‘Dr. Strange’s’ Multiverse Causes Box-Office Madness - Week 1

In case anyone was still wondering why I didn’t do a Summer Blockbuster Pool in 2021, the #1 film a week ago this year was Wrath of Man which debuted with $8.3 million. You’re very forgiven if that title means nothing to you. Apparently, it starred Jeremy Statham and was directed by Guy Ritchie. I was originally going to write some typical “Who lets that guy keep making movies” comment, then Googled his filmography, and found that HE directed the live-action Aladdin?! I don’t even understand. What in his very specific genre of gritty English crime comedies says family-friendly musicals?

Yes, the 2021 season didn’t even really begin until Memorial Day weekend last year with A Quiet Place 2 and Cruella. That year only four films crossed the $100 million mark and none over the $200 million mark. Not exactly like 2019 with 11 films crossed $100 million, Aladdin and Spider-Man: Far From Home crossed $300 million, Toy Story 4 crossed $400 million, The Lion King (live-action/not live-action) remake crossed $500 million, and Endgame crossed $800 million. 

Enter the 2022 Summer Season where Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was ready to do his magic!

Casting a spell to conjure a $187.4 million opening, Dr. Strange clearly showed he was ready to play with the “big” Avengers. No other film even tried to compete and movie-goers didn’t want to flock to any other movie. It’s by far the biggest opening for a film since Spider-Man: No Way Home’s $250 debut in December, and that featured a prominent role from Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange character as well. 

A couple of things to throw this film’s performance into context. One, the first Dr. Strange opened with $85.1 million in 2016. This was on the lower end of MCU origin films. Dr. Strange 2 improved that performance by over $100 million! Second, in one weekend Multiverse of Madness has already topped last summer’s #1 film, Black Widow, which finished with $183.7 million. Third, it’s already also topped the “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” film in the MCU, Eternals, which was on life-support to get to $164.9 million last holiday season. 

Suffice to say, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a hit. There’s no major film being released in the next two weekends. There’s a lot of money going to be made here. This seems like it’s going to be a hard film to knock-off the final Top Five come Labor Day… but Dr. Stranger things have happened. 

There’s not much else to recap this week. I’m going to “try” and be spoiler-free with puns and hold myself back from my Seinfeld-esque “So what’s the deal with…” comments for at least the first two weekends the movies are out. (You’ve been warned!) I’ve also put my own Top Five list with reasons below for those who are curious (or just want to laugh at me).  

By the way, I just have to say, having just re-read my Summer 2019 Week 1 Recap, there’s no way it’s only been three years since then. The "just this week" events I mention in that post were Taylor Swift's first song from her Lover album (back when she was doing pop records… two folk albums ago!), Joe Biden announcing that he’s running for president, and Avengers: Endgame setting the box-office opening record of $357.1 million. It’s insane that all of that was just three years ago… that was like 30 years ago! Was I blipped? I’m so confused. 

The Top Five If Today Was Labor Day:

#1. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - $187.4 million

#2. n/a

#3. n/a

#4. n/a

#5. n/a

 

*****

Extra Bonus Section

 

As per the Week 1 tradition, here are my esteemed, extremely well thought-out and perpetually doomed to fail 2022 Summer Movie Pool prognostications. 

While I think there’s a world where Elvis, Nope, and DC Pets do fine, they weren’t Top Five contenders for me. Top Gun: Maverick is my honorable mention. I think this’ll end up in sixth, but the other sequels/franchises in my Top 5 have all had $300 million films THIS century, and that probably tops the 80’s nostalgia train… err, plane.   

So here’s what I really think will happen...

#1. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - Basically, I just thought it would open big and then have two more competition-free weekends to keep making cash. No other film would have that advantage. I worried about Dr. Strange not being the “biggest” of the MCU brands (as I said, the first Strange is in the lower MCU totals), but banked on the Avengers and No Way Home fans to propel the second Strange to bigger heights. I went with a $410 million guesstimate for the total.   

 

#2. Jurassic World: Dominion - Thought about Thor here, but the last Jurassic World movie (Fallen Kingdom) made more than the last Thor movie (Ragnarok), so it makes sense that history will repeat itself.     

 

#3. Thor: Love & Thunder - Thor could clean-up as the last big-budget event film or lose some footing as films just keep coming out week after week. That left me to leave it here. 

 

#4. Lightyear - I really sweated out which film would make more between Lightyear and Minions 2. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Minions made more as people know what that movie is and most still aren’t sure what’s going on with Lightyear. Still, if the words “Toy Story” get people out and the film delivers, Lightyear can be more than “just” a family film.  

  

#5. Minions 2: Rise of Gru - Those little yellow gibberish guys have literally been iconic since they first hit the screen in 2010. They’ll have a huge 4th of July weekend and I’m sure we’ll see them again in the theaters again soon.   

Good luck, everyone!