Blake Lively’s It Ends With Us faces off against Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool & Wolverine

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are set for an electrifying box office showdown this weekend. Lively’s new film, It Ends With Us, is generating buzz with a promising start, earning $7 million in Thursday previews and setting its projected Friday total at $23.2 million. 

Industry estimates suggest that the film could open with around $40 million.

Deadpool & Wolverine, which has already dominated the box office for the past two weeks, is expected to earn $15 million on Friday, with a potential weekend haul reaching up to $53 million.

Many sources are predicting a "Barbenheimer" effect, with audiences flocking to see both It Ends With Us and Deadpool & Wolverine. 

The weekend promises a thrilling competition between these two highly anticipated releases.

The box office battle between Blake and Ryan's film is heating up, with Reynolds' continuing to make waves. 

To date, Deadpool & Wolverine has raked in an impressive $407 million domestically and $851 million globally.

However, the competition comes with a notable twist. 

It Ends With Us is facing a significant hurdle: the film has been blocked from theatrical release in Qatar due to its kissing scenes. 

The country’s Censorship Committee has banned the PG-13 romance drama, which is based on Colleen Hoover’s 2016 bestseller and deals with heavy themes of domestic abuse.