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Pokemon: Detective Pikachu scores biggest video game movie opening ever

May 13, 2019 by Gary Collinson

It may have failed to unseat Avengers: Endgame from the top of the box office charts, but Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ Pokemon: Detective Pikachu still enjoyed a very healthy opening this past weekend.

Domestically, Detective Pikachu earned $58 million, topping the $47.7 million opening for 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider to score the biggest opening weekend for a movie based upon a video game property.

Internationally, the Ryan Reynolds-headlined film has grossed a further $112.4 million for a worldwide total of $170.4 million, which puts it ahead of the five theatrically released animated Pokemon movies, the biggest of which was 1999’s Pokemon: The First Movie ($163.6 million).

SEE ALSO: Read our Pokemon: Detective Pikachu review here

The highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time is 2016’s Warcraft, which – despite bombing in North America – amassed a global haul of $433.7 million. Whether Detective Pikachu goes on to top that, we shall have to wait and see…

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu sees Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool 2) starring in the title role alongside Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies), Suki Waterhouse (The Bad Batch), Ken Watanabe (Godzilla), Bill Nighy (The Limehouse Golem), Rita Ora (Fifty Shades Freed) and Chris Geere (Modern Family).

Originally published May 13, 2019. Updated May 14, 2019.

Filed Under: Gary Collinson, Movies, News, Video Games Tagged With: pokemon, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

About Gary Collinson

Gary Collinson is a film, TV and digital content producer and writer who is the Editor-in-Chief of the pop culture website Flickering Myth and producer of the gothic horror feature 'The Baby in the Basket' and suspense thriller 'Death Among the Pines'.

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