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Walt Disney Co. announced Sunday that the film Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness grossed an estimated $185 million in ticket sales in its first theatrical weekend in the United States and Canada, making it the biggest opening film of the year.
The film surpassed The Batman, which grossed $134 million, as the biggest movie of 2022. The second Doctor Strange was also the second-biggest movie since the coronavirus pandemic began, behind only Spider-Man: Far From Home”. ‘, which grossed $260.1 million.
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This image released by Marvel Studios shows Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in a scene from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. (Marvel Studios via AP) (AP Newsroom)
“This is an absolute win for the industry, which has had almost nothing for the past two summers in terms of box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “Marvel has been ringing in summer for over a decade. This is a return to normality.”
The film surpassed the first Doctor Strange film, which opened in 2016, by an estimated $100 million.
According to Comscore, the film’s weekend ticket sales topped its competition in the United States and Canada.
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This image released by Marvel Studios features, from left, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in a scene from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. (Marvel Studios via AP) (AP Newsroom)
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Bad Guys” took second place for its third weekend with an estimated $9.8 million, and Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” took third place with $6.2 million.
The new Doctor Strange is doing even better internationally at an estimated $265 million since opening day on Wednesday.
The film has 4,534 theaters across the US and Canada, the seventh-biggest opening of all time, according to Disney. IMAX, 3D, and other premium format options accounted for 36% of the total box office.
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Cast member Benedict Cumberbatch arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ on Monday, May 2, 2022 at the El Capitan Theater. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Images) (AP Newsroom)
“The summer blockbuster season got off to a flying start with ‘Doctor Strange’ – a great sign for the phenomenal slate,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, in a statement.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness reportedly cost around $200 million to make, excluding marketing and advertising costs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.