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A12 HEALTH
Monday 16 May 2022

‘Doctor Strange 2’ keeps hold on top

spot in 2nd weekend

This image released by Marvel Studios shows, from left, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez,
Benedict Wong as Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in a scene from
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
Associated Press
By LINDSEY BAHR ings of the first “Doctor fourth place, behind hold-
AP Film Writer Strange” movie, as well as over family films “The Bad
“Doctor Strange in the Mul- 11 other Marvel Cinematic Guys” and “Sonic the
tiverse of Madness” stayed Universe titles — and it’s not Hedgehog 2,” which took
on top of the box office even playing in China. the second and third spots.
charts during its second “Audiences crave these Now in its fourth weekend,
weekend in theaters, earn- big blockbusters on the big Universal’s “The Bad Guys”
ing an additional $61 mil- screen,” said Paul Derga- added $6.9 million, bringing
lion from North American rabedian, the senior media its global grosses to $165.6
theaters, according to stu- analyst for Comscore. “This million. “Sonic 2,” in its sixth
dio estimates Sunday. marketplace has given week, earned $4.6 million,
With $688 million in global ‘Doctor Strange’ a pretty raising its cumulative total
grosses, it’s already one of long runway to be success- to $175.7 million.
the highest grossing films of ful until ‘Top Gun.’” Meanwhile, “Everything
the pandemic and the sec- There was little in the way Everywhere All At Once” is
ond biggest of 2022. of new competition. The still going strong even after
But a 67% fall is also a steep only major new movie eight weeks in release. The
drop — even for reliably was Universal Pictures and A24 film picked up an ad-
frontloaded superhero Blumhouse’s adaptation of ditional $3.3 million, down
films. Still, “Spider-Man: Stephen King’s “Firestarter,” only 6% from the previous
No Way Home” slid 68% in which was released in both weekend, bringing its total
weekend two. theaters and on the com- grosses to $47 million.
Released by the Walt Dis- pany’s streaming service, The faith-based com-
ney Co., “ Doctor Strange Peacock+. edy “Family Camp” also
2 “ benefitted from being Starring Zac Efron and Ryan opened this weekend from
the first Marvel movie to fol- Kiera Armstrong, “Firestart- Roadside Attractions.
low “Spider-Man: No Way er” earned just $3.8 million Playing on 854 screens, the
Home,” in which Benedict from 3,412 North American PG-rated pic earned $1.4
Cumberbatch’s sorcerer theaters. Reviews for the million. And Bleecker Street
played a pivotal role. film didn’t drop until the day released the well-reviewed
Directed by Sam Raimi, of release, but critics have indie “Montana Story,” star-
“Doctor Strange 2” also been less than impressed ring Haley Lu Richardson
builds upon the popular with this iteration of King’s as a woman who returns
Disney+ series “Wandavi- story about a preteen with home with her estranged
sion” and contains a num- pyrokinetic powers. brother to care for their ail-
ber of cameos that fans Audiences weren’t on ing father. “Montana Story”
didn’t want to be spoiled. board either, giving it a C- grossed $20,104 from four
The elements all came to- CinemaScore. As Derga- theaters.
gether to give “Doctor rabedian noted, however, Things will pick up consider-
Strange” the 11th-biggest no film that opens “day ably in the coming weeks:
domestic debut of all time. and date” in theaters and Next weekend, Focus Fea-
But reviews also weren’t on streaming is expecting tures debuts “Downton Ab-
quite as strong as those to break any records. bey: A New Era” and A24
for the latest “Spider-Man” “The notion that a theatri- has the Alex Garland thriller
installment, which could cal exclusive debut gives “Men,” before everyone
impact the film in the long movies their best shot at clears the way for Tom
run. success is right,” Derga- Cruise in “Top Gun: Maver-
The movie has already ex- rabedian said. ick.” That flies into theaters
ceeded the global earn- “Firestarter” debuted in Memorial Day weekend.q