‘Avengers: Endgame’ off to record start, heads for huge weekend

The Associated Press

6 years ago

Movie goers get their concession fix before first showing of Avengers: Endgame at Brenden Theat ... — Movie goers get their concession fix before first showing of Avengers: Endgame at Brenden Theatres, in the Palms hotel casino, in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Critical Care Comics cosplayers pose for a photo before the first showing of Avengers: Endgame at Brenden Theatres in the Palms hotel casino, in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Moviegoers buy tickets before the first showing of “Avengers: Endgame” at Brenden Theaters at the Palms in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Fans get their photos taken with Critical Care Comics cosplayers before the first showing of “Avengers: Endgame” at Brenden Theaters at the Palms in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Justin Vinson, 25, wears his Infinity Gauntlet before the first showing of “Avengers: Endgame” at Brenden Theaters at the Palms in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. “This whole week I went back for nostalgia,” said Vinson, who rewatched all of the movies before seeing “Avengers: Endgame.” Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal

A worker takes an “Avengers: Endgame” ticket as moviegoers enter the first showing of much anticipated movie at Brenden Theaters at Palms in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal

A pile of “Avengers: Endgame” tickets starts to pile up as moviegoers enter the first showing of the much anticipated movie at Brenden Theaters at the Palms in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Moviegoers get their concession fix before first showing of “”Avengers: Endgame” at Brenden Theaters at the Palms in Las Vegas hotel casino, in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal

LOS ANGELES — “Avengers: Endgame” has gotten off to a mighty start at the box office, earning a record $60 million from Thursday night preview showings in North America, according to the Walt Disney Co.

The previous record holder was “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” which earned $57 million from Thursday previews in 2015, though “Avengers: Endgame” was shown in more theaters.

Internationally, Disney said on Friday that “Avengers: Endgame” has already grossed $305 million in its first two days in theaters with over half of that tally coming from China.

Box office prognosticators are projecting that the film could earn anywhere from $260 million to $300 million domestically, and between $800 million and $1 billion globally when the dust settles and final numbers are reported Monday.