Avengers: Endgame Ushers in New Era of Storytelling: Shared Viewing Experience and Global Box Office Records

Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame raked in $1.2 Billion in its opening weekend, the biggest opening of any film ever.

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“Avengers: Endgame” brought in $1.2 billion its opening weekend at the worldwide box office, breaking prior Marvel Studio records set by “Avengers: Infinity War” at $640 million last year. “Avengers: Endgame” has become the only film in history to debut at the $1 billion mark, achieving this milestone in just five days as the film rolled out last week on Wednesday.

Domestically too, the film shattered records, besting the prior $258 million mark reached by “Avengers: Infinity War” with an estimated $350 million this past weekend, even surpassing analyst estimates. The film opened astronomically with $60 million on its first night domestically, besting “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at $57 million in 2015.

Fans arrive for a costume contest before the first screening of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Photo by Frederic J. Brown, Agence France-Press/Getty Images

The film’s global earnings also exceeded by large measure, the prior record held by "The Fate of the Furious” in 2017. Of the $859 million earned globally, the last film in the Avengers series was very popular in China where the film made $330.5 million, becoming the most popular debut in China’s history.

A New Era in Storytelling: Worldwide Platform and Shared Viewing Experience

“Avengers: Endgame” has become a worldwide cinematic event where movie theaters are rushing to add showtimes to keep up with audience demand as seats quickly sell out, with some theaters showing the film round the clock 24 hours a day. With a run time of more than three hours, “Endgame,” is showing nationwide at all hours to meet demand. Moviegoers are eager for the full cinematic experience, which includes premium 3-D IMAX tickets and AMX food and beverage, leading to the highest sales in history. “Endgame,” is playing in more than 4,600 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, which is the widest release of any film, according to box-office data firm Comscore.

“We’re watching a monumental moment in the history of cinema unfold - one that the entire world is experiencing together.”

— Shawn Robbins, Chief analyst at Boxoffice.com

Today moviegoers worldwide can enjoy almost simultaneous film releases, creating a global storytelling phenomenon. “Avengers: Endgame” is the last film in a series of popular films that are intricately woven with individual films throughout the Marvel universe, amounting to a total of 22 interconnected films.

“The pent-up factor, off the ending of ‘Infinity War’ and on the heels of ‘Captain Marvel,’ drove people to show up.”

— Cathleen Taff, Disney’s head of distribution

Over the last 11 years, Marvel has reigned at the box office, beginning with “Iron Man” in 2008. With so many interconnected story lines and characters appearing across films, Marvel has become a household name, along with its line up of eclectic superheroes ranging from Thor to Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel. Marvel’s remarkable continued success has also triggered competing studios to look for their own franchise wonders. Marvel’s slew of comic book heroes has also revitalized the exhibition industry and made American comic books a worldwide global export.

Image via WSJ and data from Boxoffice Mojo

“Though ‘Endgame’ is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned.”

— Alan Horn, Walt Disney Studios' chairman

Creating films based on its founder Stan Lee’s comics, Marvel Studios has made almost $20 billion at the worldwide box office over the last 10 years. Few movies are so popular with moviegoers and also with critics. “Endgame” has a 96% score on review site, Rotten Tomatoes and an A+ CinemaScore.

Marvel’s excellent marketing of the most recent Avengers movie builds upon its prior successes. The launch of Disney’s new online video streaming platform, Disney+ could not be more fortuitous or well planned. Moviegoers can enjoy watching blockbuster hits from Marvel, along with its other popular franchises such as Star Wars, Pixars and its own range of Disney popular favorites and classics on both the small screen now, as well as large IMAX screens.

“This will extend to the small screen as well with Disney + on the horizon. We will likely see a lot of synergy between the big and small screen.”

— Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore

Disney+ Launches at $7/Mo: Our First Look

Taking the wraps off Disney+, Disney offers consumers a compelling, impressive lineup with popular favorites.

Image of Disney+ on tablet courtesy of Disney

Essentials about Disney+

launches Nov 12
$6.99/month
includes franchises Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Disney classic films
includes newer Disney films such as “Frozen”
includes favorites from Fox such as The Simpsons
includes National Geographic and Disney family-friendly TV programming
500 movies at launch, 7,500 episodes of television shows
25 original series
free of advertising

On April 11th, Disney CEO Bob Iger shared specifics about the entertainment company’s new online video streaming service, first announced back in November of last year, during an investor call. At the end of its two-hour and forty-five minute investor call to share details about Disney+. Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+ is priced at $6.99/month, which is roughly half of what consumers pay today for Netflix’s standard streaming package and also $2 less than Amazon Prime Video. Disney+ will launch on Nov 12. During the investor call, Disney CEO Bob Iger also briefly discussed bundling Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN but did not offer more details about timing or pricing.

“This is our first serious foray in this space and we want to reach as many people as possible.”

— Bob Iger, CEO at Disney

Disney+ Design and Features

Launching November 12 of this year, Disney+ or Disney Plus will be viewable on web browsers, smartphones, smart TVs, set-top multimedia boxes and tablets. The service works in a similar fashion to Netflix or Hulu. Disney+ highlights new content and special releases at the top of the home screen. You can explore Disney’s quality lineup ranging from Marvel and Star Wars to Pixar, National Geographic, Disney classics and new Disney movies in the works. The app recommends titles similar to Netflix or Amazon based on personal taste and has parental control features. Disney Plus will stream both HDR and 4K video.

While the app’s appearance is consistent across devices, there are some minor differences depending upon the platform. For example, audiences watching on smart TVs also can view animations. Disney allows for offline viewing and downloading content on to mobile devices for Disney+ subscribers.

Disney+ Content

Disney expects to showcase 500 movies that include 100 newer releases and 400 library titles of its iconic movies as well as 7,500 television shows. Disney+ expects to grow to 50 original series, 10,000 past TV episodes and 120 recent films within the next five years. As expected, the full library of content on Disney+ will be less than 20 percent of the content currently available on Netflix, according to a study by research firm Ampere Analysis. While Disney+’s streaming library is significantly smaller than Netflix’s collection, Disney+ boasts well known consumer favorite franchises and quality content. Disney+ reaps the benefits of Disney’s acquisitions of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and 21st Century Fox. Popular Disney classics such as “Snow White,” “101 Dalmatians” and “The Little Mermaid” as well as newer favorites such as “Captain Marvel,” “The Avengers: Endgame,” “Frozen 2”, “Toy Story 4” and “Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker” will be exclusive to Disney+. “Captain Marvel” is the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will not be available on Netflix.

Disney CEO Bob Iger shared that almost every single movie in the Disney catalog will eventually be available on the service, pulled out from its vault. While Netflix will continue to show existing Disney movies on its platform till the launch of Disney+, the streaming giant did announce that it was canceling the Daredevil TV series.

Disney+ will host the complete 30 seasons of “The Simpsons,” including all 662 episodes, as well as numerous family-friendly Fox programs. Disney acquired Fox back in 2017. Additional 20th Century Fox titles that will be on Disney+ include “The Sound of Music” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” Less family-friendly content from Fox is expected to go to Hulu, a company in which Disney owns a 60 percent stake. Disney+ will contain the entire Star Wars franchise as well as 18 Pixar movies at launch and Pixar’s animated shorts. Disney is also developing new series such as Monsters Inc. with Pixar and Star Wars television shows.

While Disney did not announce new Star Wars or Marvel projects during its Disney+ investor presentation, the company shared a quick preview of John Favreau’s highly anticipated Star Wars TV series, “The Mandolarian.” Favreau’s take on the popular Star Wars franchise is set seven years after the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. The story follows “a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.” Additional Star Wars spinoffs include a live-action series with Diego Luna as Cassian Andor and a seventh season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars series.

Kevin Feige at Marvel Studios also shared that Tom Hiddleston will reappear as Loki in the new “Loki” series. Feige confirmed that Disney+ will be integrated with future feature films at Marvel and will add documentaries behind the scenes such as “Marvel 616” and “Marvel Heroes Project” TV shows.

Disney+ is also developing two new shows “Magic of the Animal Kingdom” and “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” for National Geographic, in addition to over 250 hours of existing National Geographic content. Additional Disney channel programming such as live-action kid movies, “Hannah Montana,” and “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” will also be available on Disney+.

Additional series that are rumored to be in development for Disney+ include:

an untitled Muppet series
3 Men and a Baby
Don Quixote
Father of the Bride
Flora & Ulysses
Lady and the Tramp
Magic Camp
Noelle
The Paper Magician
The Parent Trap
The Sandlot
Stargirl
The Sword in the Stone
Timmy Failure
Togo
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

Ten Unscripted Series in the Works

In April, a report surfaced that Disney+ would also include ten unscripted series of the following projects listed below.

Marvel’s 616: a documentary about Marvel’s stories, characters and creators

Earthkeepers: a documentary about the people such as conservationists who are changing how we see animals.

Be Our Chef: a Disney-inspired cooking competition hosted by Angela Kinsey of The Office.

Cinema Relics: an anthology of film props, art and costumes.

Encore: a recreation of original performances from former members of a high school musical with The Good Place actress Kristen Bell as producer.

Marvel’s Hero Project: a documentary about inspiring kids who have demonstrated selfless acts of bravery and kindness.

(Re)Connect: a story about a family that breaks apart and the issues that drive families apart and how to resolve them.

Rogue Trip: a travelogue of places that most tourists would not dare to venture by Bob Woodruff and his 27-year old doppelgänger son, Mack.

Shop Class: a competitive series about inventive students tasked who design, build and test new contraptions.

Untitled Walt Disney Imagineering documentary series: a documentary about the people, craft and business behind Disney’s theme park magic.

Non-Disney content: content from National Geographic and 21st Century Fox’s magazine and affiliate TV businesses.

Audiences can also choose to fork out $69.99 for a full year subscription, saving $13.89. Whether consumers sign for the monthly or annual subscription, they can enjoy access to the full library that includes originals such as “Dumbo” and “Bambi” to Pixar’s “Finding Dory,” the full Star Wars collection and the 21 films currently on video from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s recent billion-dollar blockbuster, “Captain Marvel,” along with Marvel’s upcoming release “Avengers: Endgame” will stream exclusively on the new platform. “Frozen II,” the sequel to the 2013 musical fantasy that garnered $400.7 million nationwide, will launch in theaters November 22. After the movie completes its multiplex run, it will be available for streaming on Disney+ right after its theatrical window expires.

Disney+ Devices

Disney+ will be available on smart TVs, web browsers, smartphones, tablets, TV boxes and game consoles like the Nintendo Switch. The company is working on launching its app on the PlayStation 4 and on Roku devices to be easily accessible to consumers everywhere.

Disney+ Availability

Image from Disney’s classic “Dumbo” (1941) via Disney

When Disney+ launches on November 12, 2019, the platform will be accessible throughout North America. Western Europe and the Asia-Pacific market will have access by Q2 of 2020 and Disney+ will roll out to all major markets within two years as Disney builds out deals with its partners around the world. Disney is also planning to create new content for the platform for $2.5 billion and to easily move over films after their theatrical releases direct to streaming. New TV series in the works include the live-action Star Wars series “The Mandalorian,” directed by Jon Favreau, known for directing the first Iron Man (2008) as well as the Marvel series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

Kathleen Kennedy and Jon Favreau at Disney+ investor presentation. Image via Disney

“Since we’re starting with new characters in a new time period, it’s a great way to bring in new fans.”

— Jon Favreau, Executive Producer of "The Mandalorian"

Favreau shared clips from the new series at the investor presentation. “Mandalorian” will consist of eight episodes. He is also the director of Disney’s live-action “Lion King” reboot, arriving in theaters July 19.

Disney expects to have 60-90 million new subscribers via Disney+ by 2024 with 30 percent coming from domestic markets, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Ben Swinburne in an April 8 note to investors. Disney+ is expected to have 5 million paying subscribers by the end of 2020. To build awareness about Disney+, Disney is launching a large marketing campaign across its properties such as Disney theme parks and important events such as Comic-Con. Through Disney’s TV networks (ESPN, ABC, Disney Channel and more) can connect to more than 100 million consumer households.

“[The company is set to unleash a] “synergy campaign of a magnitude that is unprecedented in the history of Disney.”

— Ricky Strauss, President of Content and Marketing for Disney+

During the investor call, Disney CEO Bob Iger, who is responsible for Disney’s largest acquisitions such as Pixar Animation, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm Ltd. and the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox since becoming CEO in 2005, said that he will be stepping down from his contract at the end of 2021. Disney is in the process of finding a suitable replacement. Iger’s remarkable success as CEO took the entertainment company (DIS) from $23 a share to $130 a share when Disney+ was announced.

Wall Street responded well to Iger’s presentation of Disney+, its new streaming-video service. Netflix (NFLX) shares fell almost five percent on Thursday.

Apple Taps Indie Studio A24, Known for Oscar Winner 'Moonlight', 'Lady Bird' and 'Ex-Machina'

Multi-Year Agreement for Multiple Years

Apple has signed on independent studio A24 to produce films in a deal that is expected to be part of Apple's long-rumored video streaming service that may launch in 2019.

While few details of the deal have been shared publicly, Variety has proposed that the deal spans multiple films for multiple years. Whether these films will be available via streaming only or will also have a theater release are unknown. The financial terms of the agreement are unknown, but the partnership does not have an exclusivity agreement or ‘first-look agreement,’ meaning that studio A24 can remain independent and produce other content, meet existing deals in place with Direct TV and Amazon and act without restriction.

Promotional image for Oscar-winning Moonlight (2016) — Promotional image for Oscar-winning *Moonlight* (2016)

A24: Young and Pioneering

Compared to older established studios, A24 is new as it was founded in 2012. However, the independent studio has made a name for itself with numerous successes. In the last three years, A24 has released numerous films that garnered Oscar nominations and surprisingly, more box office successes, competing head to head with well known, large Hollywood film companies. While A24 does not specialize like Disney’s high budget, elaborate worldwide productions or intellectual films by other independent or smaller studios, it has established its own niche of prestigious films loved by audiences and critics alike.

A24 Is Raking in the Oscar Nominations

Moonlight won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2016. A surprising sleeper hit in 2017, Lady Bird won five Oscar nominations. Other acclaimed films include Ex Machina, The Disaster Artist, The Florida Project, It Comes at Night, The Witch and more in just the past three years alone. A24 has also partnered with major media companies for theatrical releases while remaining completely independent.

Apple Invests $1 Billion in Original Content and New Shows

For a while now, Apple has been rumored to be creating its own streaming video service, with the service expected to go live in 2019, using the Apple TV app and available in over 100 countries. Apple’s new service is expected to be family-friendly content. Several shows have already been lined up, including an untitled series based upon a morning show involving Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, Defending Jacob, a story featuring Chris Evans and a revival of Time Bandits, the popular 1980s fantasy film by Terry Gilliam.

The timing of the new agreement is interesting as large media consolidations are happening everywhere. AT&T got federal court approval to acquire Time Warner. Comcast attempted to win over 21st Century Fox with an all cash offer, but was bested by Disney who acquired Fox, becoming a 70 billion mega Hollywood company with a slew of known box-office hits. Streaming services will be competitive, as Disney now has its own Disney+ channel arriving in late 2019, as it severs its ties with Netflix and Amazon.