Doctor Strange Movie Projected to Have No. 1 US Opening, Match Captain America/Thor Success

After getting off to a strong start in some international markets, Marvel's Doctor Strange comes to US theaters tomorrow, November 4. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it's expected to make $65 million-$70 million for its opening weekend. It's already tallied $100 million internationally.

Other Marvel superhero movies in that range include the Captain America and Thor films, which made around $66 million each for their respective openings. Ant-Man premiered with $57.7 million for its debut weekend last summer.

Doctor Strange is poised to be the No. 1 film at the US box office this weekend, outpacing the animated musical Trolls ($35 million-$40 million), which features the voices of Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake. The newest Mel Gibson movie, the World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge, also opens on Friday. The first movie directed by Gibson since 2006's Apocalypto is expected to bring in $12 million-$15 million for its opening.

Go to The Hollywood Reporter to see a full breakdown of this weekend's US box office projections. GameSpot will report back on Sunday with final figures once they're in.

"Doctor Strange doesn't show much narrative ambition. It sticks close to the origin formula that Marvel established in Iron Man, and given the similarities between Stark and Strange, this doesn't come as a surprise," reviewer Tamoor Hussain said. "But it's also an enchanting movie that is a reminder that superhero stories are at their best when they inspire wonder, depict larger than life characters, and realize fantastical worlds that leave our imaginations racing. At a time when DC's heroes are at their dourest and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is consumed by infighting over ideological disputes, this otherworldly adventure stands apart as spellbinding."

For more on the critical reaction to Doctor Strange, check out this review roundup.

Doctor Strange stars Benedict Cumberbatch as mystical sorcerer Stephen Strange, and also features Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Benedict Wong, and Rachel McAdams. It is directed by Scott Derrickson.