" Deadpool Wolverine " has gotten off to a supercharged start at the box office, breaking the Thursday preview record for an R-rated movie. The comic-book film sold an estimated 38.5 million worth of movie tickets from preview screenings Thursday, Disney said Friday.
The previous R-rated record-holder was "Deadpool 2," released by Fox's 20th Century Studios in May of 2018. That made 18.6 million from Thursday previews and went on to make 125.5 million in its first weekend.
In fact, the previews played more like "Star Wars The Rise of the Skywalker" 40 million and "Avengers Infinity War" 39 million than the previous two "Deadpool" movies.
The arrival of "Deadpool Wolverine" has been long awaited by both audiences and theater owners. The box office as a whole continues to trail last year down 17, partially due to ripple effects of the actors strike affecting release schedule and a lack of major hits. Compared to the pre-pandemic 2019, 2024 is down over 34.
"Deadpool Wolverine" is also the first Marvel movie of the summer season - a crucial 123 day earnings corridor for Hollywood that often accounts for some 40 of the annual box office total. Unlike many summers over the past decade, this year did not kick off with a blockbuster Marvel film The business has been struggling to regain that footing since.
