Marvel Studios’ The Avengers grossed an estimated $18.7 million from midnight screenings from about 2,500 theaters — both 2D and 3D — across the nation (including $1.3M from IMAX 3D locations). While no where close to being a record (that belongs to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” at $43.5M), it did top 2008’s “The Dark Knight” which held the previous record for midnights for a superhero movie ($18.5M).
Overseas grosses pushed over the $300M mark on Thursday to stand at $304M ($322.7M worldwide including midnight’s). Deadline, meanwhile, is reporting that early numbers from today indicate the film’s opening day could be somewhere in the neighborhood of $65-67M.