Deadpool 2 dethrones Avengers at US box office
It tops US domestic box office at US$125m and earns US$176m globally
Another weekend, another blockbuster superhero opening.
This time, it was Deadpool 2, with an estimated US$125 million (S$168 million) take in North American cinemas and a huge debut overseas, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said on Sunday, effectively crushing Avengers: Infinity War's three-week reign at the domestic box office.
It was not enough to match the debut of its predecessor, 2016's Deadpool, which had the biggest opening ever for an R-rated film with US$132.4 million.
Still, it secured the second best opening for an R-rated film, as well as the third biggest debut of the year behind Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther.
Deadpool 2 also netted US$176 million abroad, the biggest foreign debut ever for an R-rated title, according to the Hollywood Reporter, for a global weekend total of US$301 million.
The Marvel Comics sequel features Ryan Reynolds playing the foul-mouthed and irreverent title character as he forms an X-Force team to protect a young mutant from the evil Cable (Josh Brolin).
For an uber bad guy, Brolin is having a very good week.
He also plays world-destroying villain Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Still packing a decent punch, it came in second place wth US$28.7 million, pushing its global take past US$1.8 billion. - AFP/REUTERS
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