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Marvel’s Wolverine and Deadpool shattered box office records this weekend and movie theater companies are celebrating.
The R-rated superhero action flick, produced by Marvel Studios and Disney, just had the sixth largest opening weekend of all-time in the U.S., generating $211 million in the domestic box office. It was also the largest opening for an R-rated film ever. Globally, the movie made $441.1 million.
Execs at major movie theater companies in the U.S. are commemorating the movie’s success, as cinemas have struggled to maintain pre-pandemic attendance levels and are still recovering from the the Hollywood writers and actors strikes from last summer.
“It is certainly good news for those who care about AMC that with Deadpool & Wolverine we enjoyed the highest ever attendance and highest ever admissions revenue for the opening weekend of a rated-R movie in AMC’s company history, said Adam Aron, the chairman and CEO of AMC, the largest movie theater company in the U.S.
Aron, added in a press release, that the company achieved its highest food and beverage revenue in a single weekend since 2019. Deadpool & Wolverine merch including multiple popcorn buckets also sold out.
Premium format screenings, like IMAX, accounted for 18% of of the movies gross box office.
“Deadpool & Wolverine delivered one of the biggest IMAX opening weekends of all time — continuing our hot start to the third quarter and furthering our momentum ahead of a fantastic slate over the next several years,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, in a press release.
IMAX said its screenings of the movie generated $36.5 million globally, making it its biggest July opening ever and its biggest debut weekend for and R-rated film.
Wolverine and Deadpool also broke records at Cinemark for biggest summer weekend debut, largest opening for premium formats and motion seat screenings, and highest concessions revenue since the pandemic.