventures thus far - but are going out of their minds waiting to see 'em together here. And the response to early screenings of THE AVENGERS? Let's just say...there were shouts of support and loud applause erupting throughout last night's Austin presentation. I've heard many similar stories from other screenings. And that 95% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes doesn't seem in danger of dipping too much further downward.
We'll see what happens when the picture opens in North America next week...
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