‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Smash $1 Billion Globally, Dominate N. American Box Office

The superhero comedy “Deadpool & Wolverine” from Disney/Marvel celebrated an impressive third weekend, earning an estimated $54.2 million in North American theaters. Concurrently, Sony’s “It Ends With Us,” a dramatic romance, was on track to secure one of the genre’s top openings, according to analysts.

The film starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman has amassed over $1 billion globally, splitting the take between $494.3 million domestically and $535 million internationally, as reported by Exhibitor Relations. “Joker,” a Warner Bros. release from 2019, is the only other R-rated film to have hit this benchmark, Hollywood Reporter noted.

Meanwhile, “It Ends With Us” also performed remarkably well, drawing $50 million from Friday to Sunday, highlighted by the production and starring efforts of Blake Lively, making it a standout weekend for her and Reynolds. According to Variety, this marks the first August in history where two films have each garnered $50 million over the same weekend.

David A. Gross, an industry analyst, predicted that “It Ends With Us,” adapted from Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel, would rank among the greatest romance film openings, although “Fifty Shades of Grey” still holds the top spot with an $85.2 million debut.

Universal’s “Twisters” came in third, making $15 million and slipping from its previous position, featuring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones as intrepid storm chasers.

In fourth place was Lionsgate’s “Borderlands,” which opened to a disappointing $8.8 million despite its high-profile cast including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black. The film, which was critically not well received, had a production budget of around $100 million.

“Despicable Me 4” by Universal rounded out the top five, earning $8 million in its sixth week.

Completing the top ten were “Trap” at $6.7 million, “Inside Out 2” at $5 million, “Harold and the Purple Crayon” at $3.1 million, “Cuckoo” at $3 million, and “Longlegs” at $2 million.