Marvel's "The Avengers" is proving to be greater than the sum of its superhero parts, at least when it come to box-office presales.
With a week and a day to go before its domestic opening, the summer actioner has already beaten the combined presale totals for “Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” at the same moment in their respective release cycles, according to sales figures from MovieTickets.com.
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The presale figures bode well for the film's 3D and Imax prospects, too. Domestic audiences appear ready to slip on the 3D glasses, as 56% of paying customers moviegoers have paid to add an extra dimension to their viewing experience. Almost 37% bought IMAX 3D tickets, the presales report noted.
Meanwhile, "The Avengers" is taking off overseas, pulling in $17.1 million from 10 markets in its first day of foreign release. The movie made $6.2 million in Australia, that country's best opening ever for a Disney film and its second-best opening overall, behind only last year's "Harry Potter and the Deathy Hallows, Part 2." In Italy, the film grossed $3.7 million, also a record for a Disney release.
"The Avengers" broke opening-day box-office records in Taiwan ($1.3 million) and New Zealand ($800,000), as well.
“The Avengers” features Robert Downey Jr. suiting up again as Iron Man, Chris Evans reprising his role as Captain America and Chris Hemsworth playing Thor.
They’re joined by Scarlett Johansson in the role of Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk in what’s shaping up to be a super-sized hit for director Joss Whedon.