The movie is in wide release now.
Deadpool & Wolverine, the long-awaited reunion of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman's iconic Marvel characters, opens in theaters across the country today. Many fans, however, opted to watch the movie in the Thursday preview period rather than wait for the Friday release. It turns out the enthusiasm was so high to see the movie right away that the movie has already smashed a box office record.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie grossed $38.5 million in Thursday previews alone. This makes it the best-performing R-rated film ever in terms of previews and eighth overall among previews for all films.
Other big-budget blockbusters that raked in the cash in Thursday screenings include Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. By comparison, the first Deadpool brought in $12.7 million in Thursday night previews and the sequel Deadpool 2 held the R-rated record until now with $18.6 million.
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Deadpool & Wolverine could outdo the first two movies' opening weekend numbers as well. The original Deadpool opened to $133.7 million at the domestic box office back in 2016, which remains the record for biggest opening weekend for an R-rated movie. Deadpool 2 generated $125.5 million in sales in its opening weekend two years later.
Though it may be a Marvel franchise, the Deadpool series isn't exactly kid-friendly, so leave them at home if you're planning to see Deadpool & Wolverine this weekend.
