Marvel is back on top with Deadpool & WolverineThe comic book adaptation grossed a staggering $205 million (just over $283 million CAD) in its opening weekend in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It shattered the opening record for R-rated films, previously held by the first Dead Pool (182.5 million CAD) and earned a spot in the top ten releases of all time.
Including international screenings, where it accrued an additional US$233.3 million ($322.6 million), Deadpool & Wolverine is looking at a global opening of over US$438.3 million (CAN$606 million).
Introducing these two famous characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the film weaves a web more akin to The Avengers than the X-Men. On the all-time list of highest-grossing opening weekends, the film ranks eighth, between two other Marvel films: The Avengers And Black Panther.
The film, directed by Montreal-born director Shawn Levy, has ousted the animated film from the top spot of the year’s best releases. Inside Out 2 (US$154 million). It was the highest grossing weekend since Barbie last July.
It achieved revenues considered impossible to achieve for an R-rated film (restrictive: children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult).
The Walt Disney Studios film comes at a crucial time for a sector struggling to erase last year’s revenue losses. The success is also timely for Marvel Studios, which has suffered many disappointments recently. In November, the 33e Marvel movie, The Marvelhad only grossed $47 million in its opening weekend, the MCU’s worst showing.
Paradoxically, Marvel’s two saviors come from two other franchises: the X-Men and Deadpool.
The rights to Deadpool and Wolverine, two characters played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman respectively, belonged to 21st Century Fox. Disney acquired them in 2019 when it bought the studio’s film and television assets. Plans were made to bring back both characters and integrate them into the Marvel universes.
TwistersLee Isaac Chung’s disaster film, now in its second weekend, comes in second on the chart with $35.3 million. It has grossed $154.9 million in North America since its release. Rounding out the podium is Despicable Me 3 added $14.2 million to its revenue for a total of nearly $291 million since its release in early July.