Box Office: 'Doctor Strange 2' Debuts to Heroic $185 Million
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Monday
January 30, 2023

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Aviation
    • Bazaar
    • Budget
    • Industry
    • NBR
    • RMG
    • Corporates
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Features
    • Book Review
    • Brands
    • Earth
    • Explorer
    • Fact Check
    • Family
    • Food
    • Game Reviews
    • Good Practices
    • Habitat
    • Humour
    • In Focus
    • Luxury
    • Mode
    • Panorama
    • Pursuit
    • Wealth
    • Wellbeing
    • Wheels
  • Epaper
  • More
    • Subscribe
    • Videos
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • COVID-19
    • Games
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
  • বাংলা
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
Box Office: 'Doctor Strange 2' Debuts to Heroic $185 Million

Splash

Reuters
09 May, 2022, 01:20 pm
Last modified: 09 May, 2022, 01:41 pm

Related News

  • Doctor Strange 2 hits OTT platform today
  • Doctor Strange 2 overtakes The Batman to become highest-grossing film of 2022
  • Box Office: 'Doctor Strange 2' Rules Again as 'Firestarter' Flames Out
  • Doctor Strange 2 screenwriter reveals John Krasinski’s future in MCU
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Everything we have come to expect from a Marvel film

Box Office: 'Doctor Strange 2' Debuts to Heroic $185 Million

Prior to this weekend, “The Batman” stood as the year’s biggest opening weekend with $134 million. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” still ranks as the pandemic’s biggest opening weekend (and the second-biggest ever) with $260 million

Reuters
09 May, 2022, 01:20 pm
Last modified: 09 May, 2022, 01:41 pm
Cat member Benedict Cumberbatch attends the premiere of "Doctor Strange the Multiverse of Madness" on 2 May. Photo: AP via Fortune
Cat member Benedict Cumberbatch attends the premiere of "Doctor Strange the Multiverse of Madness" on 2 May. Photo: AP via Fortune

Doctor Strange and his questionably effective book of spells has summoned a blockbuster $185 million at North American movie theaters over the weekend, reaffirming the box office dominance of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe after a shakier, pandemic-battered year for the franchise.

The timeline-bending "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" represents a return to form for Disney's MCU after COVID-era releases "Black Widow" ($80 million debut, plus $60 million on Disney Plus), "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" ($75 million debut), and "Eternals" ($71 million debut). Due to the pandemic and other extenuating circumstances, those instalments failed to live up to their franchise predecessors in terms of ticket sales.

Those box office returns mark the 11th biggest opening weekend in history. Given the anomaly of reaching those box office heights, "Doctor Strange 2" easily delivered the biggest opening weekend of 2022, as well as the second-biggest debut in COVID-19 times. Prior to this weekend, "The Batman" stood as the year's biggest opening weekend with $134 million. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" still ranks as the pandemic's biggest opening weekend (and the second-biggest ever) with $260 million.

Overseas, the film earned $265 million from 49 territories, taking the global total to $450 million. Since "Doctor Strange 2" is not likely to play in China, Russia or Ukraine, the film will rely on repeat viewings from audiences around the globe to push ticket sales past the coveted $1 billion mark. Only "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has been able to cross that threshold since COVID took hold.

At the domestic box office, "Doctor Strange" follow-up outgrossed its predecessor's entire opening weekend tally in a single day. "Doctor Strange 2" raked in $90 million on Friday alone, while the 2016 adventure "Doctor Strange" brought in $85 million between Friday and Sunday. Marvel and other major franchise films tend to be front-loaded in terms of ticket sales because fans want to be among the first to see the movie -- lest spoilers appear online and ruin the fun. Still, the sequel will quickly blow past the final box office tally of the original "Doctor Strange," which ended its theatrical run with $232 million domestically and $677 million globally.

"Doctor Strange 2" is benefitting as the follow-up film to Sony's box office behemoth "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which became a must-see movie event and grossed $1.89 billion worldwide. With Peter Parker's tantalizing adventures as a precursor, plus Disney's marketing machine heavily teasing some big surprise cameos, "Doctor Strange" landed in rarified air -- even for a Marvel movie.

Imax, 3D and other premium format screens also contributed to higher grosses for "Doctor Strange 2," which cost $200 million to produce, not including hefty marketing fees. According to Disney, 36% of overall box office ticket sales came from premium formats. With $33 million from Imax alone, "Doctor Strange" ranks among the company's top 10 global opening weekends.

"This is another sensational Marvel opening, by Marvel's own dominant standard," says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. "'Doctor Strange' is growing its audience with a stronger follow-up release."

Sam Raimi, the mastermind behind the original "Spider-Man" trilogy, directed "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." The film picks up as the eponymous neurosurgeon-turned-Avenger, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, casts a dangerous spell that forces him to travel into the multiverse to face a mysterious new adversary and alternate versions of himself. Along with Cumberbatch, the cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Wong and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez, a teen who can travel between dimensions.

"Doctor Strange 2" kicks off the summer blockbuster season with a bang. In the coming months, "Top Gun: Maverick" (May 27), "Jurassic World Dominion" (June 10) and "Thor: Love and Thunder" (July 8) should keep theaters bustling with foot traffic. With "The Multiverse of Madness" looming large in theaters (and taking up nearly every single screen in major circuits), several holdover titles rounded out box office charts.

After two weeks at the No. 1 spot, Universal's animated heist comedy "The Bad Guys" dropped to second place with $9.7 million from 3,839 venues. Those returns bring the movie's domestic tally to $57 million.

Paramount's family-friendly "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" took third place with $6.2 million from 3,358 North American theaters. After five weeks on the big screen, the "Sonic" follow-up has grossed $169.9 million at the domestic box office. It's one of the rare pandemic-era sequels to earn more than its predecessor in theaters. "Sonic's" first silver screen adventure took in $148 million in North America before COVID-19 forced multiplexes to close in March of 2020.

"Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" dropped to the No. 4 spot with $3.8 million from 3,051 screens. The latest chapter in the "Harry Potter" prequel series ranks as the lowest-grossing of the larger Wizarding World film franchise. "The Secrets of Dumbledore" has generated $86 million to date and may struggle to cross $100 million domestically, a benchmark that prior "Harry Potter"-adjacent movies passed in a matter of days.

A24's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" beat the Focus Features film "The Northman" for fifth place, as the former brought in $3.3 million from 1,542 theaters and the latter brought in $2.7 million from 2,413 theaters. This weekend's turnout continues a strong box office run for "Everything Everywhere All At Once," a genre-defying movie starring Michelle Yeoh, despite playing in far fewer theaters than "The Northman." Since opening in theaters seven weeks ago, "Everything Everywhere" has grossed an impressive $41 million in North America. "The Northman" has earned $28 million to date.

At the specialty box office, IFC Films opened Audrey Diwan's abortion drama "Happening" to theaters in New York City and Los Angeles, bringing in $34,000 from four venues. That translates to $8,500 per location. "Happening," which unfolds in 1963 France, arrives on the big screen at a politically charged moment, with the Supreme Court seemingly about to overturn Roe v. Wade. IFC plans to bring the film to more than 100 cities nationwide next week.

"IFC Films is committed to bringing 'Happening' to screens across America at this pivotal moment in time," said Arianna Bocco, president of IFC Films. "We hope audiences seek this film out and that it sparks important conversations about our future. We are proud to continue our long tradition of sharing important, female-driven stories with audiences nationwide."

Doctor Strange 2 / Benedict Cumberbatch

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Photo: Collected
    Economic slump drags down growth in VAT collection from big cos
  • It's corruption that bites business harder: CPD
    It's corruption that bites business harder: CPD
  • Import slowdown to affect economic growth: ADB country head
    Import slowdown to affect economic growth: ADB country head

MOST VIEWED

  • Photo: Noor-A-Alam
    Self and Others: Looking inward to reflect on the world outside
  • Photo: Collected
    Jon Kabir and Oni Hasan collaborate on Pantera cover
  • Photo: Collected
    The Last of Us renewed for a second season
  • Pathaan close to becoming highest-grossing Indian film worldwide
    Pathaan close to becoming highest-grossing Indian film worldwide
  • National Film Award: 'Lal Moroger Jhuti', 'Nona Joler Kabbo' win best film
    National Film Award: 'Lal Moroger Jhuti', 'Nona Joler Kabbo' win best film
  • President M Abdul Hamid. Photo: UNB
    President to distribute 'Jatiya Shishu Puroshkar Protijogita' prizes today

Related News

  • Doctor Strange 2 hits OTT platform today
  • Doctor Strange 2 overtakes The Batman to become highest-grossing film of 2022
  • Box Office: 'Doctor Strange 2' Rules Again as 'Firestarter' Flames Out
  • Doctor Strange 2 screenwriter reveals John Krasinski’s future in MCU
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Everything we have come to expect from a Marvel film

Features

Nandita Sharmin's journey to give organic skincare a new identity

Nandita Sharmin's journey to give organic skincare a new identity

14h | Mode
Illustration: TBS

'The silver lining is that the worst is sort of behind us': Hamid Rashid, UN economist

18h | Panorama
Photo: Bloomberg

BuzzFeed and AI are a match made in fad city

17h | Panorama
Snipe in flight. Photo: Enam Ul Haque

Baikka Beel: 'A world where snipe work late'

1d | Panorama

More Videos from TBS

Sarika Sabrin is waiting for a good film

Sarika Sabrin is waiting for a good film

8h | TBS Entertainment
Take your football game to the next level at Next Level academy

Take your football game to the next level at Next Level academy

9h | TBS SPORTS
“Investments risky without consistent policy, reliable data”- SK Bashir Uddin

“Investments risky without consistent policy, reliable data”- SK Bashir Uddin

11h | TBS Round Table
What does Shahrukh has in his 770 million dollar property?

What does Shahrukh has in his 770 million dollar property?

1d | TBS Entertainment

Most Read

1
Picture: Collected
Bangladesh

US Embassy condemns recent incidents of visa fraud

2
Illustration: TBS
Banking

16 banks at risk of capital shortfall if top 3 borrowers default

3
Photo: Collected
Splash

Hansal Mehta responds as Twitter user calls him 'shameless' for making Faraaz

4
A frozen Beyond Burger plant-based patty. Photographer: AKIRA for Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Special

Fake meat was supposed to save the world. It became just another fad

5
Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!
Bangladesh

Bapex calls candidates for job test 9 years after advert!

6
Representational Image
Banking

Cash-strapped Islami, Al-Arafah and National turn to Sonali Bank for costly fund

EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2023
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net