Viral marketing campaign pays off for Deadpool as film takes nearly $15m in first weekend
The latest Marvel Comics superhero to hit the big screens, Deadpool, has benefitted from a successful below and above the line marketing campaign to pull in almost $15m in its opening weekend – more than the rest of the top 20 films combined.
Deadpool stars Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, an everyday man subjected to an experiment that leaves him with new abilities, who hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life, took $14.943m on 396 screens.
By comparison, Zoolander 2, starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as hapless male models, could muster just $2.736m on its first full weekend of launch on 358 screens to claim second spot, with total takings so far of $3.928m.
Deadpool has gained momentum in recent months with a series of marketing stunts including an Australia Day video and emoji billboard. It also smashed the ‘R’ rating record over the weekend in the US, taking US$135m.
Historical drama, Brooklyn, was the third new entry into the top 10 with $1.044m on 155 screens, beating out former chart toppers Dirty Grandpa – which managed $801,247 on 222 screens – and The Revenant, which took $496,855 on 255 screens.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens now looks set to fall short of Avatar’s $105m takings record, creeping to $92.542m after taking $420,080 on the weekend.
| Title (Distributor) | Weekend B/O | Screens | Total B/O |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadpool (Fox) | $14,943,402 | 396 | $14,943,402 |
| Zoolander 2 (Paramount) | $2,736,333 | 358 | $3,928,105 |
| Brooklyn (Transmission) | $1,044,971 | 155 | $1,390,455 |
| Dirty Grandpa (Eone) | $801,247 | 222 | $5,865,495 |
| The Revenant (Fox) | $496,855 | 255 | $18,342,113 |
| Spotlight (Eone) | $479,021 | 151 | $2,830,731 |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Disney) | $420,085 | 141 | $92,542,919 |
| The Big Short (Paramount) | $310,540 | 129 | $6,572,706 |
| The Choice (Roadshow) | $299,930 | 204 | $1,120,325 |
| Sisters (Universal) | $268,196 | 0 | $11,754,734 |
| The Hateful Eight (Roadshow) | $240,565 | 195 | $7,397,710 |
| The 5th Wave (Sony) | $187,313 | 141 | $7,319,446 |
| Goosebumps (Roadshow) | $167,891 | 179 | $9,454,463 |
| The Danish Girl (Universal) | $141,758 | 108 | $2,419,294 |
| Room (Roadshow) | $105,667 | 64 | $981,046 |
| Carol (Transmission) | $104,913 | 92 | $2,799,772 |
| From Vegas To Macau 3 (Magnum) | $98,190 | 16 | $359,474 |
| Steve Jobs (Universal) | $98,007 | 59 | $606,260 |
| Joy (Fox) | $73,653 | 125 | $8,194,805 |
| Daddy's Home (Paramount) | $70,714 | 0 | $21,597,673 |
