LOS ANGELES, USA (AP) — The superhero saga The Avengers lived up to its blockbuster buzz with US$178.4 million in overseas ticket sales days before it opens in US theatres.

Domestic audiences generally passed on a bunch of new flicks as fans seem to be in anticipation mode for Disney’s The Avengers, which debuts Friday in the United States after launching in 39 other countries a week earlier.

The huge overseas launch will help fan the frenzy already in place for The Avengers, the superhero mash-up of Marvel Comics idols whose cast includes Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L Jackson.

“You hope that the magnitude of this kind of opening sends a signal that this is a for-everyone film,” said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney. “You can’t put up these kinds of numbers if it’s just for guys or just for the fans. These numbers say that it is for everyone, 8 to 80.”

The Sony Screen Gems ensemble comedy Think Like a Man was number one domestically for the second straight weekend with US$18 million.

Four movies were bunched up for the number two spot in the US$11 million range: Sony’s animated comedy The Pirates! Band of Misfits with US$11.4 million; the Warner Bros romantic drama The Lucky One with US$11.3 million; Lionsgate’s blockbuster The Hunger Games with US$11.25 million; and Universal’s romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement with US$11.2 million.

Those four flicks were so close that their rankings from Sunday studio estimates could change once final numbers are released.

Along with Pirates, whose voice cast was led by Hugh Grant, and Five-Year Engagement, which stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, the other newcomers were Jason Statham’s action tale Safe from Lionsgate at Number 6 with US$7.7 million and John Cusack’s Edgar Allan Poe mystery The Raven from Relativity Media at Number 7 with US$7.3 million.

“I think going to the movies will be the number one priority next weekend but clearly was not the number one priority this weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com. “There’s so much anticipation for The Avengers that the newcomers kind of got lost in the shuffle.”