USA/FILE: Marvel's new superhero flick, "Guardians of the Galaxy," captures the highest Thursday night opening for 2014

Record ID: 230598

  • Title: USA/FILE: Marvel's new superhero flick, "Guardians of the Galaxy," captures the highest Thursday night opening for 2014
  • Date: 1st August 2014
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS, ZOE SALDANA, SAYING: "Well, they're not heroes to begin with, they're thieves and assassins and escapees, you know, from jail, and bounty hunters. And what brings them together is that huge sense of loss, of always losing something or being considered a loser."
  • Embargoed: 16th August 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Business,Arts
  • Reuters ID: LVA8O9I7QNI9CG5PT97LCQM57Q4Q
  • Story Text: "Guardians of the Galaxy" stormed into the box office with a $11.2 million opening night, Walt Disney Co said on Friday (August 1), and could outperform expectations if it keeps drawing viewers with a new leading man, strong reviews and social media buzz.
    "Guardians," the newest franchise from the Disney-owned Marvel universe, follows a rogue band of misfits on an intergalactic space adventure.
    As the Guardians try to save the galaxy from a planet-destroying orb coveted by evil warlords, they may also "save the summer" for a slumping movie industry if the film exceeds expectations.
    Hollywood's summer box office has been in a funk, producing fewer blockbusters than usual and putting ticket sales 20 percent behind last year at $2.93 billion.
    Early projections for the "Guardians" opening weekend at the U.S. and Canadian box office were estimated to reach between $65 million to $80 million. The movie could beat those forecasts especially if Saturday's attendance holds strong.
    The success of "Guardians" could encourage studios to reconsider August as a key movie release month. In past years, the prime summer release slot has been earlier.
    Thursday night earnings for "Guardians" at the U.S. box office overtook the April opening of Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," which made $10.2 million on its first night and went on to make $96.2 million in the United States and Canada over its first weekend.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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