‘Avengers: Endgame’ shattered box-office records, but could fall short of overthrowing ‘Avatar’ as the biggest movie of all time

Marvel Studios

• It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but as "Endgame’s" box office slows, it will be difficult for the movie, which has made $2.6 billion worldwide, to reach "Avatar’s" $2.8 billion gross.
• And it’s practically impossible for "Endgame" to surpass "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" domestically. The latter made $936 million in the US.
• But "Endgame" is still a massive hit, and broke box-office records at an unprecedented pace, including making $1 billion worldwide in its opening weekend.
• "Endgame" is also the biggest Hollywood movie in China ever, and has made over $600 million there.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

"Avengers: Endgame" has shattered plenty of box-office records and has become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. But after a month in theaters, its pace is slowing down, and it’s looking like it could fall short of dethroning the biggest movies ever.

James Cameron’s "Avatar" still sits at the top of the worldwide box office with $2.79 billion, while "Endgame" is currently at $2.62 billion. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for "Endgame" to reach "Avatar’s" record number. But as the summer movie season heats up, it will become increasingly difficult. 

READ MORE: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ directors describe the 100-hour workweeks and tremendous pressure of making their $2 billion blockbuster

And it’s practically impossible for "Endgame" to overthrow the domestic champion, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which made a monumental $936 million in the US. "Endgame" is the second-biggest movie domestically at $780 million. It will absolutely make more before its theatrical run is over, but would need a miracle and then some to top "The Force Awakens."

If international box office doesn’t work in "Endgame’s" favor this summer, it will likely end its time in theaters as the number two movie both globally and domestically.

READ MORE: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ raises questions about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but gives plenty of clues

After adjusting for inflation, "Endgame" faces even greater challenges in the record books. It’s currently the 22nd highest-grossing movie domestically, and while it will climb the list before its run is over, it would need to gross an impossible $1.8 billion in the US alone to beat "Gone with the Wind."

READ MORE: Disney’s movie release shake-up shows how it will dominate Hollywood for years to come, from ‘Avatar’ to ‘Star Wars’

But even with that context, the massive box-office haul of "Endgame" isn’t a disappointment. It still reached its impressive numbers at an unprecedented pace.

"Endgame" was the fastest movie to reach $1 billion worldwide (it did so in its opening weekend), and the fastest to hit $2 billion. It broke the domestic opening-weekend record previously held by its predecessor, "Avengers: Endgame," with $356 million. 

It’s been a huge hit in China, too. Marvel has found an audience there in a way that Disney’s other flagship franchise, "Star Wars," has not. As Business Insider’s Jason Guerrasio pointed out earlier this month, the total box office of the "Star Wars" movies since "The Force Awakens" in 2015 was less in China than what "Endgame" made in a week.

"Endgame" is the country’s highest-grossing Hollywood movie of all time, and third biggest movie ever (two Chinese releases, "Wolf Warrior 2" and "The Wandering Earth," are ahead of it). It broke China’s record for the biggest opening weekend ever with $191 million, and has so far made over $600 million there.

• Read more of Business Insider’s "Avengers: Endgame" box-office coverage:
• The 21 movies that made more money than ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at the US box office — after inflation
• The only 5 movies to ever hit $2 billion at the box office, including ‘Avengers: Endgame’
• 6 box-office records that ‘Avengers: Endgame’ has already broken on its quest to become the biggest movie of all time
• ‘Avengers: Endgame’ will have to make billions more at the box office to beat the biggest movie of all time, which came out in 1939
• The 17 movies that made $1 billion at the box office the fastest, including ‘Avengers: Endgame’
• The 8 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies that made over $1 billion at the global box office
• Every Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, ranked by how much money they made at the box office opening weekend
• ‘Avengers: Endgame’ already broke the record for the biggest box-office opening in China of all time

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See Also:

• How ‘John Wick’ spawned a hit franchise from a low-budget action movie almost every studio passed on
• The 21 movies that made more money than ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at the US box office — after inflation
• ‘John Wick 3’ dethrones ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at domestic box office after historic run

SEE ALSO: How ‘John Wick’ spawned a hit franchise from a low-budget action movie almost every studio passed on

Source: Business Insider – tclark@businessinsider.com (Travis Clark)