The Avengers Passes $1 Billion Globally Today

Marvel's The Avengers is expected to pass the $1 billion mark globally today, according to a press release from Walt Disney Studios, the film's distributor. Doing so in only 19 days, The Avengers appears to have beaten out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Avatar for the record of fastest film ever to reach that plateau, a list which includes only 11 other movies, four of which (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Alice in Wonderland, Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 3, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides)were also released by Disney. Alice in Wonderland, of course, was directed by Tim Burton, whose Dark Shadows remake came in at #2 at this week's box office. Both films starred Johnny Depp. "We're obviously thrilled with the global success of The Avengers," said Robert A. Iger, Disney's Chairman and CEO in the press release. "It's a fantastic movie and an extraordinary franchise that will continue with more great stories and compelling characters for years to come." And by "for years to come," he means soon. A second Avengers film was already officially announced as being in development, with sequels to Thor, Captain America and Iron Man all hitting theaters in the next 18 months. The Incredible Hulk is also reportedly being considered as a Marvel Studios film (or an ABC television series), along with Marvel properties Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy, none of whom have any connection to The Avengers film as it stands. This is not, by far, the first or last record that the film has or will set. To quote from the press release,

Marvel's The Avengers has set several domestic box office records including the industry's all-time second weekend record with an estimated $103.2 million, fastest film to reach $200 million (3 days), fastest to $300 million (in a record 9 days), and highest Saturday ($69.5 million) and Sunday ($57 million) totals. In addition, its opening day of $80.8 million is the second-highest single-day gross of all time. Moviegoers gave Marvel's The Avengers a rare A+ CinemaScore.

After setting records during the opening weekend of every market it's opened in, the film's domestic box office will surely be bolstered by a late opening in Japan, where it won't hit until August 19. By then, virtually every other anticipated summer blockbuster will have been released and The Avengers will have a clear sense of if, or by how much, it's the biggest movie of the year.