Marvel’s Deadpool set an enormous record as it grossed a record-breaking $135 million over the three-day Valentine’s Day/Presidents Day weekend, one of the best showings of all time for a superhero movie and shattering all expectations.
The R-rated Ryan Reynolds’ film is estimating a colossal $150 million, a Presidents Day best that beats the $93 million grossed a year ago by sensation Fifty Shades of Grey over the four-day holiday weekend.
This is a significant victory for Fox and Reynolds, who spent more than a decade convincing the studio to let him make the X-Men spinoff his way, i.e., with a hard R rating. Fox finally said yes but kept the net budget at a relatively modest $58 million. Every other studio superhero movie in recent times has been rated PG-13; Deadpool alters the game.
Outside the US, Deadpool opened to $125 million from 61 markets, including scoring the biggest opening of all time in Russia with $12.4 million, besting Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s also the biggest Fox opening of all time in 13 markets, including Australia ($10 million) and Taiwan ($8.3 million), and the top opening for a film with the equivalent of an R rating in 11 territories, including the Philippines ($2.8 million), known to be a conservative marketplace. Overall, the U.K. led with $20.1 million.
“Deadpool is wildly creative and new, and that’s what audiences want,” said Fox domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson. “I think a lot of credit goes to [Fox CEO] Jim Gianopulos for having the courage to make this movie.”
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