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The new superhero movie 鈥淒eadpool鈥� became a smash hit over Valentine鈥檚 Day weekend, setting multiple records at the box office.

The film, which centers on sarcastic superhero Wade Wilson, also known as Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), opened on Feb. 12.聽

Among other records, it now holds the record for best weekend debut ever for an R-rated movie, the best February opening weekend ever, and the best weekend debut for a movie released by 鈥淒eadpool鈥� studio Twentieth Century Fox.

The movie earned $135 million between Friday and Sunday.聽

The animated film 鈥淜ung Fu Panda 3鈥� placed second at the domestic box office, grossing more than $19 million domestically, while the comedy 鈥淗ow to Be Single鈥� opened in third place, grossing more than $18 million.聽

Another comedy, 鈥淶oolander 2,鈥� did not perform well, with the film opening in fourth place and grossing more than $15 million domestically.

As for the records now held by 鈥淒eadpool,鈥� the previous R-rated movie with the biggest opening weekend was the sequel 鈥淭he Matrix Reloaded.鈥澛�

Industry analysts were expecting 鈥淒eadpool鈥� to succeed, but the box office performance of the superhero movie has surprised many.

How did the movie do so well?聽

One aspect that most likely led to the movie鈥檚 success was the promotion for the film and how it drew attention to the fact that Deadpool is very different from the comic book heroes most audience members are used to. The foul-mouthed, fourth-wall-breaking hero is a far cry from Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne.聽

s noted this, writing that 鈥渕ultiplex audiences apparently hunger[ed] for the originality promised by Fox鈥檚 unusual advertising campaign.鈥澛�

Smart scheduling may have also played a part. The first few months of the year are traditionally a quiet time at the box office (though that鈥檚 been changing over the last several years and has never been more emphasized than by the arrival of 鈥淒eadpool鈥� and March鈥檚 鈥淏atman v Superman鈥�) and the superhero movie 鈥淒eadpool鈥� was very different from its competition. The other movies opening last weekend were the comedies 鈥淗ow to Be Single鈥� and 鈥淶oolander 2.鈥� 鈥淧ride and Prejudice and Zombies,鈥� which opened Feb. 5, could have snagged some of its action-loving audience, but 鈥淧ride鈥� had already been around a week and superheroes may have appealed more to some moviegoers than a zombie tale set in the world of Elizabeth Bennet, which is a more unusual proposition.

Someone else is also offering his opinion on what made 鈥淒eadpool鈥� work: 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy鈥� director James Gunn. Gunn鈥檚 film 鈥淕uardians鈥� became a huge box office hit when it opened in 2014 and the film also poked fun at superhero movie conventions.

鈥�'Deadpool' was its own thing. THAT鈥橲 what people are reacting to. It鈥檚 original, it鈥檚鈥� good, it was made with love by the filmmakers, and it wasn鈥檛 afraid to take risks,鈥� . 鈥溾�� Hopefully in the midst of all this there will be a studio or two that will take the right lesson from this 鈥� like Fox did with 'Guardians' by green-lighting 鈥楧eadpool鈥� 鈥� and say 鈥� 鈥楤oy, maybe we can give them something they don鈥檛 already have.鈥欌��