With the many box office records that Marvel’s The Avengers has been smashing since it opened in theaters this month, it’s no surprise that the film has now earned a new honor: the highest grossing Disney film of all time. Last weekend, The Avengers surpassed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which grossed $1.07 billion worldwide, to become the most profitable Disney film of all time, earning a total of $1.18 billion in global sales.
The Avengers has remained the number one film at the box office since its debut in theaters nationwide on May 4, beating out such newer releases as Battleship and Dark Shadows. Even though Disney and Marvel’s main marketing push for the film has ended, the film has thrived on positive word-of-mouth and critical acclaim, earning a 93% Fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com.
“Great marketing can buy you a big opening weekend,” said president of Hollywood.com’s box office unit Paul Dergarabedian, “but only a crowd-pleasing and solid movie can get you to where ‘The Avengers’ has gone.”
The Avengers has also helped to generate a 16% increase in 2012 domestic box office sales in general. Movie theater attendance this year has also increased by 18%. The film, which was made for $220 million, generated $207.4 million in its first domestic weekend alone.
The Avengers is currently playing in theaters worldwide.
