The Avengers has easily secured the number one spot at the US box office during its opening weekend.
The Marvel superhero blockbuster, which features an all-star cast including Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans, dominated with a whopping $200.3 million.
The film is now the fastest to reach the $200 million mark domestically in three days, and studio estimates predict that it will become the highest-grossing debut of all time. Earnings of $80m on Friday gave it the second-highest single day take of all time, with yesterday’s $69m earning The Avengers the highest Saturday gross ever.
It is now said to have earned a worldwide box office total of $600m after only 12 days on release.
Falling into second place was Think Like a Man, which brought in another $8 million.
The Hunger Games and The Lucky One held onto their places in the third and fourth spots, bringing in $5.7m and $5.5m, respectively.
Aardman Animation’s comedy The Pirates! Band of Misfits fell three places this week, coming in fifth with $5.4 m, just ahead of the Emily Blunt and Jason Segel romcom The Five-Year Engagement, which slipped one spot into number six with $5.1m.
Holding onto the seventh spot, The Raven brought in an additional $2.5m, followed by Safe and Chimpanzee, both of which fell several spots, bringing in $2.5m and $2.4m each.
Finally, rounding off the top ten was The Three Stooges, which moved down a slot this week, bringing in $1.8m.
The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) The Avengers – $200,300,000
2. (1) Think Like a Man – $8,000,000
3. (3) The Hunger Games – $5,700,000
4. (4) The Lucky One – $5,510,000
5. (2) The Pirates! Band of Misfits – $5,400,000
6. (5) The Five Year Engagement – $5,100,00
7. (7) The Raven – $2,508,000
8. (6) Safe – $2,470,000
9. (8) Chimpanzee – $2,395,000
10. (9) The Three Stooges – $1,800,000
The Borgias has been given a third season, it has been confirmed.