Summer Box Office Magic

An exhausted Ryan Reynolds was overwhelmed when the opening-day grosses started pouring in on July 26 for Deadpool & Wolverine, the third entry in his audacious superhero series. By July 27, the impossible was within reach: The Marvel Studios pic was going to cross $200 million in its domestic debut, something no one thought possible for an R-rated film. The final number came in at a stunning $211 million, the sixth-biggest opening of all time and $79 million ahead of the previous R-rated record-holder, 2016’s Deadpool.