‘Avengers’ passes ‘Avatar’ as top-grossing movie

“Avengers: Endgame,” the concluding chapter in a Marvel superhero saga from Walt Disney Co., toppled James Cameron’s “Avatar” to become the highestgrossing film of all time.

Disney re-released the film with new footage in late June for a final push as “Endgame” closed in on the record. It has taken in an estimated $2.790.2 billion in theaters worldwide as of Sunday, the company said, ahead of the $2.789.7 billion accumulated by “Avatar” a decade ago.

Grabbing the No. 1 spot caps an extraordinary run for Marvel and “Avengers” in particular. The four pictures in the superhero mash-up averaged $652.5 million in domestic ticket sales, and the 23 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dating to “Iron Man” in 2008, rank as the top-grossing movie franchise.

The Marvel characters have continued their run of successes this summer with Sony Corp.’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home” dominating theaters now. As of July 14, the film had taken in $847 million in worldwide ticket sales.

Disney’s good fortune isn’t limited to the universe of superheroes. Its live-action remake of the 1994 cartoon classic “The Lion King” dominated theaters this weekend, topping the U.S. and Canadian box office with $185 million, according to estimates from researcher Comscore Inc.

Disney punched up the rerelease of “Endgame” with a tribute to the late Marvel pioneer Stan Lee, an unfinished scene and a sneak peek at a scene in “Far From Home.” Fans also got an exclusive poster.

Disney has had a run of boxoffice successes built around Marvel, “Star Wars” and Pixar movies that have made it the industry leader. With its acquisition of 21st Century Fox properties for $71 billion this year, Disney will also be home to “Avatar” sequels Cameron plans to begin rolling out in 2021.

In inflation-adjusted terms, “Endgame” ranks No. 16 on the all-time list, according to Box Office Mojo. “Gone With the Wind,” first released in 1939, tops the list on that basis.