Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3″ Rockets to a $48.2 Million Opening Day, Eyes $110-120 Million First Weekend

The summer blockbuster season has kicked off with the release of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”. The film grossed around $48.2 million on its opening day, including $17.5 million from Thursday previews.

Analysts expect the movie to earn between $110 million to $120 million by Sunday, making it the second-highest opening of the year, behind “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”. However, it falls behind the $146.5 million debut of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” in 2017.

Directed by James Gunn, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” has received a 67% approval rating from top critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with Peter Debruge, the chief film critic of Variety, naming it a critic’s pick. He praised the way Gunn played with the mortality of the characters while still being responsible and true to the bonds established between them. The film also received an “A” grade from Cinema Score, outperforming recent Marvel Studios releases.

Despite some disappointment among Marvel audiences since “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, the positive response from first-round ticket buyers suggests that “Guardians Vol. 3” has won the hearts of fans.

The movie marks the end of Chris Pratt’s time as Star Lord and his team of interstellar heroes played by Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, and Karen Gillan, as well as the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper.

Pratt is also having one of the best times of his career, starring in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”, which has been the domestic box office leader for four consecutive weekends.

Although it is finally falling to second place this weekend, it is still projected to earn $18.5 million, bringing its total domestic gross to $518 million, the highest of the year so far.

Other films also in the running for a spot at the box office include Warner Bros.’ “Evil Dead Rise,” projected to earn $1.6 million, and Lionsgate’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” projected to earn $3.2 million on its second weekend.

Sony’s romantic comedy “Love Again” is projected to earn $2.6 million and is competing against “John Wick: Chapter 4” for the fifth place slot.
Overall, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” seems to have had a strong start to the summer blockbuster season, with its combination of humor, action, and heart earning favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike.