Box office: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ continues strong box office run during second weekend

Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” extended its domination of the box office, bringing in $97 million in its second weekend of release, making it the second-biggest movie of the year, behind “Inside Out 2.”

The comic book franchise sequel, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, already broke the record for the biggest domestic opening for an R-rated movie, with a $205-million first weekend, according to Comscore estimates.

The movie took the eighth spot for the biggest sophomore weekend opening in domestic box office history, eclipsing last year’s summer phenomenon “Barbie,” which earned $93 million in its second weekend outing, according to Variety.

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At a time of concern over superhero fatigue, “Deadpool & Wolverine” has given a jolt to the genre, grossing $395 million domestically, overtaking the first two “Deadpool” installments. It is largely expected to cross the $1 billion threshold within days. “Inside Out 2” has grossed more than $1.55 billion worldwide, after eight weekends in release.

“Twisters,” Universal’s reimagining of the 1996 blockbuster, starring Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, took the No. 2 spot domestically with $22 million during its third weekend, grossing $195 million to date.

Not screened for critics, M. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller “Trap” opened in third place with $15 million. Sony’s “Harold and the Purple Crayon,” adapted from the children’s book of the same name, earned a disappointing $6 million, placing sixth.

This weekend, Walt Disney Studios became the first studio to cross the $3 billion mark globally during a year’s ticket sales — a success fueled by the 2024 releases of “Inside Out 2,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and “The First Omen.”

Overall, the box office had its strongest week of the year to date, a robust $418 million. Per Comscore analysis, July alone generated $1.2 billion in domestic revenue, making it the first billion-dollar-plus month since July 2023.