Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is off to a very strong start at the domestic box office. During Thursday previews (showings began at 3pm) the sequel managed to bring in an astonishing $36M in North America. That tally is good enough for eighth all-time and second during the pandemic era (Spider-Man: No Way Home’s $50M).

While weekend estimates are still all over the place, most conclude that the Phase Four film will bring in at least $160M. The highest I’ve seen is from Forbes’ Scott Mendelson, who says that it could bring in as much as $220M.

Worldwide, the Benedict Cumberbatch-led film is expected to bring in more than $300M this weekend. While the movie will not get a release in China (arguably the world’s biggest box office market), it still has a chance to become the second film in the pandemic era to earn $1B+ globally (Spider-Man: No Way Home $1.89B).