Doctor Strange 2 Kicks off Blockbuster Season, Conjuring a Magical $185M Opening
by Chris Nashawaty - Box Office News
May 8, 2022


While the calendar says it’s still technically spring for another month and a half, the summer blockbuster season officially kicked off over Mother’s Day weekend thanks to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ whopping $185 million domestic bow.

With no new major competition (who in their right minds would even dare to go up against it?), the latest chapter in the hand-over-fist Marvel Cinematic Universe instantly became the biggest box-office debut of 2022, trouncing its cross-town DC rival, The Batman, and its $134 million opening just two months ago.







Pulling in $90 million on Friday alone, it was clear right off the bat that Disney’s eagerly-awaited follow-up to 2016’s Doctor Strange (again starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role) was on a record-shattering pace.

By the time the dust had settled and all of the receipts had been counted two days later, director Sam Raimi’s first superhero film since wrapping the original Spider-Man trilogy back in 2007 had become the second-highest grossing film in North America since the pandemic began, bested only by Spider-Man: No Way Home.




With a 75% fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the PG-13-rated Doctor Strange 2 earned a staggering $40,802 per-screen average in 4,534 theaters. The MCU’s latest tentpole fared even better overseas, where it raked in $265 million in 49 international territories (not including China, where it has not yet been given a release date, and Russia due to its war in Ukraine).

Its cumulative worldwide box office tally after its first weekend is $450 million—$33 million of which came from IMAX screens.




In comparison, the first Doctor Strange earned $677.8 million worldwide during its entire theatrical run. Doctor Strange 2’s massive debut is just the latest confirmation that when it comes to the box office, there is the MCU and then there’s everyone else.

After all, the franchise’s four 2021 releases accounted for nearly 30% of all tickets sold in North America last year.







Elsewhere, the box-office charts remained largely unchanged from the previous session, with Universal’s The Bad Guys finishing in second place with $9.8 million.

In its third frame, the PG-rated animated crowd-pleaser about a gang of animal thieves who struggle to become model citizens dropped -39.8% from the previous weekend, managing a $2,544 per-screen average at 3,839 locations.

The movie has now collected $57.6 million domestically, boosted by an additional $90.6 million from overseas, bringing its three-week global cume to $148.1 million.







In third place was Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which took in $6.2 million in its fifth weekend in theaters. The sequel slipped -46.3% from the previous session, scoring a $1,846 per-screen average in 3,358 theaters.

The PG-rated follow-up to 2020’s franchise-starter has now racked up $169.9 million in North America. Internationally, where Sonic 2 bowed a week earlier, the film has pulled in $179.5 million so far, bringing its current worldwide tally to $349.4 million.







In fourth was the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore with just under $4 million. Dropping -52.5% from the prior weekend, the PG-13-rated fantasy is quickly running out of box-office magic.

The third film in Warner Bros.’ proposed five-film Fantastic Beasts cycle notched a $1,294 per-screen average at 3,051 locations.



The film has taken in a softer-than-anticipated $86 million in North America in its first four weeks. It remains a serious question whether the movie will break the $100-million mark domestically.

Overseas, however, the Potter-adjacent film has been performing better, accumulating $277.7 million to date. Its worldwide cume now stands at $363.7 million.







Rounding out the top five was the year’s indie success story Everything Everywhere All at Once. A24’s R-rated title pulled in $3.3 million in its seventh week of release—a drop-off of 40% from the previous session.

The weird, wacky genre-defying dark comedy about a woman (Michelle Yeoh) who enters a visually daffy multiverse, earned a $2,155 per-screen average in 1,542 theaters. A24’s “little indie that could” has raked in $41.6 million in its first seven weeks of release and a modest $3.9 million internationally, putting its current global cume at $45.4 million.







Upcoming releases include the long-awaited sequel to Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, on May 27th.

Jurassic World Dominion is set for June 10th and the next MCU installment, Thor: Love and Thunder, comes out on July 8th.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2893087748/?ref_=bo_hm_hp







May 6-8, 2022: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness $187,420,998
2. The Bad Guys $9,573,985 / $57,376,470
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 $6,019,743 / $169,721,214
4. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore $4,264,246 / $86,323,417
5. Everything Everywhere All at Once $3,528,416 / $41,771,015
6. The Northman $2,864,430 / $28,143,015
7. The Lost City $2,763,701 / $94,652,965
8. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent $1,585,927 / $16,449,330
9. Memory $1,385,522 / $5,658,187
10. Father Stu $875,091 / $19,310,833

Doctor Strange 2 Rules in its Sophomore Weekend with $61M, Firestarter Fizzles
by Chris Nashawaty - Box Office News
May 15, 2022


A week after storming multiplexes with a superheroic $185 million domestic bow, Disney’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picked up right where it left off, grossing an additional $61 million over its second weekend in North America.

Not surprisingly, rival studios for the most part chose to steer clear of Marvel’s latest box-office behemoth—all except for Universal, which unveiled its Zac Efron-led remake of the 1984 Stephen King adaptation, Firestarter, and failed to produce any sparks in the marketplace, bowing to a truly scary $3.8 million.







While Benedict Cumberbatch’s smash sorcery sequel certainly lured enough ticket buyers to keep popcorn moving at a brisk clip, the weekend couldn’t help but have a quiet-after-the-storm feeling to it in the wake of the previous frame’s record-shattering roll out during which the latest MCU installment instantly became the biggest box-office debut of 2022.

In its sophomore session, the PG-13-rated tentpole slipped -67%, but still managed to score a $13,454 per-screen average at 4,534 locations. That second week dip was slightly steeper than those of other recent Marvel titles such as Eternals (-61%) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (-52%).




However, Doctor Strange 2 is still putting up dazzling numbers. The film has now taken in $291.9 million domestically, which already eclipses the $232.6 million that the first Doctor Strange racked up during its entire North American run.

Overseas, the Marvel movie is doing even better, grossing $396.2 million in its first two weeks alone. Its current worldwide tally now stands at $688.1 million.







Finishing in the runner-up spot again was Universal’s The Bad Guys with $6.9 million. In its fourth weekend, the PG-rated animated comedy about a gang of animal thieves who struggle to become model citizens dropped -27.9% from the previous session, managed a $1,821 per-screen average in 3,788 theaters.

The movie has now pulled in a combined $66.3 million domestically and another $99.3 from overseas, bringing it global box-office cume to $165.6 million.







Repeating its third-place finish was Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which took in $4.6 million in its sixth weekend. The sequel fell -24.4% from the previous session, scoring a $1,460 per-screen average at 3,116 locations.

The PG-rated follow-up to 2020’s franchise-starter has now wrangled $175.7 million in North America. Internationally, where Sonic 2 bowed a week earlier, the film has pulled in $179.5 million so far, putting its current worldwide tally at $355.2 million.







In fourth was the weekend’s only newcomer, Universal’s Stephen King-based chiller Firestarter with a barely flickering $3.8 million. The R-rated remake of the supernatural 1984 Drew Barrymore flick about a young girl with pyrotechnic abilities (starring Zac Efron as the girl’s dad this time around), flamed out upon arrival.

The movie, which fared poorly with critics (currently sitting with 12% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (who gave it a woeful ‘C-‘ grade from CinemaScore), earned a $1,119 per-screen average in 3,412 theaters. It didn’t generate much more heat overseas, where it debuted to just under $2.1 million.




Its first-week global cume is $5.9 million. Ouch. Universal’s decision to make the film simultaneously available on its Peacock streaming service certainly didn’t help draw potentially curious genre fans out of their homes to see the film either.

As an additional gauge of just how underwhelming the film’s bow was, consider this: the 1984 original made more money in its opening weekend ($4.7 million) nearly 40 years ago—and that’s not even adjusted for inflation.







Rounding out the top five was A24’s deliriously bizarre, word-of-mouth indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once with $3.3 million. In its eighth week of release, the R-rated sci-fi mindbender saw business slip just -6.4%, earning a $1,913 per-screen average at 1,726 locations.

Spring’s “little movie that could” has raked in $47.1 domestically and a more modest $4.7 million from abroad, putting its current global cume at $47.1 million.







Elsewhere in the top 10, Roadside Attractions’ Family Camp debuted in ninth place with $1.4 million.

The outdoorsy comedy about a pair of mismatched families sharing a cabin in the wilderness finally answered the age-old question: if a movie set in the woods falls and no one is around to hear it does it make any noise?

The PG-rated film’s $1,670 per-screen average in 854 theaters seemed to provide the verdict: no, not really.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2859533316/?ref_=bo_hm_hp







May 13-15, 2022: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness $61,755,804
2. The Bad Guys $7,034,595 / $66,418,705
3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 $4,654,896 / $175,804,271
4. Firestarter $3,827,715
5. Everything Everywhere All at Once $3,319,646 / $47,120,506
6. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore $2,552,448 / $90,178,136
7. The Northman $1,747,245 / $31,205,100
8. The Lost City $1,695,949 / $97,115,777
9. Family Camp $1,399,117
10. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent $1,062,126 / $18,229,696

Downton Abbey 2 Fails to Top Doctor Strange 2 in Weekend Battle of the Sequels
by Chris Nashawaty - Box Office News
May 22, 2022


Even the strange sight of the lock-jawed Crawley clan frolicking on the French Riviera proved to be no match for the three-week-old Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness over the weekend as Downton Abbey: A New Era failed to unseat Marvel’s latest hand-over-fist blockbuster from the top spot in the battle of fan-service sequels.

Landing slightly below expectations, Downton 2 debuted in the runner-up spot with a so-so $16 million while Benedict Cumberbatch’s superhero follow-up held onto first place for the third straight frame with a $31.6 million haul.

Meanwhile, A24’s psychological horror film, Men, baffled audiences and bowed quietly in fifth place.







Proving that the third weekend can still be the charm, Disney’s Doctor Strange 2 continued to dominate multiplexes, grossing $31.6 million in North America—a dip of -48.8% from the previous session.

The latest installment in the MCU scored a $6,969 per-screen average in 4,534 theaters, bringing its three-week domestic box-office total to $342.1 million. That number far surpasses the $232.6 million that the first Doctor Strange racked up during its entire North American run back in 2016.



Overseas, the PG-13-rated tentpole is faring even better with $461.1 million in ticket sales. The film’s current worldwide tally now stands at $803.2 million and counting.

However, its lock on the top spot should end next weekend when another sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, takes flight.







As previously mentioned, Focus Features’ Downton Abbey: A New Era opened in the number-two slot with a respectable $16 million. The PG-rated historical drama is the latest extension spun off from the beloved upstairs-downstairs British television series about the upper-crusty Crawley family and their gossipy staff.

A New Era’s opening was slightly disappointing compared to the first Downton film’s $31 million bow back in 2019. However, critics and audiences lapped it up with a spoon (no doubt with their pinkies extended and a linen napkin on their laps).

Reviewers gave it an 85% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and moviegoers handed it a straight-A CinemaScore grade.




The feel-good follow-up scored a $4,193 per-screen average at 3,820 locations. Despite its mediocre finish, one interesting note is that nearly 50% of A New Era’s audience was aged 55 and over—a demographic that has been slow to return to theaters after the peak of the COVID pandemic.

Also, the film did significantly better business internationally, where it raked in $35.7 million, bringing its first-week worldwide cume to $51.7 million.







In third place was Universal’s The Bad Guys with $6.1 million. In its fifth weekend, the PG-rated animated comedy about a gang of animal thieves who struggle to become model citizens dipped a mere -13.3% from the previous session, managing a $1,646 per-screen average in 3,705 theaters.

The movie has now pulled in a combined $74.4 million domestically and another $107.8 from overseas, bringing it global box-office cume to $182.2 million.







In fourth was Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which took in $3.9 million in its seventh frame. The sequel fell -15.4% from the prior weekend, snagging a $1,338 per-screen average at 2,943 locations.

The PG-rated follow-up to 2020’s franchise-starter has now wrangled an impressive $181 million in North America. Internationally, where Sonic 2 bowed a week earlier, the film has pulled in $194 million so far, putting its current global tally at $375 million.







Rounding out the top five was the weekend’s other noteworthy newcomer, Ex Machina director Alex Garland’s latest indie, Men, with a soft $3.3 million.

The R-rated psychological chiller about a woman (Jessie Buckley) who takes a trip to the English countryside after her husband dies only to be haunted by a string of male antagonists, fared reasonably well with critics (75% on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences were less than impressed, giving the movie a dismal D+ CinemaScore grade.




Men earned a $1,448 per-screen average in 2,212 theaters in North America and has not opened yet internationally. Men’s box-office impotence certainly has to be a disappointment for its studio, A24.

Then again, the company also saw its other recent release, Everything Everywhere All at Once, still hovering in sixth place after more than two months in theaters, inching past Adam Sandler’s Uncut Gems’ $50 million total to become the studio’s top-grossing film ever.

In other words, sometimes you have to take the bad news with the good.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2825978884/?ref_=bo_hm_hp







May 20-22, 2022: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness $32,304,560 / $342,785,045
2. Downton Abbey: A New Era $16,000,495
3. The Bad Guys $6,140,165 / $74,405,540
4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 $4,091,446 / $181,153,332
5. Men $3,293,030
6. Everything Everywhere All at Once $3,135,928 / $52,263,484
7. Firestarter $1,989,750 / $7,049,650
8. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore $1,950,309 / $93,111,470
9. The Lost City $1,562,444 / $99,329,467
10. The Northman $1,050,655 / $33,071,985