Avengers’ sequel hits $84.5 million on opening day

Disney and Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is heading for box office history with an $84.5 million opening day in U.S., the second-biggest domestic launch ever and enough to match the first day of the $207.4 million opening weekend record for 2012’s “The Avengers.”

Friday’s first-day number for “Age of Ultron” trails only the $91 million opening-day record set in July 2011 by Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.” But it is an impressive 4.5% ahead of the $80.8 million opening day of “The Avengers” three years ago.

“Ultron” is projected to be neck-and-neck with the original “Avengers,” looking at a range of $200 million to $210 million for its opening weekend — even with Saturday’s sports distractions of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight, the Kentucky Derby and the NBA playoffs.

The opening is already enough to make it the second biggest international opening of all time (#1 was Warner Bros’ final “Harry Potter” movie).

If “Ultron” doesn’t break “The Avengers’” record, it will still finish far ahead of the launch weekend for Disney-Marvel’s “Iron Man 3,” currently the second-highest opening weekend with $174.1 million in May 2013.

The international total has hit $340 million in the wake of launching in 55% of the overseas markets last weekend. The tentpole took in $53 million on Friday, down just 17%, and remains the top title in every market.

Ultron is now tracking for a three-day opening in the neighborhood of $189M-$191M. While that’s lower than the first chapter’s all-time record domestic bow of $207.4M, it’s still the second highest opening of all-time at the domestic box office.

Non-Imax premium large format screens are looking at a three-day record of $14M-$15M, besting Furious 7‘s record $11.8M bow in those venues during the first weekend of April.

Odd as it may sound to comic book diehards, there is some actual competition for the attention of the American public this weekend. The Mayweather-Pacquiao title fight, the NBA playoffs and even the Kentucky Derby have some marking out their weekend plans for something besides superhero action. So until Sunday’s totals arrive, it’s up in the air as to whether Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will take home Earth’s Biggest Opening.