In a highly unusual turn of events, two movies starring a married couple —Deadpool & Wolverine,andIt Ends with Us— took the top two spots at the domestic box office this weekend. StarringRyan Reynolds, the superhero blockbuster retained its number one position for the third time in a row, while his wifeBlake Lively’s romantic drama exceeded expectations in its debut, settling for the number two spot.Combined, the two films grossed more than $100 million, proving that Reynolds and Lively are bona fide box office draws, especially when paired with the right material.
Based onColleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel,It Ends with Usgrossed an estimated $50 millionthis weekend — a major late-summer win, especially considering its reported production budget of $25 million. The movie rode in on a wave of pre-release buzz akin to 2022’sDon’t Worry Darling, which generated around $20 million in its first weekend. By comparison, the firstTwilightfilm opened to nearly $70 million in 2008, whileFifty Shades of Greydebuted at $85 million in 2015. Like those female-skewing movies,It Ends with Usalso opened to mixed reviews, but attracted exceptional audience reception.
Directed byJustin Baldoni, the movie currently sits at a nearly “fresh” 59% score on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes. In herreview, Collider’sIsabella Soarescalled the movie “an emotional and effective depiction of domestic violence and how to find the strength to overcome it.”It Ends with Usearned an excellent A- CinemaScorefrom opening day audiences, which should help draw casual crowds to theaters after the initial fan frenzy has died down. It also holds anexcellent 94% audience scoreon RT.
Video Game Adaptations Have Always Struggled to Level Up
Now in its third weekend,Deadpool & Wolverinegrossed an estimated $55 million,taking its running domestic total to nearly $500 million. At this rate, the movie is all but guaranteed to pass the $600 million mark domestically. It’s already among the top-grossing Marvel films of all time, and will ultimately challengeInside Out 2for the title of 2024’s biggest film. This weekend,Deadpool & Wolverinealsopassed the coveted $1 billion mark at the global box office, becoming the 11thMCUfilm in history to do so. It’s also passingJoker’s $1.06 billion lifetime haul this week to become the top-grossing R-rated movie in history.
In third position, Universal’sTwistersgenerated an estimated $15 million in its fourth weekend, taking its running domestic total to over $220 million. That’s a stellar result for the disaster film, starringGlen PowellandDaisy Edgar-Jones. If only the movie had performed just as well in overseas markets, where it has struggled since day one. That being said,Twisterspassed the $300 million mark globallythis weekend, against a reported budget of over $150 million. In fifth position,Despicable Me 4added around $8 million in its sixth weekend, taking its running total to a solid $330 million, and its global haul past the $800 million mark.
Debuting in fourth place this weekend, Lionsgate’sBorderlandsbombed with under $9 million. The much-delayed video game adaptation had a troubled production, which saw writerCraig Mazinhave his name removed from the credits, andTim Millerstep in to oversee re-shoots in directorEli Roth’s absence. What’s even more damaging than the film’s reported $110 million-plus production budget — which, according to sources, was largely covered through international licensing — is the fact that it opened to terriblereviews, and currently sits ata “rotten” 10% scoreon RT. Audiences seem to be just as angry, awarding it a D+ CinemaScore. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
It Ends With Us
A woman’s life takes a challenging turn when her first love reappears, complicating her relationship with a charismatic but abusive neurosurgeon. Confronted with difficult decisions, she must summon her inner strength to navigate the complexities of love and self-empowerment, ultimately shaping her path forward.
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