“The Avengers” Surges Toward Record

The Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) super-hero movie “The Avengers” was the top grossing movie at the US box office this weekend. The same was true in many other countries. Estimates are that the film has taken in $373 million in North America since it opened. Added to overseas ticket sales, the number is closer to $600 million.

Only few films in history have taken in $1 billion–a number “The Avengers” will almost certainly pass. Among those which have approached the figure or exceeded it are films of the “Transformers”, “Batman”, “Star Wars”, and “Harry Potter”, and “Lord of the Rings” franchises,and the two most successful movies of all time–James Cameron’s “Titanic” and “Avatar”.

“The Avengers” probably will not make it passed these Cameron movies, but it will become a franchise with more releases which will line the pockets of the Disney film studio operations

Douglas A. McIntyre