“Avengers” makes record $100 million in second weekend

The AP reports that “Marvel’s The Avengers” made a second-weekend record $103.2 million to lead the box office again.  The film’s domestic total is $373.2 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, the AP reports.   The film’s worldwide box office has now passed $1 billion.

The film, based on the Marvel comics, stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man; Chris Evans as Captain America; Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner.   Directed by Joss Whedon, the film ties together threads from the five previous Marvel Studios movies.

“The Avengers” becomes the first movie to break the $100 million mark domestically in its second weekend.   James Cameron’s “Avatar” previously had the record, at $75.6 million.

Another record now owned by “The Avengers” is fastest to $300 million domestically, which “The Avengers” reached in nine days, breaking the 10 days it took “The Dark Knight.”

The Dark Knight will get a chance to rise again, as the third Christopher Nolan Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises,” is set for this summer, as is a new Spider-Man installment, “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
Both of those properties have traditionally had strong box-office takes.

- Matt Price