Doctor Strange smashes U.S. box office records for a second weekend to hit $153m

By Sarah Jones For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:33 EST, 13 November 2016 | Updated: 20:52 EST, 13 November 2016

Marvel's Doctor Strange smashed box office records for the second weekend in a row.

The big-budget blockbuster raked in $43million over the U.S. Veteran's Day weekend which brought the total to $153million domestically.

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, the sci-fi flick came in on top, with DreamWorks Animation's Trolls in second, and Amy Adams' hit Arrival in third.

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Success! Marvel's Doctor Strange smashed box office records for the second weekend in a row

The Imitation Game star beat A-list characters in their first weekend including Ant-Man, which snagged $57.2million in 2015, Thor's $65.7million in 2011 and Captain America: The First Avenger, which took $65 million in 2011.

'Marvel’s bread and butter has become turning lesser-known characters into tier-one characters,' BoxOffice.com senior analyst Shawn Robbins told Variety on Tuesday.

"I’m having a hard time finding any negative signs for this one.' 

Smash hit! Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, the big-budget blockbuster raked in $43 million over the U.S. Veteran's Day weekend which brought the total to $153 million domestically

Sci-fi flick: In the Marvel movie, the 40-year-old plays a neurosurgeon who discovers magic and alternate realities after a near fatal car accident

Additionally, the film - which was released in the U.S. on November 4 - grossed $339.6million in other territories for a worldwide total of $492.6million as of Sunday. 

With a budget of $165million, Doctor Strange could pay its way in just two weeks.

It probably helps that Benedict is already known in many countries for his role as detective Sherlock Holmes in the TV series Sherlock and as the evil Khan in 3013's Star Trek: Into Darkness. 

Hair-raising! DreamWorks Trolls came in second and earned $35million to bring its stateside total to $94million after two weeks of release

Mane attraction! The animated concoction is a treat for kids and parents alike, with Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, John Cleese and Gwen Stefani among the stellar voice cast

In the Marvel movie, the 40-year-old plays a neurosurgeon who discovers magic and alternate realities after a near fatal car accident.

He must use the new powers he has learned to take on the evil Kaecilius, played by Mads Mikkelsen.

The film also stars Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, one of Doctor Strange's fellow surgeons and his love interest, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo and Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One. 

Dramatic duo: Amy Adams' latest flick Arrival came in third in the film she plays in alongside co-star Jeremy Renner, 45

DreamWorks Trolls came in second and earned $35million to bring its stateside total to $94million after two weeks of release.   

It’s a treat for kids and parents alike, with Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, John Cleese and Gwen Stefani among the stellar voice cast. 

Meanwhile Amy Adams' latest flick Arrival came in third in the film she plays in alongside co-star Jeremy Renner, 45. 

Amy, 41, stars as a linguist recruited to communicate with aliens.

In the sci-fi extraterrestrial drama, a fleet of a dozen mystifying spaceships careen into the atmosphere and hover above the earth, leading military authorities to organize a team to deal with the unexpected arrival. 

Talking to aliens: Amy, 41, stars as a linguist recruited to communicate with aliens

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