Deadpool & Wolverine broke one of Joker’s biggest R-rated records – and now its director has marked the occasion in the best way possible.
After five weeks in theaters, Deadpool & Wolverine has broken the record for the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever and cemented itself as one of the highest-grossing films of all time.
The Marvel movie has raked in a staggering $1.086 billion globally, officially surpassing the previous record holder, Joker, by $8 million.
Phillips celebrated Deadpool’s success by posting a photoshopped image of Deadpool performing the NSYNC dance on the infamous Joker staircase with the caption, “Have to tip my hat to @vancityreynolds and @slevydirect for this absolute steam roller of a movie. We knew it was gonna be big, but this is too much. Congrats to everyone involved!”
Todd Phillips congratulates Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy for ‘DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE’ passing ‘JOKER’ as the highest grossing R-Rated film ever “We knew it was gonna be big, but this is too much” pic.twitter.com/FzQFwhcD2z
— ScreenTime (@screentime) August 17, 2024
The Joker director wasn’t the only person who shared a congratulatory message to the Deadpool cast and crew, as Marvel President Kevin Feige shared a note from his desk to X/Twitter.
“Thanks for making Marvel’s first R-rated movie the biggest of all time,” Feige wrote. “It’s fantastic to see that audiences are loving this movie as much as we all loved making it. All those conversations were worth it.”
While its record is impressive, it’s not the only major accomplishment achieved by Deadpool & Wolverine during its theatrical run.
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It’s also joined the Letterboxd One Million Watched Club, becoming the second-fastest movie to reach this milestone after 2023’s Barbie.
Although Deadpool has taken Joker’s crown for now, there’s a chance Phillips and his team may be able to reclaim it with their sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, is set to premiere in October 2024.
Early reactions to Joker 2 have been incredibly positive, as one critic referred to it as “one of the most daring American movies.”
And with the addition of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and a mysterious jukebox musical plot, Phillips has a good shot at retaking the title with ease.
For more, check out our list of the best-reviewed movies of the year so far here and keep up with all the new movies releasing this month.