Marvel is back on top with “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The comic-book movie made a staggering US$205 million in its first weekend in North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It shattered the opening record for R-rated films previously held by the first “Deadpool” ($132 million) and notched a spot in the top 10 openings of all time.
Including international showings, where it’s racked up an addition $233.3 million from 52 markets, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is looking at a global opening of over $438.3 million.
Fittingly for both characters’ introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Deadpool & Wolverine” played less like earlier X-Men or Deadpool movies and more like an Avengers pic. In the top domestic opening weekends ever, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is seated in 8th place between “The Avengers” ($207.4 million) and “Black Panther" ($202 million), bumping “Avengers: Age of Ultron” ($191.3 million) out of the top 10.
It’s by far biggest opening of the year, unseating Disney’s “ Inside Out 2 ” ($154.2 million) and the most tickets a movie has sold in its debut weekend since “Barbie” ($162 million) stormed theaters last July. Playing in 4,210 locations, “Deadpool & Wolverine” also surpassed 2019’s “The Lion King” ($191.8 million) to become the biggest July opening ever, and is the 34th consecutive MCU movie to debut in first place. And these are numbers previously thought impossible for an R-rated film.
“It’s great news full stop,” said Tony Chambers, who leads theatrical distribution for Disney. “Not only is it great for Disney, not only is it great for Marvel, but it’s great for the industry as a whole. We’ve said it before but success begets success.”
That the numbers came alongside an R-rating, Chambers added, was “nothing short of phenomenal.”
The Walt Disney Studios release arrived at a pivotal time for an industry grappling with box office returns that continue to run at a double-digit deficit from last year. Disney has played a vital role in the summer season, releasing the top movies in May (“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”), June (“Inside Out 2″) and now July.
The success is also an important moment for Marvel Studios, which has had several high-profile disappointments lately; Most notably in “ The Marvels ” which opened to an MCU low of $47 million last November.
Actor Ryan Reynolds signs an autograph for fans during the red carpet event to promote his latest movie 'Deadpool & Wolverine' in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn young-joon)
Superheroes have been struggling even more elsewhere: Sony, which reached a high point with “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($1.9 billion worldwide) had a new low with “Madame Web,” which barely crossed $100 million. Warner Bros. Discovery, after a string of disappointments with “The Flash” and “Blue Beetle,” is currently working on restarting their DC universe under the supervision of James Gunn.
Marvel's savior came in the form of two characters who got their start outside of the MCU. Both Deadpool and Wolverine, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, existed previously under the 21st Century Fox banner which for two decades had the rights to Marvel characters like the “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four.” That changed when Disney acquired the studio’s film and TV assets in early 2019 and plans started to take shape of how all these characters would fit into Kevin Feige’s MCU. In some cases, as with “Fantastic Four,” Marvel Studios is starting fresh. With “Deadpool & Wolverine,” directed by Shawn Levy, the stars were as crucial as their characters.
This weekend at the Comic-Con fan convention, Marvel also teased more to come, including Robert Downey Jr.’s return — not as Iron Man but as Doctor Doom.
Going into the weekend, $200 million domestic seemed like a pipe dream. Analysts were more conservative with predictions in the $160 million range. But from the start of the 3 p.m. Thursday preview screenings it was clear that “Deadpool & Wolverine” was more powerful. By the end of Friday, it had already made $96 million and recieved a coveted A CinemaScore from audiences. Critics, too, have been mostly positive. Premium screens, including IMAX and other large formats, accounted for 18% of the total box office.
“Historically, PG-13 is the rating that will get you the biggest bang for your buck,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
Actor Hugh Jackman signs autographs for fans during the red carpet event to promote his latest movie 'Deadpool & Wolverine' in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn young-joon)
“The old rule that R-rated movies have a box office ceiling was literally shattered this weekend. The edgier content actually enhances their appeal to older teens and young 20-somethings.”
The top domestic opening of all time still firmly belongs to “Avengers: Endgame” with $357.1 million. It’s followed by “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($260.1 million), “Avengers: Infinity War” ($257.6 million), “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($247.9 million) and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” ($220 million).
Second place went to Universal's “Twisters,” now in its second weekend with $35.3 million. The standalone sequel to “Twister” has now earned $154.9 million in North America. Universal also claimed third place with “Despicable Me 4,” which added $14.2 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to nearly $291 million.
“Inside Out 2” landed in fourth place with $8.3 million. The Disney and Pixar release this week became the biggest animated release ever with $613.4 million domestically (surpassing “Incredibles 2”) and $1.5 billion globally. It also passed “Top Gun: Maverick” to become the 12th highest-earning global release of all time.
It all adds up to one of the top 10 domestic grossing weekends of all time, with $277.5 million, according to Comscore. That puts it ahead of this weekend last year, when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” helped propel the box office to over $216.9 million in their second weekends.
“This is one for the history books," Dergarabedian said. ”Hopefully this will carry over into August."
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
An American presidential historian is predicting a Kamala Harris presidency as the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections in November.
The fundamental question ahead of their meeting in Philadelphia, one of the highest-stakes national debates in a generation, is whether – and how – the presidential candidates can deliver a compelling message.
Despite what the default options on the payment terminal might read, most Canadians still want to tip around 15 per cent, according to a new survey.
The Foo Fighters frontman announced that he recently became a father again, writing in a statement on his Instagram page on Tuesday that his new baby girl was born 'outside' of his marriage to his wife Jordyn Blum.
Canada’s children’s troubadour is selling his B.C. home, which is now up for grabs for $1,995,000.
As PricewaterhouseCoopers plans to enforce its back-to-office policy by tracking employees in the U.K., one employment lawyer explains whether the practice is legal in Canada.
A B.C. man has won his fight to keep a Great Dane in his condo – despite the building’s ban on pets.
An arbitrator's decision ordering two renters to cover more than $18,000 in repairs following a water leak at their landlord's home was "patently unreasonable," a B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled.
An arbitrator's decision ordering two renters to cover more than $18,000 in repairs following a water leak at their landlord's home was "patently unreasonable," a B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled.
A B.C. man has won his fight to keep a Great Dane in his condo – despite the building’s ban on pets.
The lucrative lobster fishery in Nova Scotia generates hundreds of millions of dollars for the provincial economy each year, but illegal fishing and lobster sales on the black market dominated discussions at the legislature this week.
In 2022, Tanya Frisk-Welburn and her husband bought what they hoped would be a dream home in Mexico.
Canadian National Railway Co. revised its earnings guidance for 2024 lower due to several factors including the recent labour stoppage.
Canada’s children’s troubadour is selling his B.C. home, which is now up for grabs for $1,995,000.
Francine has strengthened into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico and is advancing toward Louisiana.
Iraqi security officials said an explosion targeted a site used by the U.S. military next to Baghdad airport late Tuesday, one day before an expected visit by Iran's president.
A personal assistant convicted of killing and dismembering his former tech entrepreneur boss after stealing about US$400,000 from him has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
Mexico's Senate paused debate of a controversial judicial overhaul on Tuesday after protesters broke into the building, adding drama to already tense discussions of the reform, which critics fear could undermine the country's rule of law.
A city councillor in Switzerland has apologized and reportedly sought police protection against threats after she fired a sport pistol at an auction poster of a 14th-century Madonna and child painting and posted images of their bullet-ridden faces on social media.
The fundamental question ahead of their meeting in Philadelphia, one of the highest-stakes national debates in a generation, is whether – and how – the presidential candidates can deliver a compelling message.
Canadian-made weapons will be prohibited from reaching the Gaza Strip, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Tuesday.
Just days after demolishing his deal with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is holding a three-day strategy session with his MPs in Montreal. There, his MPs are embracing their new-found distance from what one called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 'radioactive' brand.
In his first press conference on the job, newly appointed Liberal economic growth task force chair Mark Carney said it's 'an honour' to serve in his new role, but wouldn't say whether he plans to run for political office, or whether he'll recommend changing the controversial carbon tax.
The market for weight-loss treatments is expected to see 16 new drugs vying for a slice of the lucrative business currently dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, according to estimates from analysts at Morningstar and Pitchbook.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says it asked provinces to get rid of existing COVID-19 vaccines to avoid confusion with new formulations that will have the same drug identification number.
A nine-year-old boy contracted an often-deadly disease during a in northern Ontario camping trip in July.
A daredevil billionaire rocketed back into orbit Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than anyone since NASA's Apollo moonshots.
During its glossy product announcement event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled a new role for its latest AirPods Pro model: medical device.
The Australian government on Tuesday promised to legislate this year to enforce a minimum age for children to access social media, but it has yet to announce how ages will be verified.
The Foo Fighters frontman announced that he recently became a father again, writing in a statement on his Instagram page on Tuesday that his new baby girl was born 'outside' of his marriage to his wife Jordyn Blum.
The first U.S. troops to deploy after the Sept. 11 attacks are suffering from radiation exposure that the government has yet to officially recognize 23 years later.
For the first time in almost 8,000 episodes, 'Wheel of Fortune' did not open with a hello from longtime host Pat Sajak.
As PricewaterhouseCoopers plans to enforce its back-to-office policy by tracking employees in the U.K., one employment lawyer explains whether the practice is legal in Canada.
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has ordered 7-Eleven Canada to pay a woman more than $900,000 in damages after she tripped on a pothole and broke her ankle in the parking lot of a convenience store.
A Canadian court has cleared the reorganization plan of Red Lobster that will see the seafood chain exit bankruptcy.
Barbara Kingsolver is this year's recipient of a National Book Award medal for literary achievement.
Givenchy has named Sarah Burton creative director for women’s and men’s collections, with immediate effect, the fashion house announced on Monday.
Do LGBTQ2S+ tourists have a green book-like system for staying safe while travelling in these politically precarious times? They don't have one. They have many.
Four of the league's last five Stanley Cup winners, and seven of the last 10 finalists, play in U.S. jurisdictions without state income tax.
Australian breaker Rachael Gunn, the Olympian widely known as B-Girl Raygun who went viral after her performance at the Paris Games, is now ranked the No. 1 breaker in the world.
Tyreek Hill's teammates and coaches used words like 'triggering' and a 'shame' to describe body camera footage showing a police officer yanking the Miami Dolphins receiver out of his sports car and forcing him face-first onto the ground during a traffic stop.
Nearly two-dozen drivers were caught in a speed trap outside a Vancouver elementary school on Thursday – as students were settling back into their daily routines.
Volvo Cars said on Wednesday that plug-in hybrids would continue to be a critical part of its profit growth plans over the next few years and that it would revamp its XC90 hybrid sports utility vehicle.
An Ontario man said he couldn't believe an electric car he bought three years ago for $20,000 would need a new battery at a cost of more than $33,000.
Mansour’s Menswear in Amherst, N.S., is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month
A beautiful Labour Day weekend at the lake was interrupted by some extreme weather when a tornado touched down in northern Ontario.
Charred stumps and the remains of fire-ravaged trees still cover large tracts of land on the Jasper landscape, but life is returning quickly down below.
Winnipeggers could soon be able to kick it into four-wheel drive and let it ride down the road on Bachman Turner Overdrive Way.
Mary Grace Rico is seeking help in getting treatment for a rare spinal condition.
Swimmer Nicholas Bennett and para canoeist Brianna Hennessy have been named Canada's flag-bearers for Sunday's closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Paris.
Halifax resident Tucker Bottomley started feeling the painful effects of rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 21.
Roger Barker was looking forward to exchanging a book at one of the Little Free Libraries that had been erected in his neighbourhood, until he found it vandalized.
You never know what you might find in your doorbell camera footage...
After five days of deliberations, jurors were unable to break their deadlock in the second-degree murder trial of Kane Carter, who is accused of fatally shooting a rival gang member and an innocent teen passerby in January 2018.
Telus customers living in or travelling through parts of the Fraser Canyon were unable to use their cell phones to call 911 Tuesday, after a construction accident damaged a network cable.
Canada’s children’s troubadour is selling his B.C. home, which is now up for grabs for $1,995,000.
A man has been seriously injured in a stabbing on a TTC streetcar in downtown Toronto.
The group which runs the historical Revue Cinema in Roncesvalles Village will be sticking around to manage the theatre after reaching a new agreement with the owners.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
A 14-year-old girl died in a crash north of Lethbridge on Tuesday morning. RCMP responded to the intersection of Township Road 102 and Range Road 221 in Lethbridge County around 9:40 a.m. for a two-vehicle collision.
Alberta's premier has reaffirmed her commitment to Calgary’s Green Line LRT as long as the project matches the province’s new above-ground vision.
A seemingly ordinary strip mall in northeast Calgary has become a hub for social disorder, prompting concerns from local residents and businesses.
The City of Ottawa's automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras continue to generate millions of dollars in revenue, and while some argue the cameras are merely revenue-generating tools, city officials insist the funds are being used exclusively for infrastructure improvements to make roads safer for all users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
An Ottawa woman says a travel agent's mistake thinking they were booking a trip from Ontario, California, and not Canada's capital, will force them to take a lengthy detour with a four-and-a-half-hour drive and five flights through Georgia and California to get to Venice, Italy for vacation.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
Last week, the RCMP arrested an alleged terror suspect in Ormstown, Que., and residents of the small community are still reeling.
Following the announcement of the end of the NDP-Liberal confidence and supply agreement, a new national survey reveals that 47 per cent of Canadians would support calling a federal election to be called, while only 34 per cent would prefer not to.
Provincial police (SQ) discovered the body of a woman in her sixties at a residence in the municipality of Sainte-Julienne, located in Lanaudière.
While questions about a future contract extension may hang over the head of the National Hockey League's best player these days, there's little question what appeals to Connor McDavid most about plying his trade in one of the circuit's smallest markets.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
The City of Edmonton will be front and centre as the 10th season of The Amazing Race Canada comes to an end tonight on CTV at 8 p.m.
The Nova Scotia RCMP is investigating the suspicious disappearance of a 55-year-old woman.
Mansour’s Menswear in Amherst, N.S., is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month
Despite what the default options on the payment terminal might read, most Canadians still want to tip around 15 per cent, according to a new survey.
The library inside West St. Paul School doesn’t have any books in it anymore. Instead, two classes of students and their teachers have moved in because there isn’t room for them anywhere else.
The City of Winnipeg is ordering a limo company to stop operating unless it settles six years of back taxes.
Ground has officially broken for the construction of the Anne Oake Recovery Centre.
The Regina International Airport (YQR), along with over 20 partner organizations, held an emergency training exercise featuring more than 150 people Tuesday.
Day two of the 38th annual Treaty 4 Gathering in the Fort Qu’Appelle Valley focused on youth.
A retirement community in southwest Regina was evacuated after a small fire was reported in the facility's basement.
A Simcoe, Ont. woman has been charged with assault after spraying her neighbour with a water gun.
Health officials are urging the public to take certain precautions to reduce their risk of getting rabies.
Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services says they’ve made some key changes that have resulted in improvements, including response times.
In 2022, Tanya Frisk-Welburn and her husband bought what they hoped would be a dream home in Mexico.
The City of Saskatoon is making its final preparations ahead of November's civic election.
With the arrival of September and more fall-like weather patterns – the likelihood of Saskatchewan seeing any more tornadoes this year is next to nothing.
A Pakistani citizen who was arrested last week in Quebec and charged with plotting a terrorist attack in New York City came to Canada on a student visa in June 2023, Immigration Minister Marc Miller has confirmed.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
As the 11th anniversary of her disappearance approaches, the family of missing Sudbury teen Meagan Pilon say they just want to know what happened to her.
On Tuesday, some changes were announced – moving on from their time with the Knights is Daren Machesney (goaltending coach), Matt Bogart (athletic therapist) and Thomas Black (video and assistant goaltending coach).
On Tuesday, the Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) considered an application by KAP Holdings to build a pair of three storey back-to-back cluster townhouses with 11 new residential units in addition to the existing three units.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
Tensions hit a high on Tuesday at Berczy Park as crews continued to dismantle a homeless encampment.
Emergency crews responded to a multi-vehicle collision in Bolton Tuesday morning that claimed the life of one person.
A Huntsville elementary school is locked down for the second time this week because of some bears roaming the schoolyard.
Reports indicate that violent crime in Winsdor’s Glengarry neighbourhood has decreased from an average of four incidents a month, to one.
The dream of a life on water has drowned in a sea of sadness for a group of Chatham-Kent residents who paid a Wallaceburg-based company for a floating home they never received.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
Renters in Esquimalt, B.C., say they are being caught in a housing conundrum—between the need to build more units and saving aging apartments that remain affordable.
Canada’s children’s troubadour is selling his B.C. home, which is now up for grabs for $1,995,000.
A B.C. man has won his fight to keep a Great Dane in his condo – despite the building’s ban on pets.
A woman suffered life-threatening injuries after being stabbed during a home invasion in Kelowna, according to authorities.
A 12-year-old collie was killed by three pit bulls in the B.C. Interior Sunday morning, according to authorities.
Mounties in northwestern B.C. say they have arrested the suspect in a fatal shooting almost exactly a year after it occurred.
The City of Lethbridge and its police force are looking at new ways to address substance abuse.
Two Lethbridge Police Service dogs began their retirement journeys on Tuesday, as the force welcomed its newest four-legged member.
Police in Lethbridge say a woman was left with serious injuries after being attacked with a weapon while she slept in her home.
A nine-year-old boy contracted an often-deadly disease during a in northern Ontario camping trip in July.
A beautiful Labour Day weekend at the lake was interrupted by some extreme weather when a tornado touched down in northern Ontario.
Monday marked International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day, and experts in the field say there is a lot the public doesn’t know about the disability.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
