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As summer launches go, James Gunn’s anticipated Marvel sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, did not disappoint. Since opening on Thursday night, the Star-Lord adventure grossed a massive $146 million. For the MCU, that’s the largest opening weekend total for a film that doesn’t prominently feature Iron Man. Guardians 2 also represents the largest increase for a sequel compared to its predecessor within Marvel‘s 15-film line-up (the original Guardians of the Galaxy opened to $94m).
Audiences and critics have enjoyed the film. Guardians 2 received an almost-standard ‘A’ Cinemascore from polled audiences, while IMDB users have given it an 8.2/10, and critics have granted the film an approval rating of 82% via Rotten Tomatoes. Our very own Matthew Rodgers enjoyed the film even more than the original. All of that to say, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 should easily gross $400m in the United States alone when all is said and done, a significant jump from the $333m generated by the original in 2014.
The sequel has been performing well internationally, also. Baby Groot and his pals have rummaged an additional $285m overseas, including a $49.3m debut in China. That brings the worldwide total to a fantastic $431m, thus far, with plenty more to come. While $1 billion isn’t a guarantee, it is certainly a possibility. The original film grossed $773m worldwide during its run three years ago. With nearly two weeks of minimal competition, Guardians is poised to be the number one film of the summer (at least in the U.S.) – barring major international grosses for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Transformers: The Last Knight.
Next weekend sees the release of another risky attempt at bringing King Arthur to the screen in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (starring Charlie Hunnam), as well as the possible breakout comedy Snatched (starring Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn).
Source: Box Office Mojo
