After having held the record for 10 years, Avatar has been dethroned by Avengers: Endgame that takes over the box office record with its $2.79 billion run.
Disney flexes its muscles
Avengers: Endgame crossed the $1 billion mark in 5 days and the $2 billion mark in 11 days. At the box office, it has now raked in over $2.79 billion, surpassing Avatar's $2.7897 billion.
To push it to the top, Disney had to re-release a modified version of Avengers: Endgame in theatres to draw in fans once again. The figures are not adjusted for inflation either and if they were Avatar would still be ahead. Still, Avengers: Endgame is now officially considered the biggest movie of all time at the box office.
- "A huge congratulations to the Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios teams, and thank you to the fans around the world who lifted Avengers: Endgame to these historic heights," said Alan Horn, Co-Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.
After having acquired 20th Century Fox, including the Avatar franchise, Disney now holds 7 of the top 10 spots for worldwide box office. The company is planning to release four more Avatar movies, starting with Avatar 2 in December 2021.
- "Of course, even with the passage of a decade, the impact of James Cameron’s Avatar remains as powerful as ever, and the astonishing achievements of both of these films are ongoing proof of the power of movies to move people and bring them together in a shared experience. The talented filmmakers behind these worlds have much more in store, and we look forward to the future of both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Pandora," said Alan Horn.
Disney is dominating
Disney is dominating the box office. So far in 2019, Disney's market share is 34.9% ($2.169 billion gross), while 20th Century Fox's is 3.9%, according to Box Office Mojo. Warner Bros is second and Universal third with 14.4% and 13.5%, respectively.
Last year, Disney held a 26% market share and in 2017 it held a 21.8% share.
Can Disney continue to dominate? Most likely yes. The studio has an incredibly strong pipeline of new releases lined up for 2019 and beyond. It is also planning to launch its Disney+ streaming service later this year.
- Source: Disney, Box Office Mojo
