"Deadpool & Wolverine."
"Deadpool & Wolverine" has taken the global box office by storm, surpassing $1 billion over the weekend and becoming only the second R-rated film ever to achieve this milestone. The movie, which stars Ryan Reynolds as the ever-popular Deadpool, is already setting records left and right. Not only did it post the highest opening of any film released in 2024, but it also holds the title for the highest debut of an R-rated film in history.
Currently, the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time is Warner Bros.' "Joker," which brought in $1.078 billion during its theatrical run in 2019. However, "Deadpool & Wolverine" is hot on its heels and could very well surpass this number to become the new champion.
The film’s success is just the latest in a long line of achievements for Disney and Marvel, who continue to dominate the box office. This success comes as part of a broader strategy from Disney, which has been doubling down on its most successful franchises. Upcoming releases include major animated sequels like "Toy Story 5," "Zootopia 2," "Frozen III," and "Incredibles 3," as well as a slew of new Marvel titles such as "Captain America: Brave New World," "Thunderbolts," "The Fantastic 4: First Steps," "Blade," "Avengers: Doomsday," and "Avengers: Secret Wars." Disney is also gearing up for the return of Star Wars to the big screen with "The Mandalorian and Grogu," marking the first Star Wars film since "The Rise of Skywalker" in 2019.
Disney’s strategy is no surprise, considering the success these franchises have enjoyed. The Toy Story series has generated $3.2 billion at the global box office, the Frozen films have surpassed $2.7 billion, the Incredibles films have tallied $1.8 billion globally, and "Zootopia" reached $1 billion during its run in 2016. Meanwhile, the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains the highest-grossing film franchise of all time, with over $30 billion in global box office revenue since 2008. Star Wars, too, boasts an impressive record, generating more than $10 billion in ticket sales since "A New Hope" was released in 1977.
Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory, a firm that specializes in theatrical and box office analysis, summed up the significance of this achievement by saying, "The billion-dollar box office club may not be the singular metric by which theatrical success is defined, but it is still emblematic of a film's ability to capture the global zeitgeist. 'Deadpool & Wolverine' has done that in a resounding way, making Disney and Marvel's return to the ten-digit summit worth celebrating."