'Deadpool 2' topples 'Avengers Infinity War' from top spot at the US box office

Fox's R-rated superhero film "Deadpool 2" has aced the box office and ended the three-week reign of Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War at the top of the North American box office.
Deadpool 2 brought in $125 million domestically in its opening weekend.

"The audience's appetite for Merc with the Mouth hasn't waned at all. And Ryan Reynolds was tireless in promoting this movie on a global basis," Hollywood Reporter quoted Fox domestic distribution chief Chris Aronson, as saying. Overseas, Deadpool 2 rocketed to $176 million from 81 markets, Fox's biggest opening of all time internationally and that's without China, where the film doesn't yet have a release date," the reports said.

The movie, which stars Ryan Reynolds as the foul-mouthed Marvel hero, had the third-biggest opening of 2018, and the third biggest opening for a Marvel film, after Disney's 'Black Panther' and 'Avengers: Infinity War'.

However, the sequel couldn't match the North American opening of its predecessor, which earned $130 million two years ago in February, the best showing in history for an R-rated title. According to the report, the foreign opening was up 7 percent when comparing like markets to like markets, while Deadpool 2 came in 5.5 percent behind Deadpool's domestic debut. 

'Deadpool 2' tells the story of an adult superhero with a twisted sense of humour. Based on Marvel Comics' most unconventional anti-hero, 'Deadpool' is the original story of a former Special Forces operative who turns into a mercenary.

The sequel also features Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Karan Soni, Zazie Beetz, Brianna Hildebrand, Stefan Kapicic and Leslie Uggams.