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David Mumpower: Jackman is a fascinating celebrity in that his appeal is wide ranging. He reminds me of Mel Gibson pre-police incident where almost everyone I know seems to at least like him if not love him to the point of wanting to steal his skin and pin it to their dresser mirror. In spite of this popularity, no one is willing to pay see his movies. Australia and The Fountain were both unmitigated disasters. Van Helsing earned $120 million, but it's still generally acknowledged as a huge box office disappointment. His most successful project relative to expectations outside of the X-Men universe is probably The Prestige, a $53 million earner against a $40 million budget. If that is a star's biggest hit, they really don't have one on their resume. I am convinced that Jackman added $25 million or more to the opening weekend of Wolverine by playing that character rather than having it re-cast a la The Hulk. Despite this, I also do not view him as a box office draw even by accident. The disconnect between his popularity and his appeal is irregular in the industry. I have a hard time coming up with other examples of this scenario. He's almost the anti-Ed Norton.

Well, Ian McKellen *does* have six $200 million plus earners on his resume

Kim Hollis: The Magneto origins film was put on hold in order to evaluate Wolverine's results before proceeding. Do you think Fox should go ahead and make Magneto, or should they move away from these origins films?





Josh Spiegel: It all depends on how well Wolverine does, I think. The opening is good, but not amazing. Moreover, having not only a known character but the same actor playing the role helps this movie do well enough. Presuming Ian McKellen wouldn't be playing Magneto (or not for an entire film, if it's an origin story), going forward with that film may be iffy. But, then again, if Wolverine ends up with fantastic legs, they may go forward without hesitation.

Brandon Scott: I don't think origins movies as a whole will entirely go away, since Iron Man proved that they can work and do big dollars. As for Magneto, ummm, that will not be a box office magnet. No interest from me: it should be permanently shelved or shredded by Wolverine's claws.

Pete Kilmer: 20th Century Fox, since Bryan Singer has left, seems to be unwilling to really "go for it" in terms of super hero movies. They've not learned the lessons that Marvel Studios has been teaching with Iron Man and yes, even the second Hulk movie. Finish the special effects, quit lying about shooting additional footage that never showed up and if you're going to do special endings, make them worthwhile. And in the case of the Fantastic Four, you have the complete miscasting of Sue Storm, Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom, plus letting Tim Story direct two extremely limp movies that had nothing in the way of the Fantastic. If Wolverine hits over $180 million domestic, look for a Deadpool movie instead of a Magneto movie. No way will 20th Century Fox take the risk of making the Magneto movie that was once talked about, with the past history of Nazi Death Camps in Magneto's past. I'd also expect a Young X-Men movie sooner rather than another solo X movie.

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