Box Office Report: 'Avengers' Smashes Records With $178.4 Mil Foreign Debut

8:40 AM PDT 4/29/2012 by Pamela McClintock

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Joss Whedon's tentpole scores the biggest opening weekend in numerous Latin American markets and nabs the top opening ever for a superhero pic in the U.K.

Disney and Marvel Studios' The Avengers is doing superhero-like business overseas, debuting to a massive $178.4 million as it rolled out in 39 markets across the globe.

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Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, opens Friday in North America. The tentpole opened at No. 1 in all 39 territories and posted the biggest opening weekend ever in key Latin American markets including Mexico ($15.9 million) and Brazil ($11.3 million).

In the U.K., Avengers debuted to $24.7 million, the biggest opening for a superhero title, as well as Disney's biggest three-day opening. The 3D movie grossed $19.7 million in Australia, the second-highest opening ever.

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Avengers showed strength across all continents. In Asia, it posted the best opening weekends in history in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines (where Saturday was the highest-grossing day of all time). Avengers also rolled out in India, where Disney says it enjoyed the third-biggest opening for a Western film.

Looking ahead, Avengers has plenty of punch left, considering it only rolled out in 70 percent of the international marketplace and has yet to touch down in China or Russia, where it lands this weekend. And it doesn't open in Japan until August.

Avengers also is producing record-breaking numbers for Imax. The tentpole is playing in 94 giant-screen runs, grossing $5.6 million for a hefty per-screen average of $59,256 -- the best ever for a Marvel pic.