The final chapter in a decade-long superhero saga and the remake of a big-screen classic could topple box-office records during a summer movie season expected to be dominated by Walt Disney Co.
“Avengers: Endgame” from Disney’s Marvel Studios kicks off Hollywood’s parade of potential blockbusters on Wednesday, and it is expected to start with a bang.
Industry experts say “Endgame” will likely deliver the biggest opening weekend ever in the U.S and Canada.
Then in July, a new version of Disney hit “The Lion King” has a shot at dethroning “Avatar” as the highest-grossing film in Hollywood history, according to box office analysts.
Those movies and others are giving theater owners hope for a turnaround after a sluggish start to 2019.
Ticket sales so far are running 16 per cent below last year’s bonanza, data from measurement company Comscore showed.
Studios used to reserve their big-budget films for summer, making it Hollywood’s most lucrative season, but now spread them throughout the year.
“I counted over 30 huge movies coming out this year,” said Adam Aron, chief executive of AMC Entertainment, the world’s largest theater operator.
Aron said he now considers summer film season to be “March 1 to Dec. 31.”
Possible heavy hitters include “Detective Pikachu” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” from AT&T Inc’s Warner Bros, “The Secret Life of Pets 2” from Comcast Corp’s Universal Pictures, and Sony Corp’s “Spider-Man: Far from Home.”
But Disney’s lineup is seen as the most formidable.
The company’s other 2019 releases include “Toy Story 4,” a remake of “Aladdin,” “Frozen 2” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”.
“Disney has probably the strongest film slate in the history of the industry this year,” Cowen & Co analyst Doug Creutz said.
Reuters/NAN
