Deadpool & Wolverine Shatters Box Office Records

Hollywood, CA, July 2024 – Marvel Studios has scored another massive hit with "Deadpool & Wolverine," which smashed box office records this weekend. The highly anticipated film, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, achieved a staggering $205 million domestic opening, setting a new benchmark for R-rated films. The global box office total reached an impressive $438.3 million, making it the highest-grossing R-rated opening both domestically and globally.

The film opened on 4,210 screens, achieving an outstanding per-screen average of $48,694, placing it among the top ten all-time in per-screen averages, just above "The Avengers" (2012). This success also surpasses the opening weekend of Marvel's "Black Panther," making "Deadpool & Wolverine" the eighth highest domestic opening weekend ever.

The success of "Deadpool & Wolverine" has propelled the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) past the $30 billion mark in global earnings. The film’s release marks the biggest global opening of 2024, trailing only "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022) in recent years. Disney, the parent company of Marvel Studios, has dominated the summer box office, releasing the top films in May ("Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"), June ("Inside Out 2"), and now July.

Significantly, 18% of the film's total gross came from Premium Large Format theaters, including IMAX, 3D, and specialty formats like 4DX and D-Box. The global IMAX network alone contributed $36.5 million to the gross, with $19.1 million coming from domestic IMAX screenings.

Despite mixed-positive critical reviews, with an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received overwhelmingly positive audience feedback, boasting a 97% audience score and an "A" CinemaScore. ComScore's PostTrak data indicates strong viewer satisfaction, with 94% of audiences rating it positively and 70% describing it as "excellent."

The film’s demographic breakdown revealed a primarily male audience (64%), with strong attendance among young adults aged 18-34, who accounted for 60% of the total viewers. The ethnic breakdown showed a diverse audience: 36% Caucasian, 31% Hispanic, 17% African American, and 17% Asian.

"Deadpool & Wolverine" launched with $38.5 million in Thursday night previews, the largest preview haul of the year, surpassing "Inside Out 2" and previous Deadpool films. The opening weekend's performance ranks it eighth in all-time previews, between "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

The film's impressive performance follows a string of successful Marvel releases, demonstrating the ongoing strength of the MCU at the box office. Marvel fans eagerly anticipate how "Deadpool & Wolverine" will perform in the coming weeks, as it faces competition from new releases like Warner Bros.' thriller "Trap" and Sony's family film "Harold and the Purple Crayon."

The weekend's success highlights the continued draw of Marvel properties, with Deadpool and Wolverine's unique dynamic and humor resonating with audiences. The combination of beloved characters, star power, and Marvel’s innovative marketing strategies has proven to be a winning formula yet again, reinforcing the studio's dominance in the superhero genre.