Deadpool & Wolverine’s $97M Second Weekend Sets R-Rated Film Record

NEW YORK (AP) — After just 10 days in theaters, “Deadpool & Wolverine” has already become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, not adjusted for inflation.

In its second weekend, the Marvel Studios blockbuster, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, continued to dominate the box office, raking in $97 million according to studio estimates released on Sunday. This brings its two-week total to $395.6 million, surpassing the longstanding top R-rated movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” which held the record for 20 years with $370 million domestically.

Globally, the Shawn Levy-directed “Deadpool & Wolverine” has quickly accumulated $824.1 million in ticket sales. This total already exceeds the global earnings of the first two “Deadpool” movies. The 2016 original grossed $782.6 million worldwide, while the 2018 sequel brought in $734.5 million.

The weekend’s main competitors struggled to make a significant impact.

M. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller, “Trap,” had a modest opening, earning $15.6 million at 3,181 theaters for Warner Bros. The film stars Josh Hartnett as a serial killer being hunted by police during a pop concert. It did not have advance screenings for critics and received lower-than-usual reviews for a Shyamalan film, with a 48% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it a C+ CinemaScore.

With a budget of about $35 million, “Trap” didn’t need a blockbuster opening, but it may still find it challenging to break even.

“This is a soft opening for an M. Night Shyamalan suspense crime thriller,” noted David A. Gross, a film consultant for Franchise Entertainment. “The writer/director’s movies usually outperform other original thrillers by a wide margin. However, this start is not on par with his recent films.”

Another movie, the live-action “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” which is adapted from the classic children’s book, also failed to make a significant impact in theaters. The Sony Pictures release debuted with $6 million. Critics were not impressed, giving it a 28% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences were more favorable, awarding it an A- CinemaScore.

The box office performance underscores the continuing popularity and drawing power of superhero films, especially those from Marvel Studios, even when rated R. Both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been significant contributors to this success, leveraging their star power and the popularity of their respective characters to draw audiences.

Meanwhile, the mixed reception for “Trap” and “Harold and the Purple Crayon” highlights the challenges faced by other genres in competing with blockbuster superhero films. Even well-known directors like M. Night Shyamalan can find it difficult to attract large audiences if their films do not meet the high expectations set by their previous works.

The success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” also points to a broader trend within the film industry, where sequels and franchise films continue to dominate the box office, often outperforming original content. As studios invest heavily in established franchises, other films may struggle to find similar levels of audience engagement and box office returns.

The enduring popularity of characters like Deadpool and Wolverine, coupled with Marvel’s consistent track record of successful films, suggests that superhero movies will continue to command significant attention and revenue in the entertainment industry. This phenomenon is likely to influence future trends in filmmaking and studio investments.

In conclusion, the overwhelming success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” reaffirms the potent combination of beloved characters, popular franchises, and star power in achieving box office triumphs. Conversely, the challenges faced by “Trap” and “Harold and the Purple Crayon” emphasize the competitive nature of the entertainment industry, where not all films manage to capture the audience’s interest to the same extent.

Source: Associated Press