Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the final installment of James Gunn’s intergalactic series, has had an impressive opening weekend at the global box office, collecting $282.1 million (about Rs. 2,306 crore). This surpasses the projected $250 million (about Rs. 2,043 crore) earnings for the film. The movie earned $114 million (about Rs. 931 crore) from within the US and Canada, with the remaining $168.1 million (about Rs. 1,374 crore) coming from markets outside the US, with China leading the way.
While the numbers are impressive, it is still lower than other Marvel Cinematic Universe films of similar stature, which did not open day-and-date in China. For example, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuted globally at $450 million (about Rs. 3,677 crore), despite not opening in China until week two. Under similar conditions, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 made around $252 million (about Rs. 2,059 crore) during its opening weekend.
The Chinese market has become increasingly irrelevant to Hollywood movies, with the country having barred several releases. However, positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth have propelled Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to a successful opening. This could be attributed to the emotional attachment fans formed with the characters in the trilogy, as this is the final movie.
According to Deadline, China took the lead in ticket sales outside of the US and Canada, collecting $28.1 million (about Rs. 230 crore). The UK came in second, drawing $14.7 million (about Rs. 120 crore), followed by Korea with $13.6 million (about Rs. 111 crore) and Mexico with $13 million (about Rs. 106 crore). France rounded out the top five regions with $8.2 million (about Rs. 67 crore) in ticket sales.
The next few weeks will be crucial for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as it competes with other highly-anticipated films for a top spot at the global box office. The film needs to gain momentum to avoid suffering the same fate as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which failed to break the $500 million mark.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now showing in theaters worldwide.
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