‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Breaks R-Rated Record with $205M, 8th Biggest Opening

Marvel has reclaimed its top spot with the release of “Deadpool & Wolverine.” According to studio estimates on Sunday, the comic-book film amassed an astounding $205 million in its opening weekend in North American theaters.

This achievement shattered the previous opening record for R-rated films, which was held by the first “Deadpool” movie at $132 million. “Deadpool & Wolverine” also secured a place among the top 10 opening weekends of all time.

Combining domestic and international revenue, where it gathered an additional $233.3 million from 52 markets, the movie’s global opening has exceeded $438.3 million.

Interestingly, “Deadpool & Wolverine” marked a shift from the tone of earlier X-Men or Deadpool movies, leaning more into the style of an Avengers film.

In terms of domestic opening weekends, “Deadpool & Wolverine” now holds the 8th spot, nestled between “The Avengers” ($207.4 million) and “Black Panther” ($202 million), pushing “Avengers: Age of Ultron” ($191.3 million) out of the top 10.

It’s the biggest opening of the year so far, dethroning Disney’s “Inside Out 2” ($154.2 million), and boasts the most tickets sold during an opening weekend since “Barbie” ($162 million) hit theaters last July. “Deadpool & Wolverine”—which played in 4,210 locations—also surpassed 2019’s “The Lion King” ($191.8 million) to become the largest July opening ever and is the 34th consecutive MCU film to debut in first place. These numbers were previously thought impossible for an R-rated film.

“It’s great news, full stop,” said Tony Chambers, head of theatrical distribution for Disney. “This success is fantastic for Disney, for Marvel, and for the industry as a whole. We’ve said it before, but success begets success.”

Chambers added that hitting these numbers with an R-rating is “nothing short of phenomenal.”

The Walt Disney Studios release comes at a crucial moment for an industry still struggling with box office returns that are lagging behind last year’s figures. Disney has been a key player this summer, releasing top movies in May (“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”), June (“Inside Out 2”), and now July.

This success is especially significant for Marvel Studios, which has recently faced some notable disappointments, including “The Marvels,” which had the lowest opening for an MCU film at $47 million last November.

Elsewhere, superhero films have also struggled: Sony hit a high with “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($1.9 billion worldwide) but a low with “Madame Web,” which barely scraped past $100 million. Warner Bros. Discovery is currently trying to restart its DC universe under James Gunn’s supervision following a series of flops like “The Flash” and “Blue Beetle.”

Marvel’s new success came from two characters that initially existed outside of the MCU. Deadpool and Wolverine, played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively, were previously under the 21st Century Fox banner, which held the rights to characters like the “X-Men” and “Fantastic Four” for two decades. Disney’s 2019 acquisition of Fox’s film and TV assets allowed Marvel Studios to integrate these characters into the MCU.

Directed by Shawn Levy, “Deadpool & Wolverine” benefitted from the star power of Reynolds and Jackman.

At the Comic-Con fan convention, Marvel also hinted at future projects, including Robert Downey Jr.’s return—not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom.

Analysts initially predicted a more conservative $160 million domestic opening for “Deadpool & Wolverine.” However, from the 3 p.m. Thursday preview screenings, it was clear that the film was a heavy hitter. By the end of Friday, it had already made $96 million and earned an A CinemaScore from audiences. Critics have also been mostly positive. Premium screens, like IMAX and other large formats, contributed 18% of the total box office.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, noted, “Historically, PG-13 is the rating that gets you the biggest return. The old rule that R-rated movies have a box office ceiling was shattered this weekend. The edgier content actually enhances its appeal to older teens and young 20-somethings.”

The top domestic opening of all time still 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).

In second place, Universal’s “Twisters” brought in $35.3 million during its second weekend, bringing its North American total to $154.9 million. “Despicable Me 4,” also from Universal, took third place, adding $14.2 million in its fourth weekend to reach nearly $291 million domestically.

Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” came in fourth place with $8.3 million. The film recently become the top-grossing animated film domestically with $613.4 million, surpassing “Incredibles 2.” It also accumulated $1.5 billion globally, making it the 12th highest-earning global release of all time.

This all contributes to one of the top 10 domestic grossing weekends ever, with a total of $277.5 million, according to Comscore. This surpasses the same weekend last year when “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” brought the box office to over $216.9 million in their second weekends.

“This weekend will go down in history,” Dergarabedian said. “Hopefully, this momentum will carry into August.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday:

1. “Deadpool & Wolverine,” $205 million.

2. “Twisters,” $35.3 million.

3. “Despicable Me 4,” $14.2 million.

4. “Inside Out 2,” $8.3 million.

5. “Longlegs,” $6.8 million.

6. “A Quiet Place: Day One,” $3 million.

7. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” $1.3 million.

8. “The Fabulous Four,” $1 million.

9. “Fly Me to the Moon,” $750,000.

10. “Raayan,” $378,571.

Source: AP, Comscore