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The analysts who said the movie business is dead, the pundits who claimed exhibition is doomed and the haters hurrying to bury Marvel and its superheroes can’t be very happy today.

With DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE opening to $205M, per Comscore, there’s no question that this summer’s boxoffice recovery is real, that exhibitors are still in the game and that Marvel has a new lease on life. D&W director Shawn Levy (FREE GUY), Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman made a movie people can’t wait to see. Amazingly, that $205M gross is for an R rated film!

Hollywood buzz-ards were warning last week that D&W could arrive to $160-175M rather than the $200M that earlier projections indicated. But as we’ve seen all summer, it’s no longer safe to predict big openings from advance ticket sales.

A great thing about moviegoing is that unlike stage plays and concert events, you can make a last minute decision to see a movie and walk up to the boxoffice and get tickets. Very wide releases and multiplexes with multiple auditoriums but not enough movies to play, make it likely that last-minute arrivals won’t be turned away.

Driven by D&W, this weekend’s domestic marketplace totaled $277.6M, per Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, up 84.6% from the prior weekend and up 28% vs. this time last year. Comscore’s year to date tally has 2024 at $4.69B, down 17% from $5.65B in 2023. The previous weekend, 2024 was also down 17% vs. 2023.

Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: D&W’s launch to $205M was at 4,210 theatres ($48,694). Internationally it’s done $233.3M, per Comscore, for a worldwide cume of $438.3M. D&W reportedly cost $200M to produce and  should be very profitable.

D&W is tracking best for first choice with men over 25 (32 points over norm) and next best with men under 25 (27 points over norm). Rotten Tomatoes critics are okay at 79%, but audiences are wildly happy at 97%.

Universal/WB/Amblin Entertainment’s PG-13 action adventure thriller “TWISTERS” was the weekend’s #2 film with $35.3M (-57%) in weekend two via Universal at 4,170 theatres ($8,465). TWISTERS, which reportedly cost $155M to produce, has done $154.9M domestic and $63.3M internationally via WB for a worldwide cume of $221.3M.

As for next weekend: D&W will be #1 again. WB’s PG-13 horror mystery TRAP, directed by M. Night Shayamalan, is opening at about 3,200 theatres. TRAP’s tracking below norm for first choice with all demos. Hollywood handicappers expect a $20-25M opening.

Sony/Davis Entertainment’s PG animated comedy adventure HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON is opening at about 3,000 theatres. HAROLD is tracking below norm for first choice with all demos. Analysts see a $10-15M opening.