Marvel’s The Avengers with its current running total of $463.3 million continues to move up the all-time North American box office chart and is now #5 surpassing 1977’s original Star Wars on Monday, May 22 2012 after just 18 days of release in North America. This comes nearly 35 years to the day after the classic George Lucas film originally opened and with all re-releases went on to earn $460,998,007 (unadjusted for inflation).
The first Star Wars (Ep. IV: A New Hope) opened on May 25, 1977 and had a total negative cost (production budget) of just $11 million which was $1 million over the initial budget. The Avengers will now set its sights on Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace which is currently in its 15th week of re-release and has an all-time running total through this past weekend of $474,544,211. Below is a list of the Top 10 grossing films of all-time in North America:
TOP 10 DOMESTIC GROSSING FILMS – UPDATED THROUGH 5/21/12
(Rank, Title, Domestic Gross, Release Date)
1. AVATAR – $760,505,847 – Fri, 12/18/09
2. TITANIC – $658,470,000. – Fri, 12/19/97
3. THE DARK KNIGHT – $533,345,358 – Fri, 7/18/08
4. STAR WARS: EPISODE ONE – THE PHANTOM MENACE – $474,544,211 – Wed, 5/19/99
5. THE AVENGERS – $463,300,000 – Fri, 5/4/12
6. STAR WARS – $460,998,007 – Wed, 5/25/77
7. SHREK 2 – $436,721,703 – Wed, 5/19/04
8. E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL – $434,949,459 – Fri, 6/11/82
9. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST – $423,271,331 – Fri, 7/7/06
10. TOY STORY 3 – $415,004,880 – Fri, 6/18/10
More:
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‘Avengers’ New Box Office Benchmarks!
‘Avengers’ Makes a Billion: Will There Ever Be a Top Grosser About Normal People?
