Deadpool truly is Marvel’s Jesus, as the antihero likes to call himself.
 |
| Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in 'Deadpool & Wolverine.' 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios |
Deadpool & Wolverine continued to make box office history and break more records in its second weekend, soaring to a better-than-expected $97 million domestically — the eighth biggest second weekend of all time and the fifth biggest for an MCU title — bringing its 10-day North American total to $395.6 million. It fell only 53 percent, which is impressive.
The overseas performance was equally spectacular. The Marvel Studios and Disney tentpole earned an additional $110.5 million, bringing its foreign total to $428.5 million and a worldwide total of $824.1 million. (Get ready for Deadpool & Wolverine to join the billion-dollar box office club within a matter of days.)
It achieved several significant milestones. Adding another major accolade for star and franchise mastermind Ryan Reynolds, the Deadpool threequel has surpassed Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ ($371.1 million) to become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time domestically, not adjusted for inflation.
It has also exceeded the total lifetime earnings of the first two Deadpool films, both domestically and globally, after just two weekends in theaters. The first Deadpool earned $363.1 million domestically for a global total of $782.6 million, while the second film made $318.5 million domestically with a worldwide total of $734.5 million.
The film has climbed to No. 3 on the list of top-grossing R-rated films worldwide. Todd Phillips’ Joker currently holds the No. 1 spot with $1.064 billion, so it may take another week for Deadpool & Wolverine to surpass it, with predictions suggesting it could eventually reach around $1.2 billion. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is currently No. 2 globally among R-rated films, with $975.2 million.
Between summer successes like Inside Out 2—which has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time with a total of $1.56 billion—and Deadpool 3, Disney has achieved a milestone as the first studio to surpass $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales.
Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Shawn Levy and featuring Hugh Jackman, is significantly ahead of the competition this weekend, although Amblin Entertainment’s Twisters is maintaining a solid performance.
Twisters, distributed domestically by Universal, saw a 37 percent drop in its third weekend, earning $22.7 million. This brings its domestic total to $195.6 million.
M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, featuring Josh Hartnett, debuted in third place with an estimated $15.6 million, meeting expectations. Distributed by Warner Bros., the thriller is contending with lukewarm reviews and a C+ CinemaScore.
Illumination and Universal’s Despicable Me 4 has crossed the $300 million mark domestically after adding $11.3 million, bringing its worldwide total to $752.2 million. Pixar’s Inside Out 2 followed in fifth place with an estimated $6.7 million, achieving a remarkable global total of $1.55 billion, the highest ever for an animated film.
However, the success at the family box office did not extend to Sony’s new adaptation of the book Harold and the Purple Crayon, which opened in sixth place with a disappointing $6 million, despite receiving an A- CinemaScore from viewers. Critics, however, were not kind. Internationally, the film struggled, earning only $3 million from its first 32 markets.
Neon’s thriller Longlegs continued to perform well, earning $4.4 million to secure seventh place and finishing Sunday with a domestic total of $70 million, a substantial figure for an indie film in today’s market.
