Captain Marvel, Marvel's first female-fronted superhero movie, conquers weekend box office
Movie starring Brie Larson took in $455M US globally, including $153M in North American theatres
Female power has reared up at the box office — in a big way.
Captain Marvel, the Marvel Studios movie featuring Carol Danvers, has become one of the biggest blockbusters ever led by a woman.
The movie, starring Brie Larson as Danvers, took in $153 million US in its first weekend in North American theatres. The total globally is $455 million. Its global launch represents the biggest ever female-fronted film, surpassing Beauty and the Beast ($357 million), according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Only The Avengers movies, Black Panther, Captain America: Civil War and Iron Man 3 have opened better in the Marvel cinematic universe. Number two at the box office this past weekend was last week's leader, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, followed by A Madea Family Funeral, Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and Alita: Battle Angel.
On Saturday night, Larson appeared at a movie theatre in Clifton, N.J., about 16 kilometres west of New York.
The ultimate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CaptainMarvel?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CaptainMarvel</a> experience! <a href="https://twitter.com/brielarson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BrieLarson</a> helped fans get their popcorn and soda on opening weekend. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HigherFurtherFaster?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HigherFurtherFaster</a> (2/2) <a href="https://t.co/9Fq3HwrWoC">pic.twitter.com/9Fq3HwrWoC</a>
—@captainmarvelThe North Jersey Record reports theatre patrons at the AMC Theatre initially didn't seem to notice Larson, who was dressed in a Captain Marvel sweatsuit. But soon her appearance caused a stir, and numerous photos posted online showed her posing with fans and even serving popcorn from a concession stand.