‘ Deadpool’ kills box office with record $ 135M
R- rated superhero blasts past rivals at the box office
Time to crack open the celebratory cheap wine for Deadpool, which soared to a head- turning, historic opening weekend at the box office with $ 135 million, according to studio estimates.
The R- rated superhero movie, featuring Ryan Reynolds as Marvel’s foulmouthed, irreverent Deadpool, set a slew of records: the biggest R- rated opening ( beating 2003’ s The Matrix Reloaded, which opened with $ 91.8 million), the biggest February weekend and biggest Presidents’ Day four- day weekend ( beating 2015’ s Fifty Shades of Grey, with $ 85.2 million for the former and $ 93 million for the latter).
Deadpool is expected to take an overwhelming $ 150 million over the four- day holiday weekend.
Deadpool was a hit on every level, scoring 84% critical approval on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. com and an A from audiences on Cinema Score. Producer Simon Kinberg told USA TODAY Friday that he sent a special gift to Reynolds and his co- stars to celebrate: boxed white wine.
Deadpool laid waste to the other major film openings, which included Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson’s Zoolander 2 and Rebel Wilson and Dakota Johnson’s How to Be Single.
Second place for the weekend went to Jack Black’s family- friendly animated Kung Fu Panda 3, which made $ 19.7 million ($ 93.9 million total after three weeks of release). Panda 3 is projected to pass the $ 100 million mark at the end of the four- day weekend.
How to Be Single took third with $ 18.8 million.
Zoolander 2, which brought back Stiller and Wilson’s famed male models from 2001’ s Zoolander, ended in a catwalk stumble and a disappointing fourth with $ 15.7 million.
Leonardo Di Caprio’s starring turn in the awards contender The Revenant rounded out the top five with $ 6.9 million for $ 159.2 million total after eight weeks.
Final numbers are expected Tuesday.