The Hollywood action-adventure “Deadpool and Wolverine” has surpassed box office expectations in Nigeria, grossing an impressive N165 million, including advanced screenings on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to data analyzed by Nairametrics, the Marvel superhero film achieved a three-day weekend opening of N144.1 million only from July 26 to July 28, 2024.
On its first day in Nigerian cinemas, the film raked in N41.6 million, followed by N51.6 million on Saturday, bringing its cumulative to N93.2 million by the end of the day. Initially, the Nigerian box office had projected a cumulative flash sale of N115 million. However, the film exceeded these expectations, reaching a total of N144.1 million over the weekend.
Including the N20 million from Wednesday and Thursday previews, with an estimated 26,000 admissions, the superhero blockbuster is on track to rival the earnings of Will Smith’s “Bad Boys 4,” which grossed N445 million.
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Other films currently showing in Nigerian cinemas are also posting substantial earnings. “What About Us,” produced by Pastor Emmanuel Iren, grossed N12.2 million over the weekend, bringing its cumulative total to N73.9 million after 18 days in theaters since its release on July 12, 2024. “Despicable Me 4” earned N8.5 million over the weekend, reaching a total gross of N64.9 million.
Odunlade Adekola’s “Lakatabu” continues its successful run, recording N7.1 million over the weekend and a cumulative total of N181.3 million. Benefiting from the vacation break in Nigerian schools, “Inside Out 2” added N5.6 million over the weekend, bringing its total to N84.4 million.
The Nigerian premiere of “Deadpool and Wolverine” took place on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at Filmhouse Cinema IMAX Lekki in Lagos.
The star-studded event featured celebrities such as Omotunde Adebowale-David (Lolo), Denrele Edun, Emmanuel Ikubese, Oluwadollarz, Abayomi Alvin, Elozonam, Tomiwa Tegbe, and Uti Nwachukwu gracing the red carpet.
“Deadpool and Wolverine,” also starring Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, and Matthew Macfadyen, is currently playing in over 50 markets worldwide and is poised to break several records. The film’s robust performance at the Nigerian box office shows the growing influence and market potential of Hollywood blockbusters in the region.
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On the global scene, the third instalment in the Deadpool franchise, featuring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine, garnered a staggering $205 million (£160 million) domestically.
According to box office worldwide this marks the highest-ever opening for an R-rated film, surpassing the $134 million record set by the first “Deadpool” in 2016.
The film’s success extends beyond domestic borders, with an international opening that brought in an additional $233 million (£182 million).
“Deadpool & Wolverine” stands performs to last year’s “The Marvels,” which managed just $47 million (£38 million) during its first weekend in the US, the lowest opening for any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.