Game on.
Marvel Studios and Disney’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness earned a sizeable $36 million in Thursday evening previews at the North American box office to score the eighth best preview gross ever behind Avengers: Infinity War in 2018, not adjusted for inflation. That includes $4.3 million from Imax, its fifth biggest preview number ever.
By Friday, the sequel will be playing in 4,545 theaters, the widest location count of the pandemic and the fifth biggest of all time in another sign that the movie business is emerging from COVID-19 after more than two years fits and starts.
Directed by Sam Raimi, the tentpole returns Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role. Tracking suggests the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will gross anywhere from $160 million to $180 million in its domestic debut, and more than $300 million globally. Some pundits believe weekend numbers could come in even higher but acknowledge it all depends on how front-loaded the $200 million movie is.
Another draw: Imax and other cinema operators are heavily promoting the fact that the first teaser trailer for James Cameron’s sequel Avatar: The Way of Water is premiering exclusively in theaters
Doctor Strange 2 began opening overseas on Wednesday, earning an impressive $27.2 million from 20 material markets on its first day. Through Thursday, it’s foreign tally was a hefty $85.7 million.
While overall attendance is still down compared to before the pandemic, moviegoer confidence is at an all-time high as a parade of summer tentpoles wait in the wings to finally open.
The first Doctor Strange opened to $85 million domestically in 2016, launching a new franchise for Marvel. Cumberbatch’s character gained even more visibility when he appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and, much more recently, Sony and Marvel’s $1.9 billion blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home, which grossed $50 million in previews on its way to a $260.1 million domestic debut.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picks up where No Way Home left off and finds Stephen Strange coming to the assistance of a young girl named America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), who can jump across various universes. Now, however, a demonic force is trying to steal her powers.
Part sentimental, part horror, part comedy and always action-packed, the adventure that ensues sees the quirky superhero face off with the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), meet up with an old flame (Rachel McAdams), enlist the aid of a former sidekick who has now transformed into the Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Wong) and encounter Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). There are also key cameos regarding other MCU properties, but readers won’t find any spoilers here.
The well-reviewed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is rated PG-13.
Source: Hollywood
