Elsewhere, ‘Book Club’ is exceeding expectations, thanks to strong interest among older moviegoers.
Avengers: Infinity War finally has some competition.
Ryan Reynolds and 20th Century Fox’s summer event pic Deadpool 2 rocketed to a huge $18.6 million in Thursday-night previews from 3,785 theaters, a record for an R-rated pic. That puts the film on course for a potential $52 million Friday and weekend debut north of $130 million, according to early Friday returns.
The sequel will score the top opening of all time for an R-rated title if it bests the $132.4 million launch of Deadpool in February 2016. Merc with the Mouth could also post the biggest Friday for an R-rated movie if it passes up the $50 million earned by New Line’s It.
Playing in a total of 4,349 theaters in North America — the widest release in Fox history — Deadpool 2 will easily win the frame, ending Infinity War‘s three-week rule. Disney and Marvel’s Infinity War is looking at a $31 million weekend as it heads for the $1.8 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
Overseas, Deadpool 2 is opening in most major markets timed to its U.S. launch — one major exception is China — for a projected foreign debut of $150 million-plus.
Reynolds reprises his role as the irreverant Deadpool in the follow-up. He produced the sequel and co-wrote the script with his Deadpool collaborators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
Deadpool 2, directed by David Leitch, follows the irreverent superhero as he forms an X-Force posse in hopes of stopping the evil Cable (Josh Brolin). Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand and Jack Kesy co-star.
A pair of smaller films also open nationwide this week: Paramount’s female-fronted Book Club and Global Road’s family offering Show Dogs.
Targeting older femmes, director Bill Holderman’s Book Club stars Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen as four friends who decide to read Fifty Shades of Grey with unintended consequences. Craig T. Nelson, Andy Garcia and Don Johnson play the love interests.
Book Club is exceeding expectations with a projected $5.5 million Friday and $15 million-$16 million weekend from 2,781 theaters.
Conversely, Show Dogs may only earn $6 million for the weekend from 3,145 cinemas (Global Road had hoped for slightly more).
Rated PG, the pic chronicles the adventures of a Rottweiler police dog (voiced by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) that infiltrates a prestigious dog show with the help of his human partner (Will Arnett). Other castmembers include Natasha Lyonne, Jordin Sparks, Gabriel Iglesias, Shaquille O’Neal and Alan Cumming.
May 18, 12:15 p.m. Updated with revised weekend estimates.
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