Thursday Night Previews: Deadpool is no Match for Black Panther and Wakandan Might
February 16, 2018
I tried to remain cautious in the face of the overwhelming hype surrounding the release of Black Panther. This could be a mistake. It started its domestic box office run with $25.2 million in previews on Thursday, which crushed the $12.7 million Deadpool earned during the beginning of its record-breaking debut weekend. Not only is this the best previews for a Presidents Day debut, it is the best pre-summer preview, topping The Hunger Games’s $19.7 million. It is also the second best for the MCU, just ahead of Civil War’s $25 million mark, and just behind Age of Ultron’s result of $27.6 million. The film’s 97% positive reviews suggest it will have long legs; however, as we’ve seen time and time again, even Award-worthy reviews are almost never a match for an extreme Fanboy Effect. That said, this result is way above the $20 million I was expecting and a $200 million four-day debut is now more likely than not.
Also opening this weekend are Early Man and Samson, but there are no preview numbers to report.
- Black Panther Comparisons
- Early Man Comparisons
- Samson Comparisons
Filed under: Midnight Previews, Black Panther, Early Man, Samson, Marvel Cinematic Universe