‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Shatters Global Box Office With Biggest R-Rated Opening Of All Time At US$438 Million
Deadpool & Wolverine has set a new record as the largest R-rated global box office opening ever, amassing a staggering US$438.3 million worldwide. In North America, it secured the eighth-biggest opening weekend with US$205 million in ticket sales. This landmark achievement not only marks the biggest R-rated debut domestically and globally, surpassing previous records set by Deadpool and Joker, but also stands as the biggest worldwide and international opening of the year.
In addition to setting a new benchmark for R-rated films, Deadpool & Wolverine is now the top film in the box office since 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water. The success has propelled the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) past the US$30 billion mark globally, solidifying its position as the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Internationally, the film, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, dominated as the number one non-local movie in every market. The film’s release, which did not include China — a market where previous films were not released — was 56% ahead of Deadpool and 50% above Deadpool 2. It also surpassed Joker by 37%.
In the U.S., Deadpool & Wolverine surpassed Black Panther’s US$202 million opening, nearly overtaking The Avengers’ US$207 million and Jurassic World’s US$208 million. It achieved the highest July opening weekend ever, overtaking 2019’s The Lion King, and scored the biggest opening since 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. It also marked the second-largest opening for a third instalment, behind only Avengers: Endgame.
In the European market, the film grossed US$94.5 million, achieving the best start ever for a U.S. R-rated movie in the region and becoming the fourth-best launch of a superhero movie of all time. In Asia-Pacific, excluding China, the film garnered US$60.1 million. In China, it opened with an estimated US$24 million.
Latin America saw impressive numbers as well, with Deadpool & Wolverine grossing US$54.7 million and achieving a 75% market share across the region. It had the second highest opening weekend of 2024 in every market except Peru, where it ranked highest.
The top 10 opening markets were China (US$24 million), the UK (US$22.1 million), Mexico (US$18.7 million), Australia (US$13 million), Germany (US$10 million), Brazil (US$10 million), India (US$10 million), France (US$9.4 million), Korea (US$8.3 million), and Italy (US$7.5 million).
The film also significantly impacted IMAX theatres, pulling in a global haul of US$36.5 million — the eighth biggest for the format ever and the best for July and for an R-rated title. The international IMAX gross of US$17.4 million included records in eight markets for their biggest IMAX opening weekend ever.