Indie hit The Farewell has just broken an Avengers: Endgame record, earning the top per-theater box office numbers of 2019 so far.
Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Lulu Wang's The Farewell pulled in $351,330 during its Friday debut, a fraction of Endgame's monumental $357,115,007 from April 26. But the Marvel movie launched in 4,662 theaters, while The Farewell made its money from just four. That means the A24 film earned $87,833 per theater, while the latest Avengers movie only averaged $76,601.
Obviously, it's a technical victory when it comes to toppling the blockbuster. But for Wang, A24 and star Awkwafina, the numbers are remarkable given the film's small budget and marketing campaign. With a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, the critical acclaim, strong cast and prestige of the director and studio have clearly helped the indie film. While it's unlikely to break anymore major records this year, expect it to earn plenty of attention come awards season.
Meanwhile, Endgame continues to impress. The Avengers: Endgame rerelease has helped the film move towards its ultimate goal of beating Avatar. It currently sits at $2.78 billion, putting it around $8 million shy of the highest-grossing film of all time slot.
The Farewell is in theaters now.