'Deadpool 2' Projected for up to $350 Million Worldwide Opening Weekend Box Office

Projections for 20th Century Fox's second movie featuring the Merc' With the Mouth are looking great and the film is poised for a huge opening weekend.

It seems like the Infinity War effect is starting to wear off, putting Deadpool 2 in a great position to dominate the box office. Deadline reports the movie is expected to haul in between $305 million and $350 million when it premieres in theaters.

Star Ryan Reynolds has led a significant marketing campaign for the film, which has included a Celine Dion music video and unicorn-clad karaoke sessions in addition to the tried and true press junkets and social media posts.

Deadpool 2 is expected to bring in $130 million to $150 million stateside, and an additional $175 million to $200 million overseas in its opening weekend in theaters.

The first Deadpool movie boasts the most successful R-rated opening in box office history, with its Valentine's Day premiere in 2016 making $152.1 million. By the end of its theatrical run, Deadpool became the most successful film at the international box office as well as worldwide, making $420 million overseas and grossing $783.1 million total.

After the immense box office success and the positive critical reception to the first film, Deadpool 2 is positioned to build on that foundation as it moves to the summer blockbuster season.

The sequel was originally scheduled to release in June, but it was moved forward to this weekend to capitalize on an opening. There were multiple reasons, including Avengers: Infinity War moving from May 4th to April 27th. Then there were the hits to the Star Wars franchise, as Solo: A Star Wars Story suffered production woes and Star Wars: The Last Jedi was perceived to underperform at the box office in December 2017.

With the Han Solo move opening on May 25th, 20th Century Fox moving Deadpool 2 up was seen as a bold move by industry analysts.

It could pay off this weekend with Deadpool 2 opening unopposed, and Avengers: Infinity War buzz seemingly cooling down. While the R rating might be seen to have a negative impact, Deadpool's brand seems to thrive with that mature banner.

We'll see how successful the film does when Deadpool 2 premieres in theaters on Friday, May 18th.

Are you excited for the Merc' With the Mouth's return to the theater? Let us know in the comment section!