Disney-Marvel's " Captain America: The Winter Soldier " is marching toward a record for the top April opening with a U.S. opening that could reach $100 million this weekend.
Friday forecasts showed an opening day launch in the $36 to $39 million range, including $10.2 million from late Thursday shows - leading to projections of $95 million or more.
Unlike most movies, the Friday number is so elevated that the tentpole is likely to decline on Saturday by about 20% to around $29 million to $32 million. Sunday's number will probably come in around $23 million to $25 million.
Should those projections hold, "Winter Soldier" will wind up topping the previous April record of $86.2 million that Universal's "Fast Five" set on the last weekend of the month three years ago.
"Winter Soldier," starring Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, is arriving at 3,938 U.S. locations following a massive promo campaign for the $170-million movie, which will be shown in 3D at most locations, as well as at 344 Imax sites.
The original "Captain America: The First Avenger" launched three years ago with a $65 million opening on its way to a $176 million domestic cume, along with another $194 million internationally. Since then, "The Avengers" elevated the Marvel brand with a stunning $1.5 billion worldwide and Avengers stand-alone title "Thor: The Dark World" topped $640 million worldwide.
As a result, expectations are for the sequel, which has already grossed $95 million in 32 markets outside the U.S. and is opening in Australia and Russia this weekend.
Paramount's second weekend of "Noah" was leading the rest of the pack with a forecast of $5.8 million, off 62% from its opening day. The Biblical tale looks likely to wind up the weekend with a 55% decline to finish around $20 million, lifting the U.S. cume to $75 million in its first 10 days.
Lionsgate announced Friday that "Divergent" had crossed the $100 million domestic milestone in two weeks. The Shailene Woodley starrer is forecasted to take in about $3 million on Friday on its way to a weekend in the $9-to-$10 million range.
Two other titles in their third weekend - Disney's "Muppets Most Wanted" and Freestyle's "God's Not Dead" - will battle for fourth place at about $6.5 million.
"Muppets" has been a mild disappointment for the Mouse House with a cume of $42 million, while "God's Not Dead," now expanded by 587 locations to 1,765, continues to show impressive holding power with a decline of only 26%. The religious drama should finish the frame with over $31 million.
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