Deadpool & Wolverine Dominates Box Office with $205M Opening Weekend

Shawn Levy’s latest Marvel Studios production, featuring the dynamic duo of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, has taken the box office by storm, setting new benchmarks both domestically and internationally, with a total global debut of $438.3 million.

Directed by Shawn Levy and closely coordinated with Ryan Reynolds, “Deadpool & Wolverine” achieved an astounding $205 million opening weekend in North America. This colossal figure not only secures its place as the eighth-largest domestic opening ever but also shatters the previous R-rated film opening record, which was held by the first “Deadpool” movie at $133.7 million.

On the global stage, the movie amassed $233.3 million internationally, culminating in a remarkable worldwide total of $438.3 million. Pre-release estimates had projected the film to earn between $160 million and $175 million, already high for an R-rated film, yet “Deadpool & Wolverine” exceeded those expectations.

This film sets several milestones domestically: it is the largest opening ever for Reynolds, Levy, and Jackman, the fifth-biggest superhero film debut, the top July opening, the largest of 2024 so far, and the biggest release since “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in 2021.

As Disney’s inaugural R-rated release, “Deadpool & Wolverine” marks a significant moment for Marvel Studios under Kevin Feige’s leadership, signaling a resurgence. The film’s stellar performance is driven by positive reviews, strong word-of-mouth, and a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, second only to “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

The original “Deadpool” made history in February 2016 by proving an R-rated superhero film could dominate the box office with its $133.7 million opening. “Deadpool 2” continued this success, debuting with $125.5 million.

Following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Marvel Studios inherited the Deadpool franchise, expanding their roster of X-Men universe characters.

In other box office news, Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has now become the highest-grossing animated film domestically, surpassing “Incredibles 2” with $613.4 million in North America and a global haul of $1.5 billion.

Additionally, Universal’s “Twisters” maintained its momentum in its second weekend, earning $36 million, bringing its domestic total to $155.6 million over ten days. The horror film “Longlegs” also made headlines, becoming Neon’s biggest film with $58.6 million in domestic ticket sales, overtaking the Oscar-winning “Parasite.”