Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” opened with $114 million in the domestic box office, making it the second biggest opening weekend of the year. Although the film missed the expected $120 million, it did well in international markets, adding $168 million from 52 markets, bringing its global tally to $282 million.
The film also did better than expected in China, collecting $28 million. Premium large formats, including Imax and Dolby, accounted for 40% of the film’s opening weekend ticket sales. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” needs to sustain its momentum as the summer movie season kicks into high gear with “Fast X” and “The Little Mermaid.” Disney’s superhero sequel has positive word of mouth and is hoping it prolongs its life in theaters.
In the domestic box office, the film ended the four-week reign of Universal’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which slid to second place with $18.6 million. Sony’s romantic comedy “Love Again” flopped with $2.4 million, earning a “B” CinemaScore and 13% on Rotten Tomatoes. Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Evil Dead Rise” took third place with $5.7 million, while Lionsgate’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel added $3.38 million in its second weekend of release.
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