Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange,’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch, hit theaters on Friday, and it is already producing a highly significant box office revenue, raising approximately $85 million from 3,882 theaters in the United States.
The superhero fantasy-action film also stars Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton. Globally, it made about $118.7 million during its first weekend, including an extra $44.3 million in China.
These numbers surpass the movie’s initial budget of $165 million, making it a box-office success and putting it on the road for more Marvel box-office records, if the trend continues.
The highest-grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film to date is ‘The Avengers’ (2012), which raised $1.25 billion on a budget of $220 million.
Who is Doctor Strange?
Doctor Strange is the mystical alter ego of neurosurgeon Stephen Strange, whose fingers became severely injured in a car accident, rendering him unable to perform surgery. Strange embarks on a journey to find a cure for his hands.
After spending almost all of his money, the Doctor (Cumberbatch) finds a mystical character known as The Ancient One (Swinton), a Celtic sorceress (in the film) that introduces him to the arts of the occult.
The Doctor’s companions in the movie are sorcerer Mordo (Ejiofor) and his love interest Christine Palmer (McAdams), along with Wong (Benedict Wong), a Master of The Mystical Arts.
He will train to become the ultimate sorcerer and defeat the dark magician Kaecilius (Mikkelsen), a lost disciple of The Ancient One.
Doctor Strange (The Movie) facts
Scott Derrickson, mostly known for ‘Deliver Us From Evil’ (2014) and ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ (2005) directed and co-wrote ‘Doctor Strange,’ along with Stan Lee, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Passengers), and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister 1 & 2).
Minor cast appearances include Michael Stulhbarg, Benjamin Bratt. The movie’s earnings already reach the $325 million worldwide, placing it among the top ten opening-week successes of 2016. Marvel has already claimed five spots on that chart.
‘Doctor Strange’ has already beaten the first installments of other Marvel blockbuster franchises such as ‘Thor’ and ‘Captain America.’ 58% of the audience was male, and 57% was between the ages of 13 and 34.
The movie is the first one to open in more than a thousand IMAX theaters, 47% percent of its gross revenue came from 3D screens.
The film currently has an 8.0-star rating on IMDB with a Metascore of 72, and a 90% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, stemming from mostly positive reviews.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter