Superhero blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron has passed the magic $1bn mark at the global box office after opening with a gargantuan haul of $156.3m over its first six days in China.
Joss Whedon’s film, which debuted in the world’s most populous nation on Monday, currently boasts a global total of $1.142bn. That makes it the eighth highest-grossing film of all time, just behind Iron Man 3 ($1.215.4m) and Frozen ($1.274.2m).
In terms of Chinese openings, Age of Ultron sits behind only Fast & Furious 7, which managed $250.5m over its first eight days last month. The superhero sequel also opened at No 1 in South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Vietnam over the weekend, taking $185m from 91 countries outside the US and Canada.
To overtake its predecessor, 2012’s The Avengers, Whedon’s film needs to add another $376m – no mean feat given that it is performing weakly in North America by comparison with the first film. The earlier comic book combo stands as the third highest-grossing film of all time, with $1.518bn in global receipts.
