20th Century Fox unleashed the eagerly-anticipated superhero sequel Deadpool 2 this weekend, and the X-Men spinoff has got off to a fantastic start at the box office, setting a new record for the biggest opening day for an R-rated movie.
Domestically, Deadpool 2 earned $53.3 million on its first day, including $18.6 million in Thursday night previews, which tops the previous record of $50.4 million set by the Stephen King adaptation It last year.
Tracking figures going in to the weekend suggested that Deadpool 2 would earn between $130 million and $150 million in North America this weekend, and current estimates are pointing to a $133 million opening. That would just edge out the $132.4 million debut of the first Deadpool to set a new record for the biggest ever opening weekend for a R-rated film.
No word yet on international figures, but expect a worldwide opening in the region of $350 million.
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Marvel’s motormouth mercenary is back! Bigger, better and occasionally more pantless than ever before. When a super soldier arrives on a murderous mission, Deadpool is forced to think about friendship, family and what it really means to be a hero – all while kicking 50 shades of ass. Because, sometimes, to do the right thing you need to fight dirty.
Deadpool 2 sees David Leitch (John Wick) directing a cast that includes returning stars Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), T.J. Miller (Weasel), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Stefan Kapicic (Colossus), Leslie Uggams (Blind Al) and Karan Soni (Dopinder) alongside new additions Zazie Beetz (Atlanta) as Domino, Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War) as Cable, Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) as Bedlam, Lewis Tan (Iron Fist) as Shatterstar, Bill Skarsgard (It) as Zeitgeist, Rob Delaney (Catastrophe), Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) as Russell, Jack Kesy (The Strain) as Black Tom Cassidy and Shioli Kutsuna (The Outsider) as Yukio.