The long-awaited “Deadpool & Wolverine” exploded out of the gate, raking in $96 million in domestic sales on its opening night, according to Comscore data. This summer blockbuster is well on its way to break $200 million domestically over the weekend, a record milestone for the franchise.
“It is a major industry benchmark for an R-rated movie to open at $200 million, literally unheard of until this title,” said Daniel Loria, editorial director at Box Office Pro.
Franchise Records Smashed:
The original “Deadpool” film held the record for the largest opening weekend for an R-rated movie back in 2016 with about $132 million. The sequel, “Deadpool 2,” brought in $125 million domestically two years later. Neither of those comes close to the $200 million to $220 million forecast by “Deadpool & Wolverine,” even when factoring for inflation, per Loria.
An opening weekend this big would put “Deadpool & Wolverine” among the top Marvel movies, right there with “The Avengers” and “Black Panther,” both of which opened at over $200 million.
“This would rank among the top 10 openings of all time, and it marks the sixth-highest Friday ever reported at the box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “This also marks the highest opening weekend for Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and director Shawn Levy.
Stellar Promotion and Reception:
Dergarabedian credited the promotional effort, critical success, and audience frenzy for the historic performance of the film. “This is a late July weekend for the cinematic history books,” he added.
According to Box Office Pro, “Deadpool & Wolverine” has held enormous demand nationally in showtimes—43% of the national market share. The movie scored a 97% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, the second-highest for any Marvel Cinematic Universe film, and an ‘A’ CinemaScore equal to its predecessors.
Blockbuster Comeback:
After a weak opening to the summer box office, the industry has been revitalized by blockbusters. “Bad Boys: Ride Or Die,” “Inside Out 2,” “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Despicable Me 4,” “Twisters,” and now “Deadpool & Wolverine” formed a record streak of hits in the box office according to Dergarabedian.
“Inside Out 2” is now the highest-grossing animation ever to exist, earning $1.46 billion globally and bumping out “Frozen 2.”
Box Office Recovery:
Before “Inside Out 2” came along on June 16, domestic sales were 25% behind 2023. In three weeks, the year-over-year deficit went from 27% to 19%. Now it’s down to 16.9%, with “Deadpool & Wolverine” cutting it even more.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie” topped domestic charts last year with over $574 million. The strong runs of both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which opened July 21, pushed the year’s total domestic box office revenue past $9 billion, the most since the pandemic.
More measured optimism for 2024:
Though estimates are for a more tempered total, analysts are quietly optimistic for 2024. The successful summer slate set up the industry to continue to close the gap.
“This weekend’s performance certainly makes us more optimistic for the box office prospects for 2024, but we have a long way to go before the end of the year,” said Dergarabedian, who predicts the full year box office will come in between $8.2-$8.7 billion. “Considering how weak the first quarter and April were, reaching $8 billion plus is quite impressive.”
Conclusion:
“Deadpool & Wolverine” met or beat all estimates, making new records and rejuvenating the box office. That stunning debut says it all: Marvel’s cinematic universe still holds its magic and the power of blockbuster entertainment.