Following its record-setting $94.3 million domestic debut on Aug. 1, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy has posted some of the strongest weekday numbers of 2014, including the #1 non-holiday Monday ($11.7 million) and the #1 Tuesday ($11.9 million) and Wednesday ($8.8 million), for a total domestic gross of $126.8M. It has set industry records for the biggest August Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as well. This was the 10th Marvel Studios release and its 10th consecutive #1 domestic opening. The film’s $92.5 million international tally from 42 territories contributes to a global gross of $219.3 million through August 6.
The momentum of Guardians of the Galaxy has lifted The Walt Disney Studios to several box office milestones this week. Domestically, Disney moved into second place in domestic market share as of Aug. 6 and will reach $1 billion in box office today. This is the ninth consecutive year and 18th year overall that the studio has reached the $1 billion threshold.
On Aug. 4, the studio reached the $2 billion mark at the international box office for the fifth consecutive year and in company record time, surpassing last year’s record by nearly three weeks.
Disney’s theatrical slate has pushed the studio to $3 billion globally for the fifth consecutive year and the eighth time ever. Achieved on Aug. 5, it also represents the fastest the studio has reached this threshold.
In addition to Guardians of the Galaxy, the studio’s results this year have been driven by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ phenomenon Frozen, which opened in November 2013 and has earned over $1.27 billion worldwide; Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which opened domestically April 4 and has earned $713.7 million globally; and Disney’s Maleficent, which opened domestically May 30 and is currently the #3 film of 2014 with $732.4 million globally and counting.
Guardians of the Galaxy continues its international rollout with Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal today and several additional territories this weekend, followed by debuts in France on Aug. 13 and Germany on Aug. 28.
