LOS ANGELES, USA (AFP) — Disney/Marvel’s new comedy “Deadpool & Wolverine” had a remarkable debut in North American theaters this weekend, grossing $205 million. This impressive figure not only ranks among the best openings for a superhero film but also marks it as the eighth-largest opening of all time.
“The numbers are impressive,” noted David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “The popularity of these characters is growing, not waning.” Gross attributed the film’s success to positive audience reviews and the star power of Ryan Reynolds, who plays Deadpool and co-wrote the screenplay, and his real-life friend Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
According to Variety, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is set to debut just ahead of 2018’s “Black Panther,” which earned $202 million, and only trails “Jurassic World” (2015) with $208 million. The film’s international ticket sales have already reached $233.3 million.
The Hollywood Reporter highlighted that “Deadpool & Wolverine” has set a new record for the highest-ever opening gross for an R-rated movie (not adjusted for inflation), surpassing the previous record held by the original “Deadpool,” which grossed $133.7 million.
In contrast, last weekend’s top-grossing film, Universal’s weather thriller “Twisters,” grossed $35.3 million. The standalone sequel to the 1996 hit “Twister” features Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones as storm chasers caught in a converging tornado.
“Despicable Me,” Universal’s animated comedy, secured third place with $14.2 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its North American total to $291 million. Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” dropped to fourth place with $8.3 million.
Horror mystery “Long Legs,” featuring Nicolas Cage, also fell one spot but remains the highest-grossing movie of all time. The top 10 films for the weekend are:
- “A Quiet Place Day One” — $3 million
- “Bad Boys 2” — $1.3 million
- “The Fabulous Four” — $1 million
- “Fly Me to the Moon” — $750,000
