Avengers: Endgame shatters Africa box office records to become biggest film opening in South Africa as well as East and West Africa ever.

Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame film has not just shattered American and global cinema records but also box office records in South Africa, East Africa and West Africa, where it raked in respectively, a massive R34 million, kes 33 million, and N214.4 million to become the biggest industry opening weekend opening in SA and the other two African territories.

Filmgoers in South Africa and elsewhere across Africa assembled to watch the 22nd and final film in Disney and Marvel's so-called "Infinity Saga" with over 377 000 attendances for its opening weekend in South Africa, including Thursday night previews.

This debut ranks as the biggest industry opening weekend ever in South African Box Office history, beating out previous record holder, and its predecessor, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War.

Avengers: Endgame raked in just over $1.209 billion over the weekend in its box office debut to instantly land at the 18th place of Wikipedia’s list of the highest-grossing films ever - reaching the milestone after just three days with weeks left to earn more.

It has become the first film ever to surpass making $1 billion worldwide in its cinema debut, earning $859 million internationally.

Besides South Africa as a country and the West and East African territories, Avengers: Endgame so far led to the highest opening weekend in film industry history in 44 other markets outside of the United States, including China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, Brazil, Mexico and Spain.

On big-screen IMAX, Avengers: Endgame also broke global records becoming the super-format’s new all-time worldwide opening record contributing $91.5 million so far in tallied box office sales, bigger than the debut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In 3D, Avengers: Endgame has also become the biggest global cinema debut ever.

Friday 26 April saw Avengers: Endgame take in over R9.2 million with over 100 000 attendances in South Africa - making it the biggest industry opening day ever at the local South African box office, toppling the prior holder of the title, again Avengers: Infinity War, which opened on 27 April last year. 

Furthermore, the film’s Saturday takings totalled more than R11.8 million, making it the biggest single day at the local box office and the first to pass the R11 million mark in one day in South Africa.

In addition to the biggest opening weekend of all time in South Africa, Avengers: Endgame passed a number of other milestones, including the biggest ever opening weekend of any superhero, Marvel Studios and Disney film, and it has become the fastest film to hit the R30 million mark in South Africa.

"These records showcase the extraordinary support the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues to garner from fans across the continent, following last year’s historic runs of both Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther, with the latter becoming the number one film of all time in South, East and West Africa," says Disney Africa.

In a statement, Alan Horn, chairperson of The Walt Disney Studios, says "Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios team have continued to challenge notions of what is possible at the movie theatre both in terms of storytelling and at the box office."

"Though Avengers: Endgame is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world.”

Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, says “From the very beginning with Iron Man, all we’ve wanted to do was tell stories that brought these characters to life on-screen the way we’ve experienced them as fans of the comics”.

“That we’ve had so many other successes in this journey leading to this unbelievable result with Avengers: Endgame has been almost entirely due to the fans around the world who have supported us through it all."

"Our directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, and our writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, really brought this story home, and I am also incredibly thankful for our cast and filmmakers from across the MCU and all who’ve worked so hard to make these films the best they can be, including the amazing teams at Marvel Studios and Disney. And of course, without Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, none of this would have been possible”.

The directors Anthony and Joe Russo say “We poured our heart and soul into Avengers: Endgame, hoping to tell a story that would inspire audiences around the world. Our family of cast and crew felt honoured to be entrusted with bringing the Infinity Saga to a close. To Kevin Feige, everyone at Disney and Marvel, and the incredible, global community of fans – thank you.”

Disney and Marvel's Avengers: Endgame shatters global box office records with a $1.2 billion weekend debut.

Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame film has shattered American and global cinema records, raking in just over $1.2 billion over the weekend in its box office debut and instantly landing at the 18th place of Wikipedia’s list of the highest-grossing films ever and reaching the milestone after just three days with weeks left to earn more.

The previous record-holder for an international film debut was Avengers: Infinity War with $640 million.

While South Africa box office statistics aren’t available yet and cinema revenue from countries in East and West Africa will take a few days to funnel through, Disney and Marvel’s 22nd film bringing the so-called “Infinity Saga” to a close has become the first film ever to surpass making $1 billion worldwide in its cinema debut, earning $859 million internationally.

While South African box office data isn’t available yet, Avengers: Endgame so far led to the highest opening weekend in film industry history in 44 markets outside of the United States, including China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Korea, Brazil, Mexico and Spain.

On big-screen IMAX, Avengers: Endgame also broke global records becoming the super-format’s new all-time worldwide opening record contributing $91.5 million so far in tallied box office sales, bigger than the debut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In 3D, Avengers: Endgame has also become the biggest global cinema debut ever.

“Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios team have continued to challenge notions of what is possible at the movie theatre both in terms of storytelling and at the box office,” says Alan Horn, chairperson of The Walt Disney Studios, in a statement.

“Though Avengers: Endgame is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world.”

Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios president, says “From the very beginning with Iron Man, all we’ve wanted to do was tell stories that brought these characters to life on-screen the way we’ve experienced them as fans of the comics”.

“That we’ve had so many other successes in this journey leading to this unbelievable result with Avengers: Endgame has been almost entirely due to the fans around the world who have supported us through it all."

"Our directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, and our writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, really brought this story home, and I am also incredibly thankful for our cast and filmmakers from across the MCU and all who’ve worked so hard to make these films the best they can be, including the amazing teams at Marvel Studios and Disney. And of course, without Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, none of this would have been possible”.

The directors Anthony and Joe Russo say “We poured our heart and soul into Avengers: Endgame, hoping to tell a story that would inspire audiences around the world. Our family of cast and crew felt honoured to be entrusted with bringing the Infinity Saga to a close. To Kevin Feige, everyone at Disney and Marvel, and the incredible, global community of fans – thank you.”

New Disney deal with e.tv shuts out the SABC as the Mouse House signs exclusive free-to-air contract with e.tv to broadcast international shows.

The first casualty since SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng's decision to dump international content from the public broadcaster's airwaves is Disney that has now signed a contract with e.tv that will become the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster of Disney produced and distributed shows.

While South African pay-TV subscribers will continue to get access to Disney shows on pay-TV channels like M-Net, MultiChoice's Disney channels on DStv, as well as across some StarSat channels, the Mouse House is expanding its presence for free-to-air viewers on e.tv from June.

Insiders and international distributors who license foreign content for broadcast have warned that the SABC's decision to do away with almost all international - mostly American TV fare - risks alienating global distributors and what's left of existing relationships that will be difficult for the public broadcaster to get back.

The SABC under Hlaudi Motsoeneng's local content diktat is "revamping" its radio station and TV channels, with its existing TV channels that will  move to 90% local content, beginning with SABC3 that must have 80% local content starting from July.

International content distributors don't always license content packages and sign deals with necessarily the highest paying buyer but are also heavily influenced by existing relationships and trust, as well as over how material is used and eventually scheduled to create a mutually beneficial distributor and play-out partnership.

The e.tv Disney deal will further weaken what the SABC used to offer viewers.

e.tv says it has now entered into an "exclusive collaboration" with Disney for a free-to-air broadcast deal on South African television. e.tv pointedly says "the relationship" allows e.tv "to broadcast top international and award-winning international and award-winning shows produced by Disney and its subsidiaries from June 2016".

e.tv viewers will benefit from this strengthened Disney-e.tv relationship from this month when e.tv kicks off with a "Month of Marvel", showing films like Thor (5 June 20:00), Captain America: The First Avenger (12 June 20:00), The Avengers (19 June 20:00) and Thor: The Dark World (26 June 20:00) over the next four Sundays as primetime movies.

e.tv will also start to roll out American drama series like Devious Maids produced by ABC Studios, starting Monday 13 June at 20:03.

"We are very thrilled about this relationship with Disney," says Marlon Davids, acting managing director for e.tv channels division.

"Disney produces some of the best content in the world and we want to bring our viewers the best of both local and international content. Viewers can expect more incredible international movies and shows on their screens later this year".