THE R-rated “Deadpool” has taken the box office by storm, annihilating records with an eye-popping US$135 million from its first three days in U.S. theaters, according to comScore estimates Sunday.

    The Fox film, which stars Ryan Reynolds as the foul-mouthed superhero, easily trounced last year’s record-setting US$85.2 million February debut of the erotic drama “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

    It also became the biggest R-rated opening ever, surpassing “The Matrix Reloaded,” which opened to US$91.8 million in May of 2003.

    Analysts are predicting that the Tim Miller-directed film, which cost a mere US$58 million to produce, could go on to make US$150 million by the end of the holiday weekend.

    IMAX screens accounted for an estimated US$16.8 million of “Deadpool’s” total. The film, notably, was not released in 3D.

    “Deadpool” also had a massive showing internationally, bringing in an estimated US$125 million from 62 territories for a US$260 million global total.

    The debut is also a bit of a superhero redemption story for Reynolds whose costly “Green Lantern” adaptation disappointed audiences and at the box office in 2011.

    (SD-Agencies)