Updated August 1 at 5:12 p.m. ET
Guardians of the Galaxy earned $11.2 million in late-night screenings on Thursday, Variety reports, for the year’s largest preview opening, and is on track to rake in an estimated $90 million from weekend showings, according to Friday estimates.
The comic book adaption will have the largest screening in August history—showing at 4,080 threatres on Friday. It surpassed recent forecasts that predicted $70 million in weekend earnings, and will unseat previous August record holder, The Bourne Ultimatum ($69.3 million).
Amidst the popularity of Marvel’s The Avengers and its prequel and sequel films, it’s no surprise that this intergalactic team is gaining fans. Actor Chris Pratt—among the only human characters in the film—is flanked by a quirky talking raccoon, a CGI tree, a hulk-ish green brute and a female alien assassin.
The film already boasts a 91% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes — read TIME’s review by Richard Corliss here.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com