EXCLUSIVE: Marvel Studios’ badass duo continues to rake in the cash for what’s shaping up to be a More than $21.5 million Monday at the domestic box office, if not more, according to sources tonight.
At this level, Deadpool and Wolverine easily ranks as the best Monday of all time for an R-rated movie, beating out 2016’s Monday Dead Pool, which fell on a Presidents Day holiday where it grossed $19.7 million.
Among all the Mondays in July, right now D&W stands as the fourth best after Spider-Man 2 ($27.6 million, July 5, 2004), Barbie ($26.1 million, July 24, 2023) and The black Knight ($24.4 million, July 21, 2008). Tuesday will certainly be a bountiful day for D&WLast year on Tuesday, Barbie brought in an additional $26 million.
In addition, we can tell you that the promotional partnership campaign for Deadpool and Wolverine was worth $135 million in media value, which was more than Disney accrued for Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverand more than the first and second dead Pool combined spending of promotional partners. That’s a lot, especially when you consider that Deadpool and Wolverine I didn’t have a car partner (which, by the way, is not common for R-rated movies).
RELATED: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Review: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Deliver — and More — in Blockbuster Dream Pairing for the MCU
The promotional partnership campaign was led by Ryan Stankevich, Disney’s senior vice president of marketing, and Lylle Breier, the studio’s executive vice president of marketing partnerships and special events, with support from Ryan Reynolds’ studio and digital marketing agency Maximum Effort. The goal? To build a list of partners who can sell Deadpool and WolverineThe irreverent tone and subversive heart of Maximum Effort. Campaigns that Maximum Effort has worked on include Adidas, Aviation American Gin, Dave & Busters, Heineken, Jack in the Box and Heinz.
Disney
Marvel has re-teamed with Adidas, the sneaker company that produced the first Deadpool line of Adidas Originals and performance products inspired by and featured in the film. The collection is available for purchase in select markets starting August 1. The shoes feature color blocking and distinctive Deadpool and Wolverine character details, including tongue-in-cheek jokes on sock liners, censored language characters, and storage pouches — a nod to the mouthy mercenary’s excessive amount of pouches on his suit. There have been activations on TikTok featuring an exclusive “ShoePool” character that is a variation of Deadpool’s shoes.
Disney
For the first time, Reynolds Aviation American Gin has teamed up with a major film and released a limited edition series of seven bottles featuring designs inspired by Deadpool and WolverineThe film and gin were featured in 1,500 retail displays. Themed cocktails were also offered in bars, restaurants, theatres and at special events. Reynolds updated his The Vasectomy cocktail for Father’s Day as part of a paid support campaign across streaming, digital and social media.
To celebrate Dogpool, who steals the show, Disney partnered with Best Friends Animal Society, making them the official nonprofit partner of the film. Celebrating the best friends and four-legged heroes, a public service announcement aired across broadcast and print media, generating more than 2 million views in 48 hours. Local on-air segments also highlighted Dogpool and pet adoptions in major markets.
RELATED: ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Soundtrack: All the Songs You’ll Hear
Deadpool and Wolverine have been featured on 70 million Coca-Colas cans and bottles. Here is a place:
At Dave & Busters, there was a film-wrapped claw machine filled with movie-related items, like the Best Friends keychain.
Digiorno was a prominent sponsor with four limited edition pizza flavors on display and available at Target, Walmart, and more.
Google launched a unique Easter egg via its “circle to search” gesture on Android devices worldwide, surprising fans searching for Deadpool, Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds or Hugh Jackman with custom animations. The partnership was promoted via a personalized video online and in-store at 7,000 T-Mobile retail locations and on 650,000 outdoor screens.
Heineken was a major sponsor, with the US campaign benefiting from global extensions in international markets including Mexico, China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, the Bahamas and South Africa, with paid media and retail support.
Disney
Playing with the red and yellow pair of Deadpool and Wolverine was Heinz ketchup and mustard. Bold advertising was launched as part of a US campaign with extensions to Canada, Mexico, Australia, China, Brazil, Chile and Costa Rica. Support was also provided through billboards, bus shelters, in-store point of sale and paid digital/social media.
Jack in the box offered a limited-time menu at 2,000 locations inspired by Deadpool’s favorite snack: chimichangas. The menu also included spicy chicken strips and waffle sticks. There was point-of-sale signage, a themed Coca-Cola Freestyle flavor (Mini Chimi Chaser), and Jackpool antenna heads as a gift with purchase. At San Diego Comic-Con, fans got to experience a full takeover of the store and saw wrapped carts. There was also a Blind Al swag bundle featuring comic and movie art inspired by the character.
Old Spice had produced a custom commercial featuring Deadpool’s roommate Blind Al (who can still smell). The ad was supported by Walgreens (over 2,000 stores), Kroger (1,500 stores) and paid media.
Xbox was not only a top sponsor in 14 countries, but was also Twitch’s exclusive partner for the livestream. The video game console made “cheeky controllers” that featured custom back molds inspired by Deadpool and Wolverine’s butts. There was also a Series X console wrapped in Deadpool’s costume complete with katanas. Outdoor ads for it were plastered in Times Square and Wolverine’s canonical hometown of Alberta, Canada. The company was also one of the film’s other sponsors at Comic-Con and hosted a cosplay meetup, showcasing new Deadpool items in the Fortnite game.