Avengers: Endgame is now the second highest-grossing movie of all-time, and there’s a not-insignificant chance that by the end of its run in theaters, it will top Avatar to become the highest grossing. Congratulations to Marvel and all that, but to mix comic book movie references, it’s time to talk about the non-MCU hero moviegoers both deserve and need: Detective Pikachu, the fuzzy, lightning-rodent star of (official title, please) Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.
The live-action Pokemon movie is tracking in the “mid-to-high $50 million [to] $70 million range,” which, if the more optimistic prediction is true, might be enough to usurp Endgame‘s two-week run at the country’s most popular movie. (It has a looong way to go before sniffing the “most weekends at #1” record; E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is the current title-holder, with 16.) But have no fear, Lickitung groupies: Detective Pikachu is still likely to make box office history.
Here are the five highest-grossing video game movies ever (domestic only):
1. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider ($131,168,070)
2. The Angry Birds Movie ($107,509,366)
3. Rampage ($101,028,233)
4. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($90,759,676)
5. Pokemon: The First Movie ($85,744,662)
First off, yikes. Video game movies are as bad as their reputation.
But more to the point, Detective Pikachu should have no problem out-earning Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (that’s the one with Angelina Jolie, not Alicia Vikander); for reference’s sake, Ready Player One, Ocean’s 8, and The Meg all made more than $131 million last year. Even if Detective Pikachu‘s box office gross is front-loaded — as the Wrap notes, “casual moviegoers may split off to other major releases coming out later this month,” including John Wick: Chapter 3, A Dog’s Journey, and Aladdin — I, alone, plan on seeing this cutie eight times.
Heck. Make it nine.
(Via the Wrap and Box Office Mojo)
