New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

*snikt*

Kim Hollis: What are your thoughts and expectations for the box office performance of X-Men Origins: Wolverine?

Brandon Scott: This is going to do very well. $200 million or so. Even with the leaked film controversy, and Fox writer R. Friedman getting fired over his early review...his review was a very strong one, and I think that will bode well for the film. The trailers are exciting and I see high $100 to low $200 millions on the radar.

Joel Corcoran: Given the success of Iron Man and The Dark Knight from last year, I think the expectations for X-Men Origins: Wolverine are running incredibly high. The character of Wolverine may not have as many hardcore fans as Batman, but he has at least as many as Iron Man. Also, the Wolverine movie has the distinct advantage of having three solid X-Men movies behind it. Iron Man opened in early May of last year to the tune of $98.6 million and grossed $318.4 domestically. X-Men: The Last Stand opened to $102.8 million in late May 2006 with a domestic gross of $234.4 million. If X-Men Origins: Wolverine doesn't hit at least a $95 million opening and gross at least $225 million, it's going to be considered a significant disappointment.

Sean Collier: The X-Men fanbase is big, and the movies never really dipped too much in popularity. Furthermore, the Oscars just might have expanded Jackman's mainstream appeal a bit. I think it'll do quite well.

Max Braden: Even though I think most fans would agree that the third X-Men movie was the weakest of the trilogy, it opened to $123 million over the four day Memorial Day weekend three years ago. Wolverine focuses on the main draw of the movies, and Jackman looks great in the trailer. I could see this movie opening at $125 million even without the help of a holiday. A total gross of $250 or more wouldn't be a surprise.





Jim Van Nest: HUGE! Wolverine has a built in fan base from the first three films. Then throw in a REAL role for Sabretooth and the fanboys will go nuts over this one. I'm not saying it will outdo Potter or anything crazy like that, but it will crack the $200 million mark easily.

Reagen Sulewski: Wolverine is obviously the character best able to hold his own for a movie, but it almost feels like they're going with this as Mutants: The B-Team. Added with the fact that the FX look a little dodgy, I think we're going to have a bit of a step down in the opening weekend, and possibly a petty quick exit from theatres. But yes, that said, that still means $200 million without breaking much of a sweat.

Kim Hollis: I'm going to kind of fall in line with Reagen here. I agree that this feels like something more B-level than the first three X-Men films or Iron Man. I'm hearing generally positive buzz, but the TV commercials genuinely look like crap. There is nothing in them that screams out to say Wolverine is something special or even in the same ballpark as X-Men. I still think it will do gangbusters business, of course, but to say anything under $95 million would be a disappointment seems a little extreme. I'd say $80 million could be an anticipated debut, with what is likely to be quick fall-off due to the extreme fanboy nature of the film unless it's Iron Man good.

Continued:       1       2       3