Deadpool 2, the R-rated superhero sequel starring Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin, is projected to open with $350 million worldwide. A labor of love for star Ryan Reynolds - who fought for years to get the movie made and even (allegedly) leaked test footage in order to get audiences pumped - Deadpool was a surprise smash hit when released in 2016.

At the time, Deadpool seemed groundbreaking, being a comic book movie filled with swearing, sex and unusually graphic violence. But really it was more of a throwback to the R-rated action flicks of the late ‘80s, when movies like Robocop, Die Hard and Predator ruled the box office. The wild success of Deadpool not only cleared the way for more R-rated comic book/superhero movies to find their way to multiplexes, it also launched a franchise with Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth at the center.

Now the sequel Deadpool 2 is set to release, and it’s expected to outperform the original film at the box office. As reported by Deadline, projections have the second Deadpool soaring to between $300 and $350 million at the global box office in its opening weekend. $130M to $150M of that should come from the North American market, with another $175M-$200M rolling in from overseas.

When the first Deadpool released over President’s Day weekend in 2016, it enjoyed the biggest opening for an R-rated movie ever at the domestic box office with $152 million. The big story though was how Deadpool performed overseas, where the market for R-rated movies is more limited. Worldwide, the film opened to $264 million on its way to a total of $783 million. If the new projections are correct, Deadpool 2 will easily out-pace the original film’s worldwide opening, setting it up to surpass the first movie’s total box office tally.

Thus far, Deadpool 2 is looking good with critics, garnering positive early reviews while being certified fresh at Rotten Tomatoes. The only thing that may slow its box office is going up against Solo: A Star Wars Story, which comes out next week and has seen vigorous pre-release ticket sales. The film will also have competition from Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War, which continues chugging along after its own record breaking opening. Deadpool 2 of course has no realistic shot at surpassing more family-friendly fellow 2018 superhero films like Infinity War or Black Panther in total box office though.

Directed by David Leitch, Deadpool 2 sees the titular anti-hero teaming with a new crew of mutants - and one regular guy named Peter - who call themselves the X-Force. The film also sees the arrival of popular comic book character Cable, played by Thanos actor Josh Brolin. The assembly of the X-Force is expected to launch a new run of films centered on the superhero team, with Brolin signed on for at least three more movies.

More: Ryan Reynolds Offers X-Force Movie Update, Thinks It Will Be R-Rated

Source: Deadline

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