‘Doctor Strange 2’ conjures up biggest 2022 opening

The summer movie season is off to a blockbuster start thanks to Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. The superhero extravaganza grossed an estimated $185 million in ticket sales in its first weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters, the Walt Disney Co. said Sunday.

Not only did it more than double the opening of the first Doctor Strange, it’s also the biggest opener of the year, ahead of The Batman’s $134 million; the second biggest of the pandemic, behind Spider-man: Far From Home’s $260.1 million; and the sixth biggest of all time globally.

Spider-man is at least partially to thank for the massive debut. Benedict Cumberbatch’s powerful sorcerer appeared prominently in Spider-man: No Way Home, which has become the third biggest movie of all time since opening in December.

“Summer blockbuster season is off to a roaring start with Doctor Strange — an excellent sign for the phenomenal slate ahead,” Rich Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX, said in a statement.

“This is a total win for the industry for whom the last two summers almost didn’t exist in terms of box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

“Marvel has been kicking off summers for over a decade. This is a return to normalcy.” AP