It couldn’t top its predecessors, but X-Men Origins: Wolverine still brought in quite a haul, grossing an estimated $87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season. The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses, despite generating mixed reviews. The film fell $15 million short of 2006′s X-Men: The Last Stand but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood.
Matthew McConaughey’s Ghosts of Girlfriends Past generated an estimated $15.3 million for a second place bow. It’s not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey’s previous romantic outings including last year’s Fool’s Gold ($21.6 million) or 2006′s Failure to Launch ($24.2 million). (Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend?) The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent.
Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles’ Obsessed. Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters, the thriller earned another $12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $47 million. And Zac Efron’s 17 Again showed surprising stamina, too, grossing an additional $6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $48.4 million.
The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film Battle for Terra. Opening on 1162 theaters, the Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace. Dreamworks Animation’s juggernaut Monsters vs. Aliens grossed another $5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings, while newcomer Terra couldn’t muster more than $1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby.
Summer has officially begun — at least in Hollywood — so expect a giant event film every weekend. Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with Star Trek hot on its heels next weekend, the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead.
More Wolverine:
Box Office Chart: Weekend’s top 10
Wolverine: EW review
Wolverine: Summer’s First Hit?
22 Summer Movies for Your Inner Geek
prediction for wolverine gross next weekend= 34 million. It’s that disappointing.
prediction for star trek opening weekend: 89 million
Wow, this is the exact number Ben Lyons predicted on The Daily 10! Yeah, but that dude has inside dish, doesn’t he…?
Yep, I said it wouldn’t make 90 mil and I was right. Next week it is going to plummet now that movie goers will be able to see a REAL film. Star Trek is going to be great!
This is only for Friday and Saturday, it
still has Sunday results to add to the total…..I’m so happy for Hugh, who is
such a classy guy!
This is only for Friday and Saturday, it
still has Sunday results to add to the total…..I’m so happy for Hugh, who is
such a classy guy!
sexy hot babes..
http://watchcelebrity.com/
Actually i believe that number is taking Friday and Saturday and predicting Sunday. I dont think it has made that much just on fri and sat alone.
sarah: u r no longer allowed to post comments on box office numbers until you educate urself…hugh left the door open for star trek to do better
Hey Nicole, It’s Grady from http://theboxofficejunkie.com
Great work on your predictions this week. I gave you and Gitesh Pandya a shoutout on my blog for your good predictions! You certainly beat me! I overestimated a bit this weekend!
If you ever see the estimates, that’s all they are, come out on Sunday, that’s exactly what they’re doing. They’re analyzing how much the movie made over Friday and Saturday, estimating what it’s total will be on Sunday, and releasing that weekend total which could still be adjusted if their Sunday projections are off.
Those numbers SURE were affected by those pirated copies I tell ya!
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/05/03/tv-tonight-sunday-may-5th-2009/
Wolverine rocks. It probably did effect the movie that fanboys got an early copy of the film. http://www.cutecatholics.com
Rothman gets a reprieve. This movie still cost north of 150M. Wolverine got trashed by the critics. Expect this movie to fall over 50 percent next weekend and in the weeks to come with Star Trek, etc. opening.
Hugh is GAY.
still a decent actor.
@elizabath: what’s one got to do with the other? oh, and he’s not gay