“Avengers: Age of Ultron” will cross the $1 billion mark on Friday, its 24th day of global release, giving Marvel Studios its third billion-dollar film, alongside “The Avengers” and “Iron Man 3, and Disney its eighth.
The original “Avengers” reached the milestone in 19 days in 2012, and “Fast and Furious 7” set the record earlier this year by accomplishing the feat in 17 days. “Iron Man” crossed the mark in 24 days of release.
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” will pass “Furious 7” as the highest grossing film of 2015 domestically on Friday, but it is remains behind the Universal blockbuster in overseas and global grosses. “Age of Ultron” began opening internationally on April 22 and had grossed $990 million through Thursday, opening at No. 1 in every market.
The countries that have brought the biggest returns for “Age of Ultron” are South Korea ($76 million), China ($69 million), the UK ($63 million), Mexico ($41 million), Brazil ($39 million) and Russia ($32 million). Its $34 million first day in China on Wednesday marked Disney/Marvel’s biggest opening day there ever and the highest non-weekend opening day. It opens in Japan on July 4.
“Age of Ultron” debuted on May 1 in the U.S. and Canada with $191.3 million, the second-biggest opening weekend of all time, behind only the $207.4 million of “The Avengers.” The film had grossed $333 million domestically through Thursday and is one of only three films to surpass the $300 million mark within 10 days.
Joss Whedon returned as writer and director for “Age of Ultron,” as did the ensemble cast topped by Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (the Hulk), Chris Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye).
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen joined the cast as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Don Cheadle, James Spader and Samuel Jackson co-star in “Age of Ultron,” in which Earth’s mightiest heroes take on the eponymous Tony Stark artificial intelligence program gone rogue.
Kevin Feige, Marvel’s president and the architect of its sprawling “cinematic universe,” is the producer of the $250 million “Age of Ultron.” The legendary Stan Lee, Jon Favreau, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Louis D’Esposito and Jeremy Latcham are executive producers.