Marvel fetes Spielberg after ‘Jurassic World’ tops Avengers’ box-office record

After Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic World" set a new opening weekend record surpassing "The Avengers" 2012 film, Marvel Studios responded accordingly over the weekend.

It was a class act – an artwork of Owen riding a Tyrannosaurus Rex, looking down at Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Captain America, and the Hulk.

"Marvel Studios congratulates Jurassic World on being the new opening weekend KING!" read the artwork by Marvel concept artist Andy Park.


The art was posted on the Twitter account of Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, who also congratulated Spielberg and Universal Pictures – and those behind the hit film, including actor Chris Pratt.

Feige's tweeted artwork, which was posted 1:16 a.m. Friday, had been retweeted 9,822 times and favorited 9,388 times as of Sunday morning.

An article on Slashfilm.com said "Jurassic World" beat "The Avengers" US box office opening weekend record - $208.806 million compared to "The Avengers" 2012's $207.4 million.

Slashfilm said this was not the first time filmmakers publicly congratulated friends' box office feats.

It added Feige appeared to pay homage to George Lucas, Spielberg and James Cameron, who had done similar things in past years.

Slashfilm noted that when Lucas' "Star Wars" beat Spielberg's "Jaws" in domestic video rental charts in 1977, Spielberg congratulated Lucas, with an image of R2D2 hooking the shark from "Jaws."

Lucas returned the favor in the early 1980s when Spielberg's "E.T." broke the same record, with Star Wars characters lifting up E.T.

When the re-release of "Star Wars" broke E.T.'s record in 1997, Spielberg published a congratulations with E.T. crowning R2D2.

Lucas would also congratulate Cameron for the 1998 hit "Titanic," with Star Wars characters jumping off the sinking Titanic, it said. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News