UPDATED (Monday – 1:15PM) – Looks like even the estimates were under. I would imagine that due to the hugely favourable word of mouth coming out of the movie, Marvel’s The Avengers had a much better than expected $57M Sunday brings the gargantuan take of the film to  $207.4M.

“Marvel’s The Avengers is something we’ve been carefully building toward since we began production on the first Iron Man film, and it is quite rewarding for all of us that The Avengers is appealing around the globe to both passionate fans and general audiences alike. It is a testament to all involved with this film that audiences across the board are embracing the film in this record-setting way,” Avengers producer Kevin Feige said in a statement today.

Canadian Estimates even came under with the Box Office tally up here coming in at $15.5M.

Marvel’s The Avengers is the first Marvel Studios film to be marketed and distributed by The Walt Disney Studios. “Joss Whedon, Kevin Feige and the whole Marvel team have done something really incredible with The Avengers,” said Dave Hollis, EVP, Theatrical Exhibition Sales and Distribution, The Walt Disney Studios. “From the super-talented cast to the spectacular visual effects, it’s a grand slam, and we’re proud to be a part of this history-making film.”

There has been talk about The Avengers being the best in the superhero genre vs The Dark Knight from a quality and filmmaking perspective and how it would fare agains the The Dark Knight Rises opening in July. The fact of the matter is that this is the first in a franchise that is going to have plenty more in the series, (supplemented by the individual characters in between). As a result, this movie is in the same position Batman Begins was in when it opened and similarly, it has reinvented the genre.  Now that the pressure is off, I imagine that Whedon will be able to really bring it. Anyone  want to see what he can do, just watch the final season of Angel.

As a huge fan of both films and movies, I for one am very much looking forward to seeing what he brings us.
UPDATED (Sunday -1:53PM)- Deadline is reporting that the Disney was being very conservative with their record-breaking figures as Marvel’s The Avengers is skyrocketing past the record set by Warner Bros. Harry Potter to reach over $200.3M led by a record-breaking $80.5M Friday (including a $18.7M midnite showing), a very, very strong Saturday $69.7M to a much better than potentially expected $50M from 4,349 U.S. and Canadian locations, including 3,364 plays in 3D.

According to Disney Canada, north of the border as well records were shattered with an unheard of $14.5M Box Office.

Deadline goes on to break down the audience numbers “Exit polls showed the actioner attracted a four-quadrant audience with 50% over age 25 and 50% under 25, while 60% were male and 40% female. Also 55% were couples, 24% families, and 21% teens.”

We all knew this was going to be big, however to witness such a special time in Movie History is just mind-blowing. This now sets the stage for a summer stacked with other potential blockbusters with a big chunk of the attention on two other superhero franchies – Sony Pictures The Amazing Spiderman and Warner Bros. The Dark Knight Rises for folks to enjoy with the bar now set ridiculously high for them. The ones that benefits are the audience as they buckle their seatbelts for one of the best summers in movie history.

Stay tune for more as it comes.

(Sunday – 2:25AM) We knew it was going to huge. Even the competing studios admitted that Marvels‘ The Avengers was going to make a ton of cash. It turns out no one expected it to have the biggest opening weekend in history.

Already coming into the weekend with a boatload of cash from its international openings a week earlier, it was a foregone conclusion that the movie would make its money and then some.

According to Deadline.com, the movie is surpassing initial targets and looking at a record $68+M grosses for Saturday after making $80.5M Friday (including $18.7M midnights) from 4,349 U.S. and Canadian locations, (including 3,364 plays in 3D). It’s still on track to shatter the domestic weekend opening record with $185+M. (Warner Bros’ 3D Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 finale used to hold that record with $169M.)

Disney will report international numbers on Sunday but the worldwide total is already $575+M after playing almost everywhere around the globe for the past 10 days including Russia and now China.

It is great to see this play out this way as all the right decisions were made putting this movie together. Getting a huge comic-nerd in Joss Whedon to put it together was the first step, having a cast be very good at what they do and obviously truly loving it was a major plus and Marvel backed by Disney knowing just how to market it. Based on who the next villain is, it can only go up from here.

Check out:
- Z’s Review of The Avengers
- MovieJay take on the film.
- Louis does his thing with The Avengers
- A long-time comic fan also loved The Avengers