Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame has broken most box-office records for a Hollywood film in the world, including India. In the key market of Tamil Nadu, the film is a pathbreaker with collections as high as that for a Tamil superstar film!
The film has surpassed expectations by collecting worldwide $1.2 billion in its opening weekend. The movie now holds the record for the biggest worldwide opening and fastest ever to enter the $1 billion club in just five days. In India, Avengers Endgame crossed ₹200 cr gross in four days (all versions — English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu) put together. At the end of four days, the total business of the film stands at an unprecedented gross of ₹225.83 cr with a net of ₹189.70 cr. In Tamil Nadu, the film has netted an ₹20.15 cr, in five days (April 26-30) which is phenomenal by any yardstick. It has become the highest collecting non-Tamil film ever in Tamil Nadu, reaching across all sections, from urban high end multiplexes to rural single screens.
Swaroop Reddy of SPI Cinemas said, “ Avengers: Endgame was released in 43 screens, and is expected to nett ₹3 crores across all SPI properties within 10 days of its release. These are phenomenal numbers for a Hollywood film in Tamil Nadu. The movie has lived up to expectations of the fans and carries great reviews, resulting in more number of shows even in second week of its release.”
The trade buzz is that if the film maintains the same momentum at the box-office, it might surpass the first week collections of Dangal, Tiger Zinda Hai, Sanju and probably Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. Bikram Duggal, Head – Studio Entertainment, Disney India, said, “The response by audiences across the country is a testimony to how emotionally invested the Marvel fans are in the Avengers franchise. They have eagerly awaited to watch the culmination of the journey of 11 years.”
Rakesh Gowthaman of Vettri Theatre in Chrompet, where the film played in RGB laser, said that he had never seen such kind of craze for a Hollywood film. “Not only did it have the best opening not only among the entire MCU franchise, but it also recorded the highest box-office numbers by any Hollywood film in the history of the theatre.” He will be adding more shows in the coming week.
It is the same story all over Tamil Nadu as theatres across the state are giving Avengers: Endgame preference over Tamil straight releases. It became the first Hollywood film to open with early morning shows as early as 4 am, something usually reserved for Tamil superstars! That’s probably because theatre owners stand to make more money as their terms and percentage share than playing a straight Tamil film. Even the base ticket rate (without taxes) for Avengers: Endgame in multiplexes is ₹150, while for a normal Tamil film, it is only ₹115 (without taxes). Plus, for every ticket sold, there is a 3D glass amount (₹20-30), which goes straight into the pocket of the theatre owner. (Last year, Hollywood studios in India had a standoff with Indian multiplexes over sharing 3D glasses revenue, but the matter is still unresolved) .
Multiplexes and single screens have reported record canteen (F&B) sales, and malls with multiplexes have made a killing from parking. With a run time of 181 minutes plus the interval break, Avengers: Endgame plays for nearly 3 hours 30 minutes, and this has resulted in a lot of profit for theatres across the state.Ramasamy Raja, MD of Ram Muthuram theatres in Tirunelveli, is a happy man thanks to Avengers: Endgame. “I have never experienced such kind of pressure for tickets for a Hollywood film. Audiences demanded an English version for the FDFS when we usually play the Tamil version.”
In a way, Avengers: Endgame has eaten into the collection of the Tamil superhit Raghava Lawrence’s Kanchana 3 . The film released one week before the MCU extravaganza and was declared a hit but could not capitalise on its second weekend as bigger screens and more shows went to Avengers . This week has four Tamil releases ( Devarattam , K-13 , 100 and Thanimai ) but all eyes are still on Avengers: Endgame. New Tamil releases are likely to not get priority till mid May. Hopefully, the market will pick up once Mr Local and Ayogya release.
