‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ tops $1 billion at global box office

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

LOS ANGELES – “Deadpool & Wolverine” has become the second R-rated film to top $1 billion at the global box office – and it’s on its way to becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.

The third film featuring Marvel’s superhero character played by Ryan Reynolds, which co-stars stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, has tallied $1.029 billion.

It is the second Disney film to top $1 billion at the global box office this year. Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has generated more than $1.5 billion since its opening in June.

In North America, “Deadpool & Wolverine” continues to rack up impressive numbers at the box office, grossing a hefty $54.1 million in its third weekend to lead all films in the United States and Canada, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

“This film set the blueprint for how to create the perfect box office beast, from a novel marketing strategy that included a viral popcorn bucket to a perfect release date, Ryan Reynolds’ tireless promotion of the film and, most importantly, a great movie that was embraced by critics and fans alike, led up to this moment a mere three weeks into the film’s amazing run in theatres across the globe,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Another great moment for Disney after what was a rather slow post-pandemic period for the studio.”

“It Ends with Us,” a domestic violence drama starring Blake Lively — who is married to Reynolds — had a strong opening weekend with $50 million for second place, Comscore reported.

“Twisters” was next with $15 million Friday through Sunday in its fourth weekend in theaters in the United States and Canada.

The action film “Borderlands” opened in fourth place with $8.8 million, followed by  “Despicable Me 4,” which took in $8 million in its sixth weekend.

Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases were “Trap” ($6.7 million), “Inside Out 2” ($4.9 million), “Harold and the Purple Crayon” ($3.1 million), “Cuckoo” ($3 million) and “Longlegs” ($2 million).

This weekend saw “Deadpool & Wolverine” remain the No. 1 non-local movie in most markets including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and Mexico, according to Deadline.

Here are the Top 10 markets to date:

China ($54.8 million), UK ($54.4 million), Mexico ($38.2 million), Australia ($31.3 million), Germany ($25.5 million), France ($23.6 million), Brazil ($22.1 million), Spain ($18.9 million), India ($17.9 million) and Italy ($15.6 million).

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