The Avengers: Opening Weekend Predictions

The John Whedon extravaganza is expected to debut to $170 million+. Opening to staggering $80.5 million on Friday, The Avengers broke opening day records for a superhero film and now stands as the second-biggest opening day of all time. With $80.5 million already, The Avengers is poised to surpass the $169.2 million opening weekend record set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows--Part 2 last July.

The superhero tentpole is almost surely expected to gross more than The Dark Knight on its opening weekend($158.1 million). However, it doesn't seem fair because The Avengers has 3D premiums to "show off" which places it at an advantage. With a record-breaking opening day of $80.5 million, The Avengers is on track to out-gross Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 over the weekend with a predicted $180.4 million. Although the opening day is considerably less than Harry Potter, a few factors must be taken into consideration: HP8 opened in July and teenagers had no school. For the Avengers, however, its opening in May is a powerful month for superhero films. Moreover, 3D showings accounted for 60% of the Friday's opening, suggesting relatively good interest in 3D in this genre of movies.

Expect a $180.4 million opening debut that will surely dethrone the Harry Potter finale.