Box Office: 'Deadpool 2' Propels to $125 Million Opening

LOS ANGELES - 21 May 2018: Deadpool might not consider himself a superhero, but its latest installment is off to a powerful start.

The Marvel Comics film from 20th Century Fox debuted in North American with $125 million in 4,349 locations. That wasn't enough to match the debut of its predecessor, 2016's "Deadpool," which had the biggest opening ever for an R-rated film with $132.4 million. The Ryan Reynolds-starrer bowed overseas with $176 million for a global weekend total of $301 million.

Although it debuted under estimates, "Deadpool 2's" launch was nothing to complain about. It still secured the second-best opening for an R-rated film, as well as the third-biggest debut of the year behind Marvel blockbusters "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Black Panther." It also secured Fox its second-highest opening weekend in history.

The sequel is still boasting a strong critical consensus, with an 84 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating and an A CinemaScore.

Its opening was enough to crush "Avengers: Infinity War's" reign on the domestic box office. After securing the No. 1 spot for three weeks, the Disney and Marvel superhero tentpole dropped to second place. Its fourth weekend haul was still impressive, reeling in $29 million from 4,002 screens. "Infinity War's" domestic tally currently sits at $595.4 million.

"Infinity War" was followed by Paramount Pictures' new release, "Book Club." The romantic comedy -- starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen -- came in slightly ahead of expectations, earning $12.3 million on 2,781 screens.

The weekend's other newcomer, Global Road Entertainment's "Show Dogs," landed in sixth place, only digging up $6 million from 3,212 locations. The family-friendly comedy garnered an A CinemaScore. Its Rotten Tomatoes critical score didn't fare quite as well, averaging a 26 percent.

Rounding out the top five is two film's sophomore frames. Warner Bros.' "Life of the Party" rallied in $7.5 million from 3,656 locations. Domestically, it has made $30.9 million. Universal's "Breaking In" secured $6.5 million on 2,537 screens. In two weeks, it's earned $28.8 million.

In the specialty market, Focus Features' "Pope Francis - A Man of His Word" opened with $480,000 on 346 screens for a per screen average of $1,389.

"RBG," the documentary on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is still holding strong. In its third weekend, it expanded to 375 locations for a three-day total of $1.28 million. That's a per screen average of $3,413. Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media co-produced the film with Storyville Films and CNN Films.

Thanks to a trio of superhero powerhouses, the domestic box office is up 6.3 percent from 2017, according to comScore. The weekend-to-date is up a staggering 62.9 percent, compared to 2017 when "Alien: Covenant" was the No. 1 film.

"A crowded powerhouse of a mid-May weekend benefited from a very diverse lineup of newcomers to appeal to almost every taste and demographic," Paul Dergarabedian, box office analysis at comScore, said.


Actress Morena Baccarin poses on the red carpet during the premiere of "Deadpool 2" in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton


Actor Josh Brolin poses on the red carpet during the premiere of "Deadpool 2" in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton


Actor Ryan Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively pose on the red carpet during the premiere of "Deadpool 2" in Manhattan, New York, U.S., May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton