At this stage, it’d really only be news if a Marvel movie didn’t make a killing on its opening weekend, but Doctor Strange looks like it will almost certainly surpass initial estimates. The studio’s next sure-to-be blockbuster is off to a flying start in North American theaters, pulling in $9.4 million from Thursday night preview screenings.
This is obviously very impressive, and puts it ahead of previous Marvel Cinematic Universe movies Ant-Man ($6.4m) and Thor: The Dark World ($7.1m) – though it failed to match Guardians of the Galaxy ($11.2m) and the mighty Captain America: Civil War ($25m). Because of this, the Benedict Cumberbatch-led fantasy adventure is now expected to make a whopping $80-$95m over the course of its opening weekend, which is quite a bit more than the $70-$75 million that analysts initially predicated.
Of course, Doctor Strange has been out in the UK and several other locations around Europe for over a week now, and has already accumulated $133m internationally. Taking into account that there’s very little in the way of competition out there (at least until Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is released on November 18, that is) for the next while, it definitely looks like Marvel has another box office juggernaut on their hands.
Tell us, are you planning to see Doctor Strange in theaters? Be sure to check out our review if you’re still uncertain.
