Marvel continues its four-year streak of opening the summer box office season, with the release ofInfinity War, but this year, things are getting started a bit early, and we’re projecting it will get started in a record-breaking fashion. While the movie had been set for a August 04, 2025 release since Marvel Studios unveiled its Marvel Phase 3 lineup during an October 2014 press event, the studio made the shocking move to push it up a week to April 27, and as the latest tracking numbers indicate, that won’t hurtAvengers: Infinity Warone bit. We’re projecting thatAvengers: Infinity Warwill break the all-time opening weekend record of $247.9 million set byStar Wars: The Force Awakensin December 2015, with a whopping $252.4 million opening weekend.
While the initialbox officetracking put the movie between $175 million and $200 million, just below the $202 million opening ofBlack Panther, the latest projections that surfaced last weekend were much, much bigger. Those projections put theAvengers: Infinity Waropening between $235 million and $255 million, which also came in the wake of reports that, on Fandango,Avengers: Infinity Warhad already outsold the last seven Marvel movies combined, at that point in their pre-release cycle. Given that this movie brings together practically every character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has been introduced over the past 10 years, it’s not terribly surprising that it’s eyeing record numbers.
While the official theater count numbers aren’t in yet, it’s being estimated to debut in roughly 4,200 theaters, which is slightly aboveThor: Ragnarok(4,080 theaters) but belowGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2(4,347 theaters) andSpider-Man: Homecoming(4,348 theaters). With the palpable buzz swirling around this movie, with no other movies debuting in wide release this weekend, I wouldn’t be surprised if Marvel actually went for another record here, for the widest release of all time. That record is currently held byDespicable Me 3, which opened in 4,529 theaters last June, breaking the seven-year record of 4,468 set byThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse.
Marvel held the world premiere last nightwith screenings in both Los Angeles and New York, with full reviews slated to debut later today. Long before the premiere,Avengers: Infinity Warwas already shaping up to be one of the biggest movies of the year, if not the biggest. It had topped two separate polls from Fandango and IMDB as the most anticipated movie of the year, and it will most likely be the highest-grossing movie of the year, usurping the current champ, Marvel’sBlack Panther($681.3 million), whose run has been quite unprecedented. While the last three years have seen aStar Warsmovie rule the box office at the end of the year, it seems likely the 2018 title will go back to Marvel this year.
We’re predicting the top 10 will be rounded out byA Quiet Place($14.3 million),Rampage($10.4 million),I Feel Pretty($8.1 million),Super Troopers 2($7.5 million),Truth or Dare($3.7million),Ready Player One($3.5 million),Blockers($3 million),Black Panther($2.9 million) andIsle of Dogs$2.1 million. Also debuting in limited release this weekend is Bleecker Street’sDisobedience, The Orchard’sKings, IFC’sLet the Sunshine Inand Abramorama’sThe Test and the Art of Thinking. Take a look at our top 10 projections below, and check back on Sunday for the box office estimates, courtesy ofBox Office Mojo.
Avengers: Infinity War$252.3 million
A Quiet Place$14.3 million
Rampage$10.4 million
I Feel Pretty$8.1 million
Super Troopers 2$7.5 million
Truth or Dare$3.7million
Ready Player One$3.5 million
Blockers$3 million
Black Panther$2.9 million
Isle of Dogs$2.1 million
