NEW YORK – In the ultimate Hollywood box-office showdown between power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, both came out victorious.

Reynolds’ Marvel Studios hit “Deadpool & Wolverine” maintained its reign as the top movie in North American theaters for the third consecutive week, raking in $54.2 million in ticket sales according to studio estimates on Sunday. Globally, the movie has now crossed the $1 billion mark. However, it faced tough competition from Lively’s “It Ends With Us,” a romantic drama that exceeded expectations with an impressive $50 million debut.

This unique and rare scenario created a Hollywood family edition of “Barbenheimer,” where two contrasting films thrived due to counterprogramming, both led by one of the industry’s most adored couples. This reminiscent situation had a historical precedent back in 1990 when Bruce Willis’ “Die Hard 2” and Demi Moore’s “Ghost” dominated the box office.

The weekend also witnessed a massive disappointment in the form of “Borderlands,” a long-awaited $120-million videogame adaptation by Eli Roth that stumbled with a meager $8.8 million opening for Lionsgate. Despite boasting stars like Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, the film, shot back in 2021, failed to resonate with audiences or critics alike.

On the other hand, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” featuring Hugh Jackman alongside Reynolds, continued its triumphant march, becoming only the second R-rated movie to surpass $1 billion after 2019’s “Joker.” Directed by Shawn Levy, the film has rapidly become one of Marvel’s most successful releases, trailing behind only Disney’s “Inside Out” in terms of global earnings this year.

Lively might have just made a fleeting appearance in “Deadpool & Wolverine,” but she took center stage in “It Ends With Us,” where she not only starred but also served as a producer. Adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling romance novel, the film follows Lively as Lily Bloom, a Boston florist caught in a love triangle between her present beau (Justin Baldoni) and her past flame (Brandon Sklenar).

With a modest production budget of $25 million, “It Ends With Us” is set to be a profitable venture for co-financers Columbia Pictures and Wayfarer Studios. The film, similar to Sony’s successful book adaptation “Where the Crawdads Sing,” has the potential to sustain its box-office performance during the traditionally slower month of August.

Reynolds and Lively cleverly capitalized on their movies’ simultaneous releases, leveraging their real-life chemistry for promotional activities. This strategic move paid off handsomely, especially for Lively, whose film exceeded initial weekend projections.

In addition to the blockbuster battle between Reynolds and Lively, the weekend also saw the release of Neon’s “Cuckoo,” a horror film set in the German Alps by filmmaker Tilman Singer, starring Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens, which opened to mixed reviews.

The box-office chart toppers for the weekend were as follows:

1. “Deadpool & Wolverine” – $54.2 million

2. “It Ends With Us” – $50 million

3. “Twisters” – $15 million

4. “Borderlands” – $8.8 million

5. “Despicable Me 4” – $8 million

6. “Trap” – $6.7 million

7. “Inside Out 2” – $5 million

8. “Harold and the Purple Crayon” – $3.1 million

9. “Cuckoo” – $3 million

10. “Longlegs” – $2 million