# Prediction: Guardians of the Galaxy makes $120 Million+ its opening weekend **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2014, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242 "2014-07-28T14:36:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/81 "2014-08-03T00:21:16Z")
One factor that I think is being overemphasized is obscurity. A lot of people are saying the movie’s box office will be hampered by that fact that the Guardians of the Galaxy is an obscure comic book title very few people have heard of. Which I think is missing the point. Because as I recall, there were similar doubts expressed about a movie based on Iron Man back in 2008. By movie audience standards, every comic book character other than Batman and Superman was obscure when their first movie was made. Unless you’re a comic book reader, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four were just as obscure a name prior to their movies as the Guardians of the Galaxy are. There just aren’t that many comic book readers out there. Most people are going to make a decision on whether or not to view a new comic book based movie with no foreknowledge of the comic book. The movie has to sell itself - it can’t rely on just a crossover audience. If pre-existing fame as a comic book mattered, then _Watchmen_ would have been one of the biggest comic book movies of all time and _Men in Black_ would have been a box office failure. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/82 "2014-08-03T14:38:04Z")
I’d say Hulk, Spider-Man, and maybe even Captain America were well known amongst non-comic book fans. Almost as much as Batman or Superman. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/83 "2014-08-03T16:55:16Z")
And the final answer is [$94,000,000](http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/), Definitely a smash hit. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/84 "2014-08-03T17:06:39Z")
And even if people haven’t heard of the Guardians of the Galaxy specifically, Marvel has (wisely) been taking great pains in the advertising to tie it to Avengers etc., which people have heard of and liked. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/85 "2014-08-03T17:43:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > And the final answer is [$94,000,000](http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/), Definitely a smash hit. Yep, it has a pretty solid opening indeed. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/86 "2014-08-03T18:01:04Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > And the final answer is [$94,000,000](http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/), Definitely a smash hit. Final answer? Is Sunday not part of opening weekend? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/87 "2014-08-03T18:03:30Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Final answer? Is Sunday not part of opening weekend? Predicted Sunday given ticket sales so far. It’s pretty accurate overall. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/88 "2014-08-03T18:27:38Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Final answer? Is Sunday not part of opening weekend? Weekend results are always issued at 9am L.A. time on Sunday. They’re usually good to within a percent. Don’t ask me how they do that. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/89 "2014-08-03T21:16:48Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I’d say Hulk, Spider-Man, and maybe even Captain America were well known amongst non-comic book fans. Almost as much as Batman or Superman. I’ve said it before, but I believe there are six universally known comic characters: Superman Batman Spider-Man The Hulk Wonder Woman Captain America After those six, everyone else is varying levels of second tier, third tier, and the also-rans. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/90 "2014-08-03T23:24:55Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > And the final answer is [$94,000,000](http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/), Definitely a smash hit. Well I won’t be going to Vegas anytime soon 🙂 but I knew it would do better than the early buzz was suggesting (the Buzz got decidedly more positive once people actually, you know, started seeing the film. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/91 "2014-08-04T02:21:59Z")
It made $66M internationally also, so it’s just about paid for itself already. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/92 "2014-08-04T11:06:36Z")
All of the reports this morning are saying 94 US, and about 160 international. Those are solid numbers, and it has a 93% critic rating with a 96% viewer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so it could see some serious legs. I saw it last night and loved it, but I dig action, sci-fi, and comic books, so not much of a surprise there. Favorite moment: Rocket telling Starlord he didn’t need that guy’s leg and asking if it was funny ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/93 "2014-08-04T11:31:40Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > All of the reports this morning are saying 94 US, and about 160 international. Those are solid numbers, and it has a 93% critic rating with a 96% viewer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so it could see some serious legs. I saw it last night and loved it, but I dig action, sci-fi, and comic books, so not much of a surprise there. > > Favorite moment: Rocket telling Starlord he didn’t need that guy’s leg and asking if it was funny Yeah, I saw it last night with two guys that don’t read comics. They both talked about wanting to see it again. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/94 "2014-08-04T11:34:26Z")
I thought Frozen was going to be a flop (and mediocre). I thought Maleficient was going to be a bomb. I thought Guardians would die with a whimper. Hollywood needs to hire me to find their next big hit. If I think it’s not going to succeed, bank on $100 million. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/95 "2014-08-04T11:57:11Z")
> [@GoodOmens](#): > > I thought Frozen was going to be a flop (and mediocre). > > I thought Maleficient was going to be a bomb. > > I thought Guardians would die with a whimper. > > Hollywood needs to hire me to find their next big hit. If I think it’s not going to succeed, bank on $100 million. Let’s test your powers- Here’s a list of big budget releases for 2015: Assassin’s Creed Peanuts Inferno Cinderella Mission Impossible 5 Terminator sequel Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Finding Dory Independence Day sequel Ant-Man Pitch Perfect 2 The Adventures of Tintin 2 Pixar’s Inside Out Avengers: Age of Ultron Avatar 2 Man of Steel sequel [Superman-Batman] Star Wars Episode VII Kung Fu Panda 3 Fantastic Four James Bond 24 Pirates of the Caribbean 5 Warcraft Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Pt. 2 **Inferno** is the third Da Vinci code movie with Tom Hanks, \*\*Assassin’s Creed \*\*and **Warcraft** are based on video games, **Finding Dory** is the sequel to finding nemo, \*\*Ant-man \*\*is a Marvel - Disney production and **Miss Peregrine’s** is based on some young adult horror novel. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/96 "2014-08-04T12:31:45Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Assassin’s Creed > Peanuts > Inferno > Cinderella > Mission Impossible 5 > Terminator sequel > Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children > Finding Dory > Independence Day sequel > Ant-Man > Pitch Perfect 2 > The Adventures of Tintin 2 > Pixar’s Inside Out > Avengers: Age of Ultron > Avatar 2 > Man of Steel sequel [Superman-Batman] > Star Wars Episode VII > Kung Fu Panda 3 > Fantastic Four > James Bond 24 > Pirates of the Caribbean 5 > Warcraft > Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Pt. 2 People who keep worrying about “The Death of the Movie Theater” baffle me. 2014 is clearly a down year because moviemakers have put almost all of their blockbuster eggs in the 2015 basket. And because they’re all so spread out, it’s unlikely that one will cannibalize the others. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/97 "2014-08-04T12:47:14Z")
Holy hell 2015 is STACKED! I heard on the radio that 2014 was a down year, and the guy predicted that summer of 2015 would be the biggest summer in history. Looking at that list, 2015 might be the biggest YEAR in history ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/98 "2014-08-04T14:35:32Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Looking at that list, 2015 might be the biggest YEAR in history At this point, the question isn’t, “Will 2015 produce the biggest box office in history?” Instead, the question is, “Just how high will 2015’s box office numbers go?” 2013 is the biggest year on record with $10.9 billion. In that year, we saw the first Man of Steel, Hunger Games 2, Iron Man 3, Frozen, Despicable Me 2, Fast & Furious 6, and Gravity. 2015 is going to have everything Sr Siete listed as well as Fast & Furious 7, Minions (a Despicable Me spinoff), Taken 3, Fifty Shades of Grey (I think it’ll flop, but others don’t), Mad Max 4, Jurassic World (starring GOTG’s Chris Pratt), Magic Mike 2, and Ted 2. I’m not sure I’m going to leave the theater next year. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/99 "2014-08-04T14:38:44Z")
Not sure I agree. Personally, I don’t want to spend every weekend in a movie theatre. 2015 is so rammed with movies, I think some of them are guaranteed to flop ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242/100 "2014-08-04T14:42:37Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > The raccoon … gotta be the smartass of the group. :rolleyes: That’s going to be difficult, I think Groot may be the only one who isn’t a full time smartass. And between Diesel and the animation team they probably manage to suss up a smartbranch moment or three. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prediction-guardians-of-the-galaxy-makes-120-million-its-opening-weekend/694242.md?page=6)