Avengers: Endgame

How Avengers put Disney at the top of the charts

More than 90% of the value of all tickets sold in UK cinemas last weekend was for Avengers: Endgame.

Within five days it had become the fastest film to break the $1bn sales barrier worldwide.

But more significantly, it is the latest evidence that Walt Disney is now the world's biggest box-office player.

Of the 10 films with the biggest worldwide sales in their opening weekend, Disney has distributed five.

Variety magazine reported that Disney took one fifth of all global box office takings in 2018.

Avengers: Endgame beats box office records with $1.2bn debut

The Disney blockbuster has become the fastest film ever to break the $1bn barrier, doing so in just five days.

Endgame is the 22nd offering in the Marvel Studios superhero franchise.

Its opening takings smashed the previous global debut record of $640m set by last year's Avengers: Infinity War.

In the US alone, Endgame - which stars Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man - brought in a record $350m, and also enjoyed the UK and Ireland's biggest opening ever with takings of £43.7m.