Deadpool crushes rated R record with $135 million opening weekend

Deadpool isn't your typical superhero movie. The red spandex-clad hero played by Ryan Reynolds isn't just irreverant and self-aware — he's downright raunchy. That solidly earned the film an R rating (18+ without an adult), but that hasn't stopped the film from being a box office success. Over its first weekend in the US, Deadpool is now estimated to haul in over $135 million. That makes it the best opening weekend ever for an R-rated film — by far.

That title was previously held by The Matrix Reloaded (2003), which earned $91.7 million. The top five opening weekends for R-rated films is rounded out by American Sniper (2015), The Hangover Part II (2011), and Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), which all earned between $85 to $90 million on their first weekends.

All major superhero movies over the past few years have been rated PG-13 — such a rating is seen as key to maximizing box office potential. For comparison, notable rated R films of the same genre, 300 (2007) and Watchmen (2009), earned $70.9 and $55.2 million respectively. As for all other superhero movies, the opening marks the seventh largest of all time, right behind Spiderman 3, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

If you haven't checked it out yet, you can read our review here, and for more, be sure to read our interview with the film's editor. If you're looking for more Deadpool, you'll be glad to hear that a sequel has already been greenlit.

Source: The Verge

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