Although it doesn’t open in North American until Friday, Marvel’s latest blockbuster Doctor Strange got its international rollout underway this week, and the Benedict Cumberbatch-headlined superhero origin story is off to a strong start at the box office, earning $86 million from its various markets.
Deadline is reporting that Doctor Strange’s bow is 49% ahead of Ant-Man, 37% ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy, 23% ahead of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 1% ahead of Thor: The Dark World, going by current exchange rates.
In the UK, the film grossed $11.1 million including previews, bettering both Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy, while the top market was South Korea, where it pulled in $18.1 million; that’s more than Guardians of the Galaxy, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad earned in their entire runs.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Doctor Strange here and here
Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.
Doctor Strange is out now in the UK and is set for release on November 4th in the US, with Scott Derrickson (Sinister) directing a cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) as Stephen Strange, Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer) as The Ancient One, Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as Baron Mordo, Benedict Wong (The Martian) as Wong, Rachel McAdams (True Detective) as Christine Palmer, Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) as Kaecilius and Benjamin Bratt (The Infiltrator) as Jonathan Pangborn and Scott Adkins (Ninja: Shadow of a Tear) as Lucian.
