‘Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ may set box office record

‘Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ may set box office record

The Sam Raimi helmed “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” took in more than $90 million in ticket sales between Thursday and Friday night, putting the Marvel superhero sequel on track to becoming the biggest box office opening of 2022 this weekend despite poor reviews.

The star-studded flick, with Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, is now projected to top $200 million in US sales through Sunday, well ahead of the $160 million to $180 million previously expected, according to Variety.

“Dr. Strange” took in an additional $139.3 million on international screens, bringing the Disney movie’s worldwide total to $229.3 million so far, IMDB’s Box Office Mojo said.

In second place Friday was “The Bad Guys,” an animated movie from Dreamworks about misunderstood criminal animals attempting to become good, took in $2.3 million. The movie has grossed $50 million domestically and $132 million worldwide since it opened April 22, Box Office Mojo reported.

The animated “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” took third place to start the weekend, with ticket sales of $1.5 million bringing its domestic total to $165.2 million since its April 8 opening. Worldwide, it’s up to $327.8 million.

The “Harry Potter” franchise’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” was in the fourth spot, with domestic ticket sales of $1 million. Since opening April 15, it’s brought in $83.1 million from US screenings and $335.6 million worldwide.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” about an aging Chinese immigrant swept up in an adventure where she alone can save the world, was in fifth place for the start of the weekend with ticket sales of $951,212. Since opening March 25, the film has sold $39.2 million of tickets in the US and $43.1 million worldwide.