'Deadpool & Wolverine' opens with $205 million in domestic sales

(Reuters) - Marvel's raunchy and violent "Deadpool & Wolverine" lit up box offices over the weekend with $205 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales, the biggest domestic opening of the year, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday.

The returns set a record for an R-rated film and topped the $154.2 million collected by another Disney film, the animated Pixar movie "Inside Out 2," when it debuted in June.

"Deadpool & Wolverine," the first R-rated Marvel film by Disney, stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, a character known for sexually explicit jokes, swearing and violence. Hugh Jackman plays Wolverine, a sharp-clawed mutant.

The movie opened in international markets on Wednesday and has brought in $233.3 million outside of the U.S. and Canada, Disney said.

It is the second straight hit for Disney, which is rebounding from lackluster performances in 2023 for movies such as "The Marvels" and "Haunted Mansion."

The films have helped cinema chains such as AMC Entertainment, Cineworld and Cinemark that are grappling with a thin film slate in 2024. Several major titles were delayed because of strikes last year by Hollywood actors and writers.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Leslie Adler)