In its first two days of release in 25 countries internationally, The Avengers has amassed a whopping $36 million — a powerful indication that it will positively explode when it opens in the United States next Friday.

As reported by Variety‘s Stuart Oldham, the Joss Whedon-directed superhero ensemble was particularly strong in the United Kingdom, pulling in $4.1m in its first two days — the third highest opening that market has ever seen, behind only two entries in the Harry Potter franchise. Australia was even higher, at $8.2m — slightly less impressive given the country’s larger size, but still bang-up business.

Releasing American blockbusters early overseas is a relatively recent phenomenon. But it seems to be working for distributors, as Universal’s Battleship has also performed strongly ahead of its North American release. Since our own James Frazier relayed that the Peter Berg-directed action film had crushed early expectations abroad, it has ascended to an international tally of $131m (two weeks into its release).

Battleship opens on May 18 in the U.S.

Source: Variety