Disney Scores Latest Win With ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

“Deadpool & Wolverine” made $205 million over the weekend in the U.S.—the biggest domestic opening this year—according to reports citing Comscore data, and the latest bonus for Disney (DIS) after the recent success of “Inside Out 2.”

Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine” brought in around $438.3 million worldwide, the highest-grossing global opening for an R-rated film, Disney said, beating 2016’s “Deadpool” for that record.

Disney-owned Pixar Animation Studios’ “Inside Out 2” recently earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the first movie to hit that mark since “Barbie” in 2023.

Hit Movies Provide Struggling Theaters With Much-Needed Reprieve

The successes of the movies are a welcome reprieve for theater chains as attendance remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

AMC Entertainment (AMC) reported almost 65% fewer visitors to its theaters in April compared with three years before that, according to data from Placer.ai. Regal Cinemas experienced an even steeper drop, with April visits down by two-thirds over the same month five years ago.

Disney shares were up 1.8% to $91.54 as of 11 a.m. ET Monday to move into positive territory this year.