The self-proclaimed Marvel Jesus is about to have a big second coming. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is dominating the charts again after earning $28.3 million on Friday. As the Ryan Reynolds-Hugh Jackman superhero two-hander enters its second year, it has already surpassed a $300 million domestic total and is now the second-highest-grossing domestic release of the year so far, surpassing “My Despicable 4”. and “Dune: Part Two”.
What’s more, “Deadpool & Wolverine” seems poised to have a much tighter grip than the average comic book adaptation. Superhero blockbusters can often suffer big drops in their second weekends after the first wave of fans have rushed to see the film. Rivals are putting Disney’s release at a 55% drop, demonstrating that “Deadpool & Wolverine” has immense appeal beyond Marvel diehards. The sequel also continues its performance in premium large-format venues, such as Imax auditoriums, this weekend.
Records continue to fall for “Deadpool,” including the highest domestic box office gross of all time for an R-rated film, held for more than 20 years by “The Passion of the Christ” ($370 million). “Deadpool & Wolverine” appears to surpass that number in just its second weekend and there are no real signs of slowing down after that.
Meanwhile, M. Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller, “Trap,” is doing brisk business after grossing $6.7 million on Friday and having preview screenings at 3,181 locations. That’s up from the $5.4 million opening day of the director’s last feature film, “Knock at the Cabin,” which premiered in February 2023. The new feature, starring Josh Hartnett as a serial killer avoiding a police sting at the pop concert he brought his daughter to, is seeking a third-place debut, in line with projections for a three-day gross of $15 million.
“Trap” is largely self-financed by Shyamalan and distributed by Warner Bros. Reviews are negative, although the film was not screened for critics before opening day. Audience sentiment is also not positive, with ticket buyer research firm Cinema Score giving the film a “C+” grade. That lackluster response may slow “Trap” down after its premiere, but the mid-budget thriller is meeting expectations for now.
Also debuting this weekend after some delays in Sony’s release calendar, the adaptation of the children’s book “Harold and the Purple Crayon” is wrapping up after grossing a meager $2.4 million on its opening day in 3,325 locations . The family film is in serious danger of opening outside the national top five, behind the eighth weekend of “Inside Out 2”.
With a $40 million production budget, it’s not necessarily impossible to imagine the Zachary Levi vehicle managing to attract a few families by August for a more financially forgiving total gross – especially after receiving a positive response from early audiences (a “ A-” grade in Cinema Score). But terrible reviews and a projected $6 million debut suggest a less auspicious trajectory.
Amblin’s “Twisters” continue to maintain speed in a crowded market, once again placing second. The Universal release is expected to gross $22 million in its third weekend of release, which would represent a small 37% drop from its sophomore release. The natural disaster thriller has now surpassed “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($170 million) to become the year’s eighth-highest-grossing domestic release.
Universal also has another top five spot with “Despicable Me 4,” still drawing a crowd in its fifth weekend of release. The Illumination sequel is projecting $11.1 million in the three-day period, for a 24% drop. Total domestic grosses surpassed $300 million earlier this week – one of only three titles this year to reach that milestone.
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