The summer movie series has a strong start, thanks to ” Doctor Strange & the Multiverse of Madness”. The superhero extravaganza generated an estimated $185million in ticket sales on its first weekend in U.S. theaters and Canadian theaters, according to the Walt Disney Co. Sunday.
It opened more than twice the amount of the original “Doctor Strange” opening, which was $85 million in 2016. It’s also the largest opener of 2016, ahead of “The Batman’s $134 million. It’s the second-largest pandemic, after “Spider-Man: Far From Home’s $260.1 million, and the sixth-largest of all time worldwide.
It’s also doing well internationally, with an estimated $265million in international sales since Wednesday’s opening. In total, Doctor Strange 2 has made $450 million.
The huge debut of Spider-Man can be attributed at least in part to the character. The powerful sorcerer of Benedict Cumberbatch was prominently featured in ” Spider-Man”, which became the third-largest movie ever since its December opening. “Doctor Strange 2” takes place several months after “No Way Home” and introduces Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff.
It also has a huge footprint. The film is currently playing in 4,534 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, making it the seventh-largest opening. 36% of the total box office was accounted for by premium format screens such as IMAX or 3D.
Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX said that the summer blockbuster season was off to a roaring begin with ‘Doctor Strange’ — a great sign for the incredible slate ahead.
The summer movie season in Hollywood usually begins in May and ends in August. It accounts for approximately 40% of the year’s gross revenues and regularly exceeds $4 billion in ticket sales.
Sam Raimi took over the direction of “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness.” It reportedly cost $200 million to produce, but that doesn’t include the millions of dollars spent on marketing.
The film trended on social media over the weekend for everything, from its many cameos to a lively debate about its PG-13 rating and whether the horror elements warranted a more restrictive rating.
Paul Dergarabedian (Comscore senior media analyst) said that this is a major win for the industry. “The last two summers were almost non-existent in terms of the box office.” “Marvel has been starting summers for more than a decade. This is a return to normalcy.
There were few other films left to be seen in cinemas. Many multiplexes packed their theaters with “Doctor Strange” screenings. Matt Singer, the Film Critic, tweeted a photo of a Manhattan AMC that offered 70 screenings.
Universal Animation and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys”, which earned an estimated $9.8M, fell to second, while Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” came in third, earning $6.2M.
Fourth place went to “Fantastic Beasts – The Secrets of Dumbledore”, which earned $3.9 million. This brings its domestic total up to $86 million. Fifth place went to “Everything Everywhere At Once,” a multiverse-themed film. It saw a slight drop in its seventh week, but it is still moving at a rapid pace with $3.3 million in additional screens. The total grossing of the A24 film is $41.6 million.
The success of Doctor Strange 2 only serves to build momentum for big summer movies like “Top Gun: Maverick” which opens May 27.
Dergarabedian stated, “We have a real summer movie season on our hands. Something we couldn’t imagine two years ago.” It’s been a long wait.
According to Comscore, Friday through Sunday ticket sales were estimated at U.S. theaters and Canadian theatres. Monday will see the release of final domestic figures.
1. $185 Million. “Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness.”
2. “The Bad Guys,” $9.8 Million
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2, $6.2 Million
4. “Fantastic Beasts – The Secrets of Dumbledore,” $3.9 Million
5. “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, $3.3 Million
6. “The Northman,”$2.8 million.
7. “The Lost City”, $2.5 Million
8. “The Unbearable Mass of Massive Talent,” $1.5 Million
9. “Memory,” $1.2 million.
10. “Father Stu,” $800,000.
