In its second weekend in theaters, the Marvel Studios film "Deadpool & Wolverine" has continued to dominate the box office, bringing in an impressive $97 million according to studio estimates. This brings its total earnings to $395.6 million in just two weeks, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, surpassing the previous record holder, "The Passion of the Christ."
Internationally, "Deadpool & Wolverine" has also been a massive success, raking in $824.1 million in ticket sales, outperforming the first two films in the "Deadpool" franchise. The success of this film has helped Hollywood close out July with its best month in a year, with the industry reaching $1 billion in revenue for the first time since July 2023.
While "Deadpool & Wolverine" continues to shine at the box office, other films have struggled to make an impact. M. Night Shyamalan's latest thriller, "Trap," opened to a modest $15.6 million, falling short of expectations. Similarly, the live-action adaptation of "Harold and the Purple Crayon" only brought in $6 million in its debut weekend, despite a higher audience rating.
On the other hand, the disaster film "Twisters" has held strong in its third weekend, earning $22.7 million and bringing its domestic total to $195.6 million. While it has not performed as well internationally, "Twisters" has shown resilience in North American theaters.
Overall, the movie industry is seeing a resurgence after a challenging spring and early summer, marked by a sparse release calendar and notable flops. Despite the success of "Deadpool & Wolverine" and other top films, there are still challenges ahead for the industry, as evidenced by AMC Theatres reporting a $32.8 million loss in the second quarter of 2024. Final domestic box office figures for the weekend will be released on Monday.