'The Avengers' Shatters Box Office Records for Opening Weekend

The Avengers broke the record for the highest-grossing movie debut in the United States, taking in $200.3 million over the weekend. The film, which features characters from four previous Marvel Comics movie hits and is written and directed by geek auteur Joss Whedon, opened a week earlier abroad and has already earned $641.8 million globally. The Avengers also set a record for opening day gross in the United States, taking in $80.5 million on Friday.

Demand for The Avengers was so high that all IMAX screenings of the film sold out on 275 digital-only IMAX screens throughout the United States, Deadline Hollywood reports. The movie grossed $31.2 million in IMAX alone, tying Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 as the top-earning IMAX opening of all time.