‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ breaks box office records with $205 million

This image released by 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios shows Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson, left, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in a scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios via AP)

LOS ANGELES – “Deadpool & Wolverine” flexed superhuman strength at the box office this weekend, posting the eighth-best North American opening of all time with $205 million, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

The third film in a series of big-screen adaptations of Marvel’s superhero character Deadpool pairs Ryan Reynolds with Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and was directed by Shawn Levy. Its massive haul also marks the biggest opening weekend for any R-rated film, a record formerly held by the first “Deadpool” film in 2016.

“Twisters” was second with $35.3 million Friday through Sunday one week after opening in first place, Comscore reported.

“Despicable Me 4” was third with $14.2 million in its third weekend. “Inside Out 2” was fourth with $8.3 million in its seventh week, followed by “Longlegs” with $6.7 million in its third week.

Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases were “A Quiet Place: Day One” ($3 million), “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” ($1.2 million), “The Fabulous Four” ($1 million), “Fly Me to the Moon” ($750,000) and “Raayan” ($378,571).

This weekend’s overall three-day box office haul was estimated at $277.5 million. The year-to-date total is $4.693 billion — down 17 percent from the figure at this time last year, according to Comscore.

Domestically, “Deadpool & Wolverine” was the 8th highest-grossing opening of all time, the highest July opening weekend of all-time (surpassing 2019’s The Lion King), the biggest opening since 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and the second largest opening for a third installment behind only 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.”

As one of the most anticipated films of the year, “Deadpool & Wolverine” lived up to the hype garnering acclaim from critics and audiences. The action-packed Super Hero buddy film received an “A” CinemaScore, is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and holds a stellar audience score of 97 percent.

Director Shawn Levy said that the film gives fans want what they want in terms of action and laughs, but it will also include a warmth that ties everything together.

“I know people are expecting the funny; they’re going to get it. They’re expecting the action; they’re going to get it,” Levy — who is also a writer and producer on the film — said. “But the movie has a warmth as a result of the story we tell between these two guys where this unlikely friendship is built. That’s the piece I think people aren’t expecting.”

With “Deadpool & Wolverine” joining the ranks, Marvel movies are now worth more than $30 billion combined, Disney announced Sunday, making Marvel the highest grossing film franchise of all-time. (With CNS report)

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