The long-awaited Disney/Marvel Studios film, Deadpool & Wolverine, promises to break records at the box office during its release on July 26, 2024. According to projections from The Quorum (via deadline), the film directed by Shawn Levy is expected to reach between US$200 and US$239 million in its opening weekend, a record figure for an adult-rated film (R in the United States).
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What record will ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ break at the box office during its first weekend?
Until now, the opening record for a film with this classification is held by the first installment of ‘Deadpool – 84%’, which grossed US$132.4 million in February 2016. Even if ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ stays in the lower range of projections and grosses US$150 million, it would still surpass this record and become the biggest opening for both Ryan Reynolds as for Hugh Jackman. In addition, it would be the most successful premiere of the summer, even surpassing the projections for IntensaMente 2 – 82% from Disney/Pixar, which is expected to gross between US$120 and US$130 million this weekend.
The enthusiasm for the film is palpable. The first day of pre-sale tickets already broke previous records, increasing expectations that the premiere will be a massive event. Additionally, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ has recorded the highest PLF (Premium Large Format) score of the summer, indicating that a large portion of audiences plan to see it in the most advanced, high-quality formats available.
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This projected success is not only due to the popularity of Reynolds and Jackman, but also the lack of other significant MCU offerings this year. The film has generated a level of anticipation comparable to that of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, which had one of the biggest openings in history with US$260.1 million. Now the question arises whether ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ will become the highest-grossing adult-rated film in history.
What are the highest-grossing R-rated movies in history?
In the first three places among the highest-grossing adult-rated films in history are the first two installments of ‘Deadpool’, but the main rival to beat is a DC Comics film released in 2019:
‘Joker’ (2019) – US$1,074 million
‘Deadpool 2’ (2018) – US$786 million
‘Deadpool’ (2016) – US$782 million
‘The Matrix Reloaded’ (2003) – US$742 million
‘It’ (2017) – US$701 million
‘Logan’ (2017) – US$619 million
‘The Passion of the Christ’ (2004) – US$612 million
‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991) – US$520 million
‘Sniper’ (2014) – US$547 million
‘Happened yesterday? Part II’ (2011) – US$586 million
These films have shown that, despite audience restrictions, they can achieve huge box office numbers and attract a mass audience.
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