Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Now Projected for $175 Million Plus Opening Weekend
Nothing can rock the box office quite like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All four MCU films in 2021 managed to make some serious noise in theaters, giving hope to exhibitors after more than a year of very little results. 2021 ended with Spider-Man: No Way Home not only being the biggest release of the pandemic era, but setting all-time box office records in North America. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives in theaters this week and looks to keep the MCU's successful run going.
According to a new report from Variety, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is eyeing a massive $175 million opening in North America this weekend. The current estimates range from $160 million to $180 million, though some believe that the excitement surrounding Marvel could propel the Strange sequel to $200 million in its opening weekend.
Doctor Strange 2 is debuting this weekend in most global markets as well, and it's looking at an international haul north of $125 million. There's a chance Multiverse of Madness could clear $340 million around the globe this weekend.
There has been a lot of hype about Multiverse of Madness for quite a while, given that it is diving deep into Marvel's multiverse, not to mention the fact that Spider-Man's Sam Raimi was brought in as its director. The expectations have been high, and the production team worked right down to the wire to deliver what they felt was the best version of the film possible.
At the premiere, star Benedict Cumberbatch revealed that all of the moving parts in the story made it difficult to get the ending just right. He said that a lot of elements of the film's final act came together "quite late," but that he fought to make sure the character of Doctor Strange was represented well.
"The last third of the film, to be particular. In true Marvel fashion, it came together quite late," Cumberbatch said. "I feel like a guardian of this character so the integrity rests with me, so I fought for a lot the stuff you'll see in the picture and some that you won't."
Will you be heading out to the theater to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness this weekend? Let us know in the comments!