“Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3,” the newest addition to the Marvel cinematic universe, raked in $114 million at the domestic box office and $168 million internationally during its opening weekend.

The film’s strong debut puts it more than a quarter of the way toward the coveted $1 billion mark.

Although the third installment of the “Guardians” series, written and directed by new DC studio head James Gunn, fell short of the expected $120 million domestic opening, its performance still lands between the franchise’s first film, which garnered $94 million domestically in 2014, and “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2,” which debuted with a $146 million weekend in 2017.

An additional $168 million came from 52 global markets, including $28 million from China, bringing the film’s worldwide box office total to $282 million.

With Chris Pratt reprising his role as Star-Lord, the movie outperformed all other films at the domestic box office by nearly $100 million for the weekend.

Trailing behind “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3” was another Chris Pratt-led film, “Super Mario Bros.,” which collected just over $18 million.

The animated adaptation of the popular video game, also featuring comic actor Jack Black as the villain Bowser, matched the second “Guardians” film’s domestic opening with $146 million during its first week in April.

Since then, “Super Mario Bros.” has become the first film of 2023 to surpass the $1 billion benchmark globally, earning a reputation as the most successful video game-based movie in history.

Only five movies have achieved the billion-dollar milestone since the beginning of the pandemic: “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World: Dominion,” and “Super Mario Bros.”

Should “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3” join this elite group, Chris Pratt will have headlined half of the billion-dollar films in this period.

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the impressive box office performance of “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3” and “Super Mario Bros.” demonstrates the continued popularity of blockbuster franchises and the star power of Chris Pratt.

As audiences return to theaters, these films cater to the demand for escapist entertainment and nostalgic connections to beloved characters.

With the potential for “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3” to reach the billion-dollar club, Chris Pratt’s box office domination shows no signs of slowing down.

Fans of the actor and the Marvel cinematic universe will eagerly await future installments and the continued success of the franchise, as well as other projects featuring the versatile star.

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