Box office: ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ soars

Is it summer already?

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” posted blockbuster numbers in its first full day in theaters, taking in more than $37 million on Friday, according to estimates.

That number builds on the $10.2 million the film pulled in from Thursday night and midnight showings, and places it on pace for a weekend gross of $90 million, according to those who have seen pre-release audience surveys. Starring Chris Evans as the shield-bearing superhero and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, the latest entry from Disney’sMarvel Studios is the 3-D sequel to 2011’s “Captain America: The First Avenger.”

PHOTOS: 75 images from ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’

Should the film meet its box-office projections, it would become the biggest opening of the year, surpassing “The Lego Movie,” which collected $69 million in its first weekend in February. That film went on to take in nearly $250 million domestically. Not adjusting for inflation, the film could also become the biggest April opening ever, which currently belongs to the 2011 film “Fast Five” and its more than $86 million in sales.

Elsewhere on Friday, last weekend’s box-office champ, “Noah,” sold an estimated $4.9 million in tickets on Friday, followed by “Divergent” with $4.1 million. Further off the pace, “God’s Not Dead” took in an estimated $2.2 million, and Wes Anderson’s “Grand Budapest Hotel” rounded out the top five with $1.8 million in estimated ticket sales.

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Twitter: @chrisbarton