The embargo on reviews has lifted and we, TheWrap’s Umberto Gonzalez and Beatrice Verhoeven, can give you our thoughts on Marvel’s “Doctor Strange.”
In general, early reviews seem to be praising the performances of Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, and Mads Mikkelsen as the villain, as well as the visual effects. We both mutually agree that seems to be the case.
This latest Marvel project follows the story of talented neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions.
The film also stars Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Scott Derrickson directed.
It opens in theaters on Nov. 4, and should open somewhere between $60 million and $75 million, according to early tracking obtained by TheWrap.
Among Marvel movie openings, those figures would put the title somewhere between 19th and 24th place for highest-grossing of all time. “Doctor Strange” will likely come in ahead of Sony’s “The Amazing Spider-Man,” which debuted to $62 million in 2012.
The film could come in ahead of “Thor,” which grossed $65.7 million during its opening weekend in 2011.
If “Doctor Strange” opens on the high end of those estimates, it will come out ahead of Fox’s “X-Men: Apocalypse,” which was out earlier this year and debuted to $65.7 million.
That’s a strong achievement for an original film — especially one based on a relatively unfamiliar comic-book property not previously seen on the big screen.
Watch our reactions to the film in the video above.