"Doctor Strange" has cast its spell on the North American box office, blasting past early projections for its opening weekend.
By this evening, the Marvel Studios film will have earned an estimated $85 million, beating its weekend competition and besting the debuts of "Thor" ($65.7 million), "Captain America: The First Avenger" ($65 million) and "Ant-Man" ($57.2 million). Initial estimates placed "Doctor Strange" to finish the weekend with between $65 million and $70 million.
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Overseas the movie added another $118.7 million to its haul, buoyed by a $44.3 million debut in China, driving its international box office to $240.4 million. Adding in the domestic box office receipts, "Doctor Strange" has already raked in $325.4 million.
In addition to China, that foreign tally includes South Korea with $30.4 million, the United Kingdom with $18.9 million and Russia with $15.4 million.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 58 percent of the North American audience for "Doctor Strange" was male, with 57 percent of moviegoers between the ages of 13 and 34.
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“Doctor Strange” tells the story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Stephen Strange who, after a career-ending car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.
Directed by Scott Derrickson, the film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton.