Deadpool Domination; Twisters Takes Off - Weeks 11, 12, & 13

There was a time when people said Disney would never touch the Deadpool series with a Pinocchio nose-sized pole. It was “too” against their image. To be fair, that was before American Horror Story started having promo touts on the Disney+ home page. Regardless, Disney has to be thanking their wise-cracking/blood gel pack stars that the Merc with a Mouth came to save the MCU.

Deadpool & Wolverine had the sixth largest opening of all-time with $211.4 million!!! It slotted right above Jurassic World ($208.8 million) and below Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi ($220 million). It was the second biggest opening since Covid behind Spider-Man: No Way Home ($260.1 million) and, of course, became the highest R-rated opening ever by besting the other two highest opening R-Rated movies… Yes, Deadpool 1 and Deadpool 2. To put that into perspective, D&W topped Deadpool 1’s record by almost $80 million!!!

There’s a pretty good precedent that films opening this huge go on to triple their first weekend total for their final gross. In other words, a third of their final gross is the opening weekend. Either way, penciling in D&W for something over $600 million looks like a lock. Just two little problems… One) There already is a film over $600 million this summer and Two) There’s just five more weekends left to catch it. Should be a fun race to the finale!

In other news, I think our fifth film for the final Top Five flew in. Twisters ignored being a sequel to a forgotten relic of the 90’s and forged its own path with a $81 million debut. In just two weeks, the film has already sucked-in $154.6 million. That’s placing it at #6 with a bullet on our chart with the Apes in its sight and it even has a chance to catch those Bad Boys as well. 

On a side note, I completely forgot how huge the first Twister movie was. It finished with $241 million in 1996. Its first weekend was $41 million (ok) and its second weekend was $37 million (WHAT). A not-even 10% drop from the first big opening weekend to the second?! That’s nuts now and even nuts in 1996. How did Warner Bros. wait 28 years for a sequel?!

In other non-relevant blockbuster pool news, Longlegs wins the award for indie-release of the year as the Silence of the Se7en throwback has made almost $60 million off a $10 million budget. Sadly, the fun-throwback vibes of Fly Me To The Moon just couldn’t take-off as it might not even get to a $20 million total at the theaters.    

The Top Five If Today Was Labor Day:

#1. Inside Out 2 - $613.7 million

#2. Despicable Me 4 - $291.4 million

#3. Deadpool & Wolverine - $211.4 million

#4. Bad Boys: Ride or Die - $191.8 million

#5. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - $170.9 million