Having grossed an $86 million international opening last week, it seems that Marvel’s Doctor Strange is on track to post a similar figure with is North American debut this weekend, with the Benedict Cumberbatch-headlined Phase Three blockbuster on course for an $82 million to $88 million domestic haul.
Doctor Strange earned $9.4 million on Thursday, putting it ahead of Ant-Man ($6.4 million) and Thor: The Dark World ($7.1 million), and close to Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($10.2 million). It’s Friday gross was $33 million, and analysts are predicting that it could go on to top Thor: The Dark World’s $85.7 million opening weekend. Box office tracking had suggested a domestic debut of around $65 million.
Going into the weekend, Doctor Strange had pushed its international haul to $132.9 million, so it should find itself at around $250 million worldwide by close of play on Sunday. We’ll keep you posted…
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.
