Pursuits
‘Deadpool’ Delivers New Marvel Success to Fox With Record Debut
- $135 million tally tops `Fifty Shades' to set February record
- Film's holiday total could reach $150 million, studio says
Actor Ryan Reynolds attends the 'Deadpool' fan event at AMC Empire Theatre in New York City.
Photographer: Nicholas Hunt/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
“Deadpool,” based on one of Marvel’s edgier, lesser-known comic characters, opened as the No. 1 film in North American theaters, setting an industry record for a February weekend release and delivering the biggest debut of the year for 20th Century Fox.
The risqué superhero feature, starring Ryan Reynolds, garnered $135 million from Friday to Sunday in the U.S. and Canada, researcher ComScore Inc. estimated in a statement. That beat the $85.2 million February record set last year by “Fifty Shades of Grey.” The family film “Kung Fu Panda 3,” from DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. and Fox, slipped to No. 2 in its third weekend with $19.7 million.