Readers were cautioned not to rule out “The Avengers” based on its disappointing midnight grosses, and that caution appears to have been justified.
“The Avengers” earned $80.5 million at the day-long box office on Friday, and it now stands a legitimate chance of setting the all-time opening weekend record. Sources are now forecasting a haul of more than $175 million, which would easily top the $169 million net by “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.”
The “Potter” film still holds the record for Friday with $91.1 million, although when the midnight screenings are taken out of the equation, “Avengers” is the clear winner. That implies the film is more of an “I have to see it this weekend” film than a “I had to see it at midnight” film, further evidence of the superhero movie’s promise of setting the all-time weekend record.
Nothing else did much at the Friday box office; “Think Like a Man” ($2.7 million) and “The Lucky One” ($2.0 million) led a string of soft performers.
