Deadpool Debut Breaks Several Records
Twentieth Century Fox’s Deadpool exploded last weekend (Feb. 12-15) with a four-day debut of $152.19 million. The Ryan Reynolds led antihero film exceeded expectations and the previous four-day Presidents Day weekend record of $93.01 million set last year by Fifty Shades of Grey. Deadpool also set a new benchmark for the X-Men universe, as the film opened 22 percent higher than the $122.86 million four-day launch of 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand and 36 percent stronger than the $110.58 million four-day start of last year’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. The comparison to Days of Future Past is especially impressive given that Deadpool didn’t have the added advantage of higher priced 3D admissions and opened in 438 fewer locations.
The film took in $132.43 million over the traditional three-day weekend, which represents the 17th largest opening weekend performance of all-time without taking into inflation account. Deadpool broke the previous all-time R-rated and February three-day opening weekend records, as the film opened 45 percent ahead of the $91.77 million 2003 debut of previous R-rated record holder The Matrix Reloaded and 56 percent ahead of the $85.17 million take of previous February record holder Fifty Shades of Grey. It also claimed the fifth largest three-day debut ever for a Marvel adaptation behind only 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers, last year’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, 2013’s Iron Man 3 and 2007’s Spider-Man 3 and the seventh largest three-day debut ever for a comic book adaption of any kind behind 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises and 2008’s The Dark Knight in addition to the four Marvel films.
Fellow 20th Century Fox release Kung Fu Panda 3 placed a distant second place with a four-day take of $25.91 million. The 3D computer animated sequel from DreamWorks Animation was up 22 percent over the previous three-day weekend. It was helped out last weekend by no new family films entering the marketplace, by the four-day holiday and by Super Bowl 50 having deflated the previous weekend’s grosses in general. Kung Fu Panda 3 has grossed $100.17 million in 18 days. It is likely to hold up well throughout the rest of February, thanks in part to no new family films entering theaters until Disney’s Zootopia on Mar. 4. The film took in $19.76 million over the traditional three-day weekend.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ How to Be Single debuted in third with a four-day start of $19.90 million. The romantic comedy from New Line and MGM featuring Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson opened in line with expectations. It benefited from Valentine’s Day falling on Sunday and from representing a better alternative to Deadpool than Zoolander 2 did. How to Be Single earned $17.88 million over the traditional three-day weekend.
Paramount Pictures’ Zoolander 2 had to settle for a fourth place four-day take of just $15.88 million. The PG-13 rated comedy sequel starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson opened below expectations, which ranged between $20-$25 million. While the movies generated strong online activity before its release, that online activity and the film’s cult following failed to transfer over to the box office. The break-out performance of Deadpool also limited the potential of Zoolander 2 last weekend. Without taking into account 15 years of inflation, the four-day start for Zoolander 2 was a disappointing 2.5 percent below the $16.41 million four-day gross of 2001’s Zoolander. It earned $13.84 million during three normal three-day weekend.
Walt Disney Studios’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens and 20th Century Fox’s The Revenant claimed fifth and sixth place with respective four-day takes of $7.64 million and $7.58 million. Both films held up nicely over the holiday, as The Force Awakens was up 9 percent and The Revenant was up 12 percent over the previous weekend. Respective total grosses stand at $916.28 million for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and $159.84 million for The Revenant. Three-day earnings were $6.56 million and $6.40 million respectively.
Universal Pictures’ Hail, Caesar! and Lionsgate’s The Choicetook seventh and eighth place with respective estimated four-day grosses of $7.37 million and $5.84 million. Hail, Caesar! was down 36 percent from the previous weekend’s three-day debut, while The Choice was down 2 percent thanks in part to its Valentine’s Day appeal. Respective eleven-day grosses stand at $22.14 million for Hail, Caesar! and $13.83 million for The Choice.
This Week | Last Week | Movie | Weekend Gross | Cumulative Gross | Weeks |
1 | N/A | Deadpool | $152.19M | $152.19M | 1 |
2 | 1 | Kung Fu Panda 3 | $25.91M | $100.18M | 3 |
3 | N/A | How to Be Single | $19.90M | $19.90M | 1 |
4 | N/A | Zoolander 2 | $15.88M | $15.88M | 1 |
5 | 3 | Star Wars: The Force Awakens | $7.64M | $916.26M | 9 |
6 | 4 | The Revenant | $7.58M | $159.85M | 8 |
7 | 2 | Hail, Caesar! | $7.37M | $22.14M | 2 |
8 | 5 | The Choice | $5.82M | $13.83M | 2 |
9 | 8 | Ride Along 2 | $5.09M | $83.62M | 5 |
10 | 9 | The Boy | $3.578M | $31.44M | 4 |
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.