‘Doctor Strange’ on top for 2nd week

The box-office magic continued for Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which dominated domestic ticket sales for a second consecutive weekend.

The superhero sequel starring Benedict Cumberbatch (photo, left) as the titular sorcerer added $61 million at North American cinemas over the weekend to lead all films and boost its domestic gross to $291 million.

“Multiverse of Madness” has now made $688 million globally. It’s Hollywood’s second highest-grossing film of 2022, trailing only “The Batman,” which earned $767 million worldwide.

Directed by Sam Raimi, the new “Doctor Strange” follows Cumberbatch’s Dr. Stephen Strange as he navigates alternate dimensions that were opened in a spell gone wrong.

The film also stars Marvel veterans Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong (photo, right) and Rachel McAdams, while introducing franchise newcomer Xochitl Gomez.

“Multiverse of Madness” opened in theaters on May 6 and conjured up the 11th biggest domestic debut ever last weekend with $187 million. It’s already made more than its predecessor, 2016’s “Doctor Strange,” which earned $232 million in North America and $677 million worldwide.

Finishing second was DreamWorks’ family-friendly “The Bad Guys,” which made $6.9 million during its fourth weekend in theaters.

Adapted from a popular series of kids’ novels, the animated “The Bad Guys” has now made $66 million in North America and $165 million across the globe. It’s led by a star-powered voice cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina and Anthony Ramos.

“Sonic the Hedgehog 2 came in third place with another $4.6 million, raising its record domestic haul for a video-game adaptation to $175 million. Based on the SEGA games, the “Sonic” sequel has made $355 million worldwide.

The lone new release from a major studio over the weekend was the new “Firestarter” remake, which only made $3.8 million domestically. The film starring Zac Efron came out simultaneously on the Peacock streaming service.

“Doctor Strange” will look to extend its box-office win streak next weekend, with “Downton Abbey: A New Era” and the Jessie Buckley-led horror movie “Men” making their theatrical debuts.

May 27, meanwhile, features the much-anticipated arrival of “Top Gun: Maverick,” with Tom Cruise reprising his role as a hotshot Navy pilot from the franchise’s original 1986 classic.

Early reviews for “Top Gun: Maverick” have a whopping 97% approval rating among critics included on the Rotten Tomatoes website.