Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania from Marvel Studios.
Disney
Disney’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania raised $17.5 million in Thursday night previews en route to a $100 million opening weekend.
The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe flick is the first entrant in the franchise’s fifth phase, the middle phase of the Multiverse saga.
Thursday’s numbers for Quantumania tie in with 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which grossed $147 million when it premiered. Previously, 2015’s “Ant-Man” grossed $6 million on Thursday before grossing $57 million over the three-day stretch. 2018’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp” grossed $12 million on its debut on Thursday and $76 million on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Thursday previews are included in opening weekend totals.
“‘Quantumania’ is on track to be the best February box office launch in five years,” said Shawn Robbins, principal analyst at BoxOffice.com.
The hype surrounding the theatrical debut of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) is likely to help drive box office attendances this weekend. Kang is the MCU’s next big villain, as teased during his debut in the Disney+ series Loki last year.
In addition, Robbins noted that tentpole films like Quantumania gravitate to pricier, premium theatrical experiences for moviegoers, which will likely lead to an increase in ticket sales.
The film’s lack of critical reviews probably won’t deter moviegoers. The film had a 47% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from verified critics as of Friday afternoon, but an 84% rating from audiences. Quantumania is one of only two MCU films to receive a “rotten” rating on the review aggregator.
Disney also announced on Friday that it is delaying the release of The Marvels, a film about Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau, to November 10. The film was previously scheduled to open on July 28.
It’s unclear why the studio is pushing the release, but it could be an attempt to stagger content from the Marvel Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scheduled for release on May 5th. Additionally, the company has a handful of TV series that will air on Disney+ over the next 12 to 18 months.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal owns Rotten Tomatoes.