Box Office: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ steals $17.5 million in previews

Marvel and Disney Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 began its domestic box office run with a franchise of $17.5 million in previews, unadjusted for inflation.

Thursday broadcasts began at 3 p.m. local time. The preview issue also includes select Wednesday Imax shows.

Overseas, the film earned $35 million in its first two days in 47 markets. It continues to unfold across the world today. Disney sources say they are encouraged by the early feedback.

Guardians 3 continues a long tradition of Marvel movies kicking off the summer season at the box office. Series director James Gunn is bidding farewell to his work for Marvel after agreeing to lead rival DC studios alongside Peter Safran.

Preview count is on par with recent Marvel photo Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniawhich went on to post a three-day domestic opening of $106 million.

In 2017, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 earned $17 million in previews en route to a $146 million domestic debut. The first one Guardians landed $11 million in previews en route to a $94.2 million debut, unadjusted for inflation.

Heading into the weekend, the most recent tracking showed Guardians 3 opening in the range of $120 million domestically. Initial tracking showed it launching at $130 million, so the drop was no doubt about Marvel and Disney.

It’s unusual for a Marvel Cinematic Universe title to open behind the previous installment of a respective series, but not unprecedented. Suites that did not open this high include the suite Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwhich was released while the COVID-19 pandemic was still raging, and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Insiders at Marvel and parent company Disney are keen to Guardians 3 and believe it will benefit from good word of mouth. Right now, however, the film currently has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes critics score of Gunn’s three films. It is also the longest of the series at two and a half hours.

Box office analysts say they wouldn’t be surprised if Guardians 3 is higher at the national level, and this monitoring has been complicated by the massive success of The movie Super Mario Bros. whose voice is led by Guardians star Chris Pratt, who had to find time to promote both films.

Marvel could use a shot after the disappointing performance of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniawhich opened before the previous two The ant Man installments but capped at a deductible of $476.4 million worldwide.

In terms of Guardians franchise, the 2014 film earned $333.7 million domestically and $439.6 million on a worldwide loot of $773.3 million, according to Comscore, unadjusted. Guardians Vol. 2 raised $863.8 million worldwide, including $389.8 million domestically and $473.09 million overseas.

Guardians 3 reunites Gunn with Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel. Newcomers include Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary villain and Will Poulter, who plays classic Marvel character Adam Warlock.

Elsewhere, Screen Gems and Sony’s romantic comedy love one more time started its national run with $240,000 in previews.

Written and directed by Jim Strouse, the film stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan and Celine Dion (who provided several new songs for the female pic).