Reel Box Office Predictions: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The summer movie season officially kicks off this weekend with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and it’s looking to dominate the weekend box office in a big way.

Even though Guardians 2’s opening weekend number won’t topple the all-time May record set by Marvel’s The Avengers ($207.4M), what’s impressive is that the comic-book label proves again that most superhero sequels can top their predecessors’ openings — in the case of Guardians 2, its three-day will blast beyong the first movie’s $94.3M opening by at least 59%. Should GOTG2 hit the high end of its estimates, it will rank as the 11th-best opening ever at the domestic box office, and the fifth best for May after Avengers, Avengers: Age Of Ultron ($191.3M), Captain America: Civil War ($179.1M), and Iron Man 3 ($174.1M).

GOTG2 has a lot of steam behind it. After Hollywood journalists were given a tour of the Marvel offices in Burbank two weeks ago, along with a screening of the film, the film now sits on Rotten Tomatoes with an 86% certified fresh score, which isn’t that far from the 2014’s 91% fresh rating. Marvel knows it needs critics on their side for a long-legged superhero summer success, something that the recent DC offerings have failed to do.

The film grossed $106 million over the weekend in foreign territories so it’s already off to a great start. Tracking has this coming in at about $150 million for the weekend but I’m going to go higher with about $170 million and I expect great legs as it should dominate most of May before the arrival of Baywatch & the fifth Pirates movie.

Check back Monday for the final box office grosses!


Like this story? Follow Reel Talk Inc. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily news and reviews, and sign up for our email newsletter here.

Podchaser - Reel Chronicles
About Gaius Bolling 3795 Articles
At the age of five, I knew I wanted to write movies and about them. I've set out to make those dreams come true. As an alumni of the Los Angeles Film Academy, I participated in their Screenwriting program, while building up my expertise in film criticism. I write reviews that relate to the average moviegoer by educating my readers and keeping it fun. My job is to let you know the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of cinema, so you can have your best moviegoing experience. You can find more of my writing on Instagram @g_reelz.