Not my words7 May 2022 17:26
If Wall Street was betting on the extinction of exhibition during the pandemic, consider those forecasts dead wrong, even if Doctor Strange 2 settles near $180M. This return to Marvel by filmmaker Sam Raimi is propelling total ticket sales this weekend to an estimated $235M, which is +18% over the first weekend of May 2019, pre-pandemic. Remember, that was the second weekend of Avengers: Endgame, which amazingly pulled in $147.3M, the second best second weekend of all-time at the domestic box office. Some media cynics will say that audiences only want to see Marvel movies. I think that will be proven untrue when a near 60-year old movie star’s sequel, Top Gun Maverick, comes out on Memorial Day weekend.
Other diagnostics on the Doctor: Guys are driving business at 62% per PostTrak, with 57% over 25 with 61% between 18-34 years old. Diversity demos are 35% Caucasian, 30% Hispanic and Latino, 18% Black, 10% Asian and 8% other. The Benedict Cumberbatch-Elizabeth Olsen movie played best in the big markets on the coasts where all of its top ten runs were. Still business is great in all of the 50 states. On Friday, five theaters closed over $200K, eight did north of $150K and 75 multiplexes for the pic were over $100K. IMAX, PLF screens and 3D repped close to 40% of Doctor Strange 2‘s first day business.