"Deadpool" annihilates R-rated records at the box office
LOS ANGELES - The R-rated "Deadpool" has taken the box office by storm, annihilating records with an eye-popping $135 million from its first three days in theaters according to comScore estimates Sunday.
The Fox film, which stars Ryan Reynolds as the foul-mouthed superhero, easily trounced last year's record-setting $85.2 million February debut of the erotic drama "Fifty Shades of Grey." It also became the biggest R-rated opening ever, surpassing "The Matrix Reloaded," which opened to $91.8 million in May of 2003.
Coming in a distant second was last weekend's No. 1 film "Kung Fu Panda" with $19.7 million. In third place, the Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson rom-com "How to Be Single" opened to $18.8 million, while the dismally reviewed Ben Stiller vehicle "Zoolander 2" debuted in fourth to only $15.7 million.
Earlier this summer, Reynolds told a Comic-Con audience about 20th Century Fox's willingness to greenlight the film.
"For one, I think it's an absolute miracle that a studio let us make 'Deadpool,' let alone a rated-R 'Deadpool,'" he said.
Reynolds plays Wade Wilson, who turns into Deadpool in the upcoming origin story film.
Deadpool, a comic book cult favorite of superhero fans, is an anti-hero well-known for his unpredictability, eccentric sense of humor, and tendency to break the fourth wall.