3am screenings: Fans in the UAE will see 'Avengers' film two days before those in the US

UAE viewers get an early treat, but we won't be first to see the movie

This image released by Disney shows Chris Hemsworth in a scene from “Avengers: Endgame.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)
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Vox and Novo Cinemas will host screenings of the latest film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame, from 3am on the day of the movie's UAE release, Wednesday April 23 (so, very late on Tuesday night effectively). The early screenings will take place at cinemas in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Ajman.

Confusingly, the Vox website lists the screenings as taking place at 3am on Tuesday April 22, however a Disney spokesperson has confirmed that the screenings will in fact be 24 hours later at 3am on Wednesday April 23, and that Vox was working on the assumption that audiences would read the “Tuesday, 3am” timing as late on Tuesday night, rather than early on Tuesday morning.

Vox has so far not responded to a request for clarification.

This image released by Disney shows Robert Downey Jr. in a scene from “Avengers: Endgame.” (Disney/Marvel Studios via AP)
This image released by Disney shows Robert Downey Jr in a scene from 'Avengers: Endgame.' AP

That means viewers in the UAE can see the film almost a full two days before their peers in the USA, where the film goes on public release on Friday April 26, although some preview screenings will take place in North America on the evening of Thursday April 25.

UAE viewers will not be the first in the world to see the munch-anticipated movie, however.

Which country will be the first to see the movie?

If you want to be among the very first to see the movie, you’ll have to travel. The film’s very first public screening will take place on Tuesday, April 23 at 10pm (11pm UAE time) at the Moscow Film Festival.

That screening is by invitation only however, so don’t rush out to use up your Aeroflot miles just yet.

The very first fully public open screenings appear to be taking place in Indonesia (5am local time), Australia (8am local time) and New Zealand (10am local time), all of which translate to 2am UAE time, an hour before viewers here will get chance to see the movie.

There is also one way to see the movie in the States an hour before the sold-out preview screenings land in cinemas on Thursday evening. Selected AMC Cinemas in the US and Canada will be hosting two-and-a-half-day Marvel marathons of all 22 MCU films, beginning on Tuesday April 23 and culminating with Endgame at 5pm on Thursday 25. That's over 59 hours of capes, clashes and comedy.

It sounds insane, but when tickets for the marathon went on sale earlier this month, the AMC website was crashed by the volume of traffic.

That kind of dedication puts an early 3am start in the UAE seriously in the shade.