Skip to footer

'Doctor Strange' and his sorcery win box office: Here's what led to success

'Strange,' the newest Marvel superhero film, came in first place at the box office in its debut weekend. The animated movie 'Trolls' and director Mel Gibson's war film, 'Hacksaw Ridge,' also did well financially.

|
Disney/Marvel/AP
'Doctor Strange' stars Benedict Cumberbatch.

Marvel’s newest superhero, Doctor Strange, worked his magic at the weekend box office, with the movie of the same name coming in at No. 1 in its debut weekend.

“Doctor Strange” stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, a skilled surgeon who is left searching for answers after his hands are injured in a car accident. After traveling to Nepal, he learns magical skills that help him in a fight against evil.

The film co-stars Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Mads Mikkelsen.

“Strange” debuted with $85 million this past weekend. Behind it was the new animated movie “Trolls,” which was released by Dreamworks, also the home of such past animated films as the “How to Train Your Dragon” series and the “Kung Fu Panda” movies. “Trolls” brought in more than $45 million for second place.

Meanwhile, the new war film “Hacksaw Ridge,” which is directed by Mel Gibson and stars Andrew Garfield, placed third, grossing nearly $15 million in its debut weekend. The film “Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween,” which was released on Oct. 21, placed fourth, bringing in nearly $8 million this past weekend, while the Dan Brown adaptation “Inferno,” which originally opened on Oct. 28, placed fifth, taking in more than $6 million.

What led “Strange” to such success? Part of it is, of course, the Marvel brand. This was the 14th film released by the ultra-successful superhero studio, and the studio's films have become one of the most financially successful franchises of all time. Moviegoers know what they’re getting with the films.

And like many Marvel movies, “Strange” had a mostly positive reception from critics. Hollywood Reporter writer Pamela McClintock noted that “Strange” “boast[ed] glowing reviews.” 

Moviefone writer Gary Susman also credited Mr. Cumberbatch with bringing in moviegoers.

“He's ... reached the point where that fandom is actually translating into ticket sales,” Mr. Susman writes of admiration for the actor. “Two years ago, he managed to turn ‘The Imitation Game’ ... into a $91 million domestic hit. As much as the Marvel name alone sells tickets, it certainly helped that it was the cerebral and charismatic Cumberbatch playing the mysterious and obscure character.”

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
editor@csmonitor.com
Subscribe
Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Subscribe to insightful journalism

QR Code to 'Doctor Strange' and his sorcery win box office: Here's what led to success
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2016/1107/Doctor-Strange-and-his-sorcery-win-box-office-Here-s-what-led-to-success
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe