Disney production Avengers: Infinity War is on a record-breaking spree at the box office. The nineteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has reportedly earned Rs 94.3 crores at the Indian box office in the opening weekend, with a gross total of Rs 120.9 crores.
Avengers: Infinity War is now the most commercially successful film in the first weekend in 2018, leaving behind the domestic productions Padmaavat and Baaghi 2. The movie, which was released over a long banking holiday weekend, has also become the highest Hollywood first weekend earner in India.
The film was released in 2,000 theatres in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D formats, with half the screens allotted for the dubbed Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions.
Up to one million tickets were sold on the BookMyShow ahead of the film’s release on April 28, making it second to Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017) in all-time advance ticket sales on the ticket-selling website.
Avengers: Infinity War has also broken the record for the biggest opening weekend earner of all time at the American and international box office despite not being released in China. It made $250 million at the US box office and another $380 million worldwide, until Sunday. Another Disney release, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), earned $247.9 million in the United States in its opening weekend.
Avengers: Infinity War was one of 2018’s most anticipated releases. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the fantasy action movie brings together nearly all of the superheroes associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther and Doctor Strange. The film’s untitled sequel, also directed by the Russos, will be released in 2019. Some of the older superheroes will be retired, it is rumoured, and a fresh pack will be introduced.
Before the film’s release, the internet was rife with pleas from Marvel Cinematic Universe fans for those who have seen the films earlier than others to not reveal spoilers.
A range of spoilers, mostly false, began to circulate all over social media before the film’s release anyway, which included deaths of some of the franchise’s most beloved characters. Following the movie’s release, Twitter users began to post unrelated images as spoilers without providing a context. Those who have watched the movie will be able to connect the dots and figure out the message behind the memes.
Indian Twitterati joined the fun and released homegrown versions.
The movie has inspired a barrage of memes and jokes focusing on key plot elements, such as an ending in which some of the most popular characters meet their demise if only temporarily, since they will resurface in sequels that will be churned out over the next few years.
And here are some more, just for the ride.
Negative reviews of Avengers: Infinity War were not spared.
Meanwhile, a viral tweet comparing Avengers: Infinity War to a Paul Thomas Anderson movie was received with much ridicule.
Among some of the more bizarre memes is a surreal animated video that claims to be a “Hyderabadi” take on the Marvel mania.
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