LOS ANGELES: Superhero sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness enjoyed a blockbuster opening over the weekend, taking in an estimated $185 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said on Sunday.

That represented the biggest opening weekend of the year, the second-biggest of the pandemic era and the 11th biggest all time.

“This is another sensational Marvel opening, by Marvel’s own dominant standard,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

The movie, directed by Sam Raimi and distributed by Disney, again stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, backed by Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejofor and Rachel McAdams.

The complicated plot — how could a multiverse story not be complicated — includes alternative universes, witches and sorcerers, death and revival, and even an octopus demon.

With the huge bump from Dr Strange, the weekend’s estimated gross offered more evidence of Hollywood’s return from the darkest pandemic days: it was nearly 10 times the $22 million from the same weekend last year. Strange shoved Universal’s animated action-comedy The Bad Guys out of the top spot where it had resided for two weeks.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2022