Deadpool & Wolverine is showing no sign of slowing down. On the contrary, it is enjoying one of the biggest second weekends in history as it obliterates more records.
The Marvel Studios and Disney tentpole earned another $28.3 million on Friday, putting it on course to gross a better-than-expected $94 million to $96 million in its sophomore outing for a 10-day domestic total north of $390 million. It also achieved another milestone on Friday when crossing the $300 million threshold and passing up Deadpool 2‘s lifetime domestic cume of $318.5 million.
By Sunday, the movie will pass up the entire lifetime runs of the first two films both domestically and globally after just two weeks in theaters. Deadpool‘s domestic earnings were $363.1 million for a global total of $782.6 worldwide; the sequel’s worldwide total is $734.5 million.
Other records to watch for this weekend: Deadpool & Wolverine will pass up the entire lifetime runs of the first two films both domestically and globally after just two weeks in theaters. Its worldwide tally should stand at $785 million to $800 million through Sunday as it shoots up the list of top-grossing R-rated films worldwide to No. 3. Todd Phillips’ Joker is presently No. 1 at $1.064 billion, so it will take another week or so for Deadpool & Wolverine to overtake that film (bets are on the film to ultimately land in the $1.2 billion range).
Another major feather-in-the-mask for star and franchise mastermind Ryan Reynolds: the Deadpool threequel will supplant Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ as the top-grossing R-rated movie of all time domestically sometime over the weekend as its total cume crosses $390 million (Passion of the Christ earned $371 million), not adjusted for inflation.
Marvel Studios and Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Shawn Levy and co-starring Hugh Jackman, is leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, although Amblin Entertainmen’s Twisters is holding its own.
Twisters, distributed by Universal domestically, is on course to drop a scant 37 percent its third weekend to $22 million for a domestic total of $194 million-plus.
M. Night Shyamalan‘s Trap, starring Josh Hartnett, is opening in third place with an estimated $15.5 million, in line with expectations. Warner Bros. is distributing the thriller, which is battling generally meh reviews and a C+ CinemaScore.
Animated event pics Despicable Me 4 — which is crossing the $300 million mark domestically — and $600 million-plus blockbuster Inside Out 2 will follow in fourth and fifth place with an estimated $11 million and $6.7 million, respectively.
That relegates Sony’s new book-to-film adaptation Harold and the Purple Crayon to sixth place. The kids’ movie is looking at a dismal $6 million opening, despite an A- CinemaScore from those who did turn up. Critics, however, panned the pic.
Numbers will be updated Sunday morning.