‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’ Lands at #1 with $282M Global Opening

It’s no surprise “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” landed at the top spot on the charts in its opening weekend, but it also slightly beat industry projections with a $282 million global box office.

---

Domestic

In the U.S., the film scored $114 million in its opening weekend in 4,450 theaters, which is very respectable for a non-holiday weekend, and gives the film the second highest U.S. debut after “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

By comparison, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1” opened at $94 million in 2014, and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” opened at $146 million in 2018.

I know we’re at the end because just these little commercial things are making me weepy. Thanks for everyone who has gone to see the movie this weekend – and all of you going to see it today and tomorrow! #GotGVol3 pic.twitter.com/J2LAEyHL4e

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 6, 2023

---

International

The international box office for the film was $168.1M in 52 global markets.

According to industry site Box Office Mojo, “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” was #1 at the box office in most major international markets, except Japan, where “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” held on to the top spot (understandable given Japan is Nintendo’s birthplace).

Premium formats, including Imax, 3D, and Dolby, also accounted for 40% of the film’s opening weekend ticket sales worldwide. Imax alone delivered $10.7 million in North America and $25 million globally.

---

Upcoming Competition

“Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3” does have a couple of box office contenders to deal with in the next few weeks. Universal’s “Fast X” debuts May 19, and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” debuts May 26, which is Memorial Weekend in the U.S.

However, with a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 81% and audience score of 95%, it should be able to hold the top spot for a second week, albeit with a drop in numbers, as is usual for second weeks.

---

Hanging In

Surprisingly, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which debuted earlier this year in February to $106 million domestically, jumped this week from #35 to #11 with $808,000 in its 12th week in theaters.

The film is already available on digital for purchase, and will debut on Disney+ in the U.S. on May 17, with a home release on Blu-ray and DVD May 16.