The Wolverine - Box Office Performance

[jo]

variety.com/2013/film/news/the-wolverine-mutates-into-estimated-63-million-weekend-1200568726/

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Box Office: ‘The Wolverine’ Mutates to Estimated $63 Million Weekend
July 26, 2013 | 05:04PM PT
X-Men spinoff easy No. 1 with $24 million Friday


Stuart Oldham
News Editor@s_oldham
Related Stories
04:33 pm



Fox and Marvel’s “The Wolverine” may not be the box office superhero Hollywood anticipated but it’s still packing a punch.

The X-Men spinoff, starring Hugh Jackman, was on track for one of the best debuts of the summer with early predictions of as much as $80 million at the U.S. box office, putting an end to Hollywood’s big-budget losing streak. But on Friday, early ticket sales indicated that Fox’s 3D sequel was slowing down to a pace that would likely result in an estimated $63 million weekend.

Fox initially projected a $65 million debut for Jackman’s “Wolverine” sequel, downplaying expectations for the $100 million film, but given the popularity of the X-Men franchise combined with the fact that “The Wolverine” is the only new wide release over the July 26 weekend, the number was expected to jump.

Still, “The Wolverine” is hardly a flop.

Produced for over $100 million, “The Wolverine” earned an impressive $4 million Thursday night and is performing ahead of 2011′s “X-Men: First Class,” which went on to gross $55.6 million in its 2011 debut.

“The Wolverine” is also riding a 67% fresh rating from RottenTomatoes.com and opens day-and-date in 62 territories in what should be a pretty substantial weekend worldwide for the James Mangold-directed film.

[jo]

Similar expectations from THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, the other trade paper --

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-friday-returns-594068

Box Office Report: Friday Returns Show 'Wolverine' Headed for $65 Million Debut

UPDATED: The "X-Men" spinoff -- returning Hugh Jackman in the title role -- is on course to score one of the best openings of the summer season; "Fruitvale" is making a strong showing as it expands nationwide.


Fox and Marvel's The Wolverine is headed for a $65 million North American debut based on early Friday returns, one of the best showings of the season and ending a worrisome losing streak for big-budget tentpoles.


The movie opened in theaters everywhere Friday morning after rolling out in select theaters Thursday night, grossing a tidy $4 million. Insiders say the pic is doing exceptionally strong business overseas, where it opens day-and-date in most of the world.

STORY: 5 Ways to Fix the Summer Movie Box-Office Crisis

Wolverine was directed by James Mangold, with Hugh Jackman returning in the title role (the two worked together previously on the 2001 romantic adventure Kate & Leopold). The film opens four years after X-Men spinoff X-Men Origins: Wolverine played in theaters, opening to $85.1 million in early May and grossing $373.1 million worldwide.

Wolverine's long-term outcome should be boosted by strong reviews; X-Men Origins was roundly bashed by critics.

Set sometime after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan (Jackman) has renounced his superhero powers and is living as a recluse in the Yukon. However, he's drawn back into the world when a Japanese man he once saved requests to become immortal. He also asks that Logan protect his granddaughter.

Fox spent just under $120 million to make Wolverine after tax rebates, a fairly reasonable number for a superhero pic.

Wolverine is the only new major release this weekend...

[jo]

twitter.com/search/realtime?q=hugh%20jackman&src=typd

At the moment THE WOLVERINE is part of the Twitter Worldwide Trend -- hope this means a very, very strong showing at the worldwide box office!


Someone else noted it, too --

DeanaMarie‏@deanaxburke3m
Woot! The Wolverine is a world wide trend! So awesome! @mang0ld @realhughjackman @wolverinemovie

Jo

[jo]

FANDANGO, the ticket seller, provides some interesting stats --

www.examiner.com/article/the-wolverine-is-no-1-its-opening-weekend-and-gets-mostly-good-reviews

'The Wolverine' is No. 1 in its opening weekend and gets mostly good reviews (Video)
Movies
July 26, 2013
By: Carla Hay


"The Wolverine" is set to dominate the U.S. and Canadian box office during the weekend of July 26, 2013, based on early ticket sales reported by Fandango. Although the movie's official opening date is July 26, 2013, "The Wolverine" (from 20th Century Fox) began showing in late-night screenings on July 25, 2013.


"The Wolverine" stars Hugh Jackman as the title superhero character, which was first introduced in a movie in 2000 blockbuster "X-Men." In "The Wolverine," the Wolverine finds himself in Japan, where he has to protect an enigmatic heiress from getting killed.


According to Fandango, “The Wolverine” is No. 1 movie that fans want to see this weekend, by scoring a sizable 91 out of 100 points on the company’s Fanticipation buzz indicator.

Fandango announced in a press release that “The Wolverine” had 51 percent of its advance sales on Fandango, and is outpacing the 2011 movie “X-Men: First Class” by 39 percent at the same point in that film’s sales cycle.

Based on a survey of more than 1,000 “Wolverine” ticket purchasers on Fandango:
•91 percent have seen the previous “X-Men” and “Wolverine” movies.
•73 percent would not want to see a “Wolverine” film without Hugh Jackman in the title role.
•70 percent say the exotic setting has increased their interest in seeing the movie.
•95 percent cannot wait to see the 2014 film “X-Men: Days of Future Past."

Meanwhile, "The Wolverine" has been getting mostly positive reviews from critics and movie audiences. At the movie website Rotten Tomatoes, "The Wolverine" has gotten a 67 percent approval rating from critics and an 80 percent approval rating from movie audiences.

"The Wolverine" is the only new movie opening wide (more than 2,000 theaters) in the U.S. and Canada during the weekend of July 26, 2013...

Btw, it opened with 3924 screens in North America ( compared to 4100 for Origins).

Jo

[jo]

Friday results seem indicative of softer weekend performance at the box office --

www.deadline.com/2013/07/wolverine-23m-friday-61m-weekend/

‘Wolverine’ Howls $23M Friday: But Will It Beat Weak $61M Weekend Expectations?

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Friday July 26, 2013 @ 10:06pm PDT



FRIDAY PM/SATURDAY AM UPDATE: Such a relief to only have one major new release Friday while I’m on vacation. Hugh Jackman. The Wolverine. ‘A-’ CinemaScore. No fresh competition. What more is there to say? Twentieth Century Fox couldn’t go wrong with this weekend’s #1 successful pairing. Or could it? My sources say this 6th X-Men installment opened in 3,924 theaters (3,063 in 3D) with $23M Friday, including that strong $4M from Thursday late shows beginning at 10 PM. Fox now thinks The Wolverine should make $61M through Sunday - but that’s on the low side of the $60M-$65M originally forecast by the studio. And rival majors think an even lower $55M-$56M is the more realistic range right now - “a bit softer than many people thought it might be as the last Wolverine film opened to $85.1M.” And that was after X-Men Origins: Wolverine leaked online and wasn’t liked. It only received 38% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes vs 68% for this new one directed by James Mangold, scripted by credited screenwriters Mark Bomback and Scott Frank, and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner, Hutch Parker, and Jackman’s ex-partner John Palermo. But also remember that the 2009 pic opened the first official week of summer while this installment is releasing in the crowded 2013 midsummer marketplace where it’s been 5 weeks since a live-action movie opened over $45M.

But I’m not yet prepared to declare this new pic sizzling or fizzling before the weekend plays out. Though it would be a shame to see Fox’s version of Jackman as the Marvel Wolverine played out. (Hugh seems to love it so.) Fox has some breathing room because it claims cost is under $120M after Australian tax credits even though pic set in modern-day Japan. And studio has $32.3M partnership campaign including 11 national partners including DirecTV, Adidas, Audi, Coors Light, Movietickets.com, Red Robin, Amazon, Kroger/Sprite, Aaron Bros., Visa. Internationally, The Wolverine is expected to kill in 101 countries day and date (126 countries overall, on about 13,000 screens) including all major markets except Japan and China.

Go out and see the movie (again!)

I'll make sure I get to do it a third time!


Jo

[jo]

Updated figures not looking too good !


www.deadline.com/2013/07/wolverine-23m-friday-61m-weekend/

‘Wolverine’ Howls For $21M Friday And Will Whimper For Weakened $56M Weekend

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Saturday July 27, 2013 @ 7:06am PDTTags: Box Office, Hugh Jackson, Wolverine



SATURDAY 7:15 AM, 2ND UPDATE: Such a relief to only have one major new release Friday while I’m on vacation. Hugh Jackman. The Wolverine. ‘A-’ CinemaScore. No fresh competition. What more is there to say? Twentieth Century Fox couldn’t go wrong with this weekend’s #1 successful pairing. Or could it? Fox today says this 6th X-Men installment opened in 3,924 theaters (3,063 in 3D) with $21.0M Friday, not the $23M the studio projected after that strong $4M from Thursday late shows beginning at 10 PM. Fox then throughout Friday began downsizing The Wolverine weekend from $65M to $61M. But rival majors last night estimated an even lower $53M-$56M - and they appear to be right today: “Softer than many people thought it might be as the last Wolverine film opened to $85.1M.” It seems this new pic instead of sizzling is fizzling as the domestic weekend plays out. Though it’s a shame to see Fox’s version of Jackman as the Marvel Wolverine played out. (Hugh seems to love it so.) A Fox exec told me this morning: “We didn’t expect this either. But there have been times before when audience fatigue sets in. We’ll see how this weekend ultimately shakes out as Hugh is a very compelling box office draw, and international is performing quite well so we will have an excellent global story to tell tomorrow.”

Fox has breathing room because it claims cost is under $120M after Australian tax credits even though pic is set in modern-day Japan. And studio has a $32.3M partnership campaign and $11.3M above-the-line media advertising with 11 national partners including DirecTV, Adidas, Audi, Coors Light, Movietickets.com, Red Robin, Amazon, Kroger/Sprite, Aaron Bros., Visa. Internationally, The Wolverine is expected to kill – i.e. do very very well - in the 101 countries day and date where it’s opening (126 countries overall on about 13,000 screens) including all major markets except Japan and China.

In 2009, X-Men Origins: Wolverine leaked online and wasn’t liked. It only received 38% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes vs 68% for this new one directed by James Mangold, scripted by credited screenwriters Mark Bomback and Scott Frank, and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner, Hutch Parker, and Jackman’s ex-partner John Palermo. But the 2009 pic opened the first week of summer while this installment is releasing in the crowded 2013 midsummer where in the past 5 weeks no live-action movie has opened over $45M. Total moviegoing is around $160M, up a nice +28% from last year when The Dark Knight Rises held as #1. Fuller analysis later.

[carouselkathy]

Articles like this irritate me because the headline gives the impression that the movie is failing, so people who only read headlines could be discouraged from going to see it. We saw it again today. It's very good. It received good notices. There was no major competition this weekend. There were only 20 people in the theater. Are audiences tired of superhero movies? Truthfully, if I didn't love Hugh Jackman, would I have gone to see it? I absolutely hated MAN OF STEEL, and the bad reviews of THE LONE RANGER discouraged me from seeing a Johnny Depp movie. Was timing a factor with THE WOLVERINE? It's a very good film, so perhaps word of mouth will improve attendance. However, perception is everything. If moviegoers read that the opening weekend $$$$$ was less than expected, will that influence the total box office? I did notice that there were no long lines at any of the films at the multiplex. Are people just staying home?

Kathy

[jo]

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-wolverine-opens-594633

Box Office Report: 'Wolverine' Opens to Strong $141.1 Mil Globally; Soft in North America


8:33 AM PDT 7/28/2013 by Pamela McClintock




UPDATED: The Hugh Jackman superhero pic is doing huge business overseas, where it opened higher than any previous "X-Men" film; Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" scores the best limited opening in almost a year.


Hollywood's summer tentpole strategy continued to suffer in North America with the muted debut of The Wolverine, but the X-Men spin-off more than made up for it overseas.



The Wolverine: Film Review


The 20th Century Fox pic opened to $55 million domestically and roughly $86.1 million internationally for a worldwide total of $141.1 million -- easily covering the film's $120 million production budget. Internationally, it posted the strongest opening ever for an X-Men title.

Wolverine certainly isn't a dud in North America and still claimed the No. 1 position, but came in at least $10 million behind expectations and well behind the $85.1 million opening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in early May 2009. It opened on par with last summer's X-Men: First Class, an origins pic versus a sequel.

It follows several all-out bombs, including R.I.P.D., White House Down, The Lone Ranger and After Earth, leaving Hollywood studios questioning the sanity of rolling out so many event pics in one summer. Unlike Wolverine, those films haven't been saved by a strong international performance.

Wolverine opened No. 1 in 100 countries, coming in 51 percent bigger than the first Wolverine and 51 percent bigger than last year's origins pic X-Men: First Class. Revenue from 3D screens represented 50 percent of the total.

STORY: 5 Ways to Fix the Summer Movie Box-Office Crisis

Wolverine was directed by James Mangold, with Hugh Jackman returning in the title role (the two worked together previously on the 2001 romantic adventure Kate & Leopold).

Fox is hoping that the movie's long-term outcome will be boosted by strong reviews and a strong A- CinemaScore; X-Men Origins was roundly bashed by critics. Males made up the majority of the audience (58 percent).

"The A- CinemaScore and our excellent exit polls are a testament to the high-quality film that James Mangold and Hugh Jackman made. I think Wolverine has advanced to be a very compelling and complex character that audiences have really responded to," said Fox president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson.

Other box office observers question whether audience summer fatigue has set in, resulting in the lower turnout for Wolverine.

Set sometime after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan (Jackman) has renounced his superhero powers and is living as a recluse in the Yukon. However, he's drawn back into the world when a Japanese man he once saved requests to become immortal. He also asks that Logan protect his granddaughter. The movie has yet to open in Japan...

[jo]

Variety has more specific country stats --

variety.com/2013/film/news/box-office-wolverine-soft-stateside-with-55-mil-but-boffo-oseas-with-86-mil-1200569037/

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Box Office: ‘Wolverine’ Soft Stateside With $55 Mil, But Boffo O’seas With $86 Mil

July 28, 2013 | 08:50AM PT

Andrew Stewart
Film Reporter@Variety_Stewart
Related Stories
Film
09:04 am



Fox’s “The Wolverine” proved a little less muscular than expected this weekend, grossing an estimated $55 million domestically through Sunday — though overseas, the “X-Men” installment carved out $86.1 million from 62 markets, making it the franchise’s largest day-and-date opening internationally.

The pic’s domestic start still is an OK figure overall, even if it is roughly $10 million less than the most modest pre-weekend projections. The eventual Stateside gross – which includes just 30% from 3D — lands the Hugh Jackman starrer in line with the opening of Fox’s “X-Men: First Class,” which ultimately made nearly $150 million domestically in 2011.

SEE ALSO: Film Review: ‘The Wolverine’

“The Wolverine,” which cost just under $120 million to produce, benefits from being one of the last big summer tentpoles and should take advantage of the remaining weeks of school vacation. The film received mostly positive reviews centered around the pic’s Japanese setting and storyline.

“The table is there to be run,” said Fox domestic distribution prexy Chris Aronson. “I think the Wolverine is a globally popular name and will be even more so after this movie.”

Total domestic box office rang up approximately $165 million this weekend, which is almost 30% ahead of the same three-day frame last year.

SEE ALSO: PHOTOS: ‘The Wolverine’: Behind the Scenes Hugh Jackman, 20th Century Fox Film

The specialty B.O. helped boost totals, with the Weinstein Co.’s “Fruitvale Station” grossing a standout $4.7 million from 1,064 engagements, up from 34 last weekend. The film now has cumed $6.3 million domestically.

Meanwhile, CBS Films’ R-rated comedy “The To-Do List” earned an estimated $1.5 million from an aggressive 591 locations, averaging $2,597 per screen. Pic received strong exit poll ratings, with an ‘A’ appraisal from Nielsen.

And once again, Woody Allen proved he can be a powerhouse at the specialty box office.

The prolific helmer scored a personal-best opening per-theater average, with his Cate Blanchett dramedy, “Blue Jasmine,” averaging $102,128 from just six locations. The Sony Pictures Classics-distributed film — which totaled $612,767 in three days — has this year’s highest opening per, beating “Spring Breaker’s” $87,667 average.

Among the weekend’s wide holdovers, Warner Bros.-New Line’s scarer, “The Conjuring,” held remarkably well for a horror film, dropping only 47% in its second frame, for an estimated $22.1 million. Pic should cross the $100 million mark sometime within the week.

Also, Universal’s soph-sesh player “R.I.P.D.” fell 54% — a decent hold given the bad buzz surrounding it — grossing just $5.9 million in three days, with $24 million domestically.

O’seas weekend highlights

While “The Wolverine” virtually ranked No. 1 in every territory where it bowed, Chinese auds embraced Universal’s early summer release, “Fast and Furious 6,” which bowed on the mainland with an impressive $24 million from Friday to Sunday. The debut is the largest for Universal in China and brings the pic’s overseas total to a whopping $503.5 million.

Sony’s “White House Down” bowed July 22 in China, totaling $18.5 million through Sunday. Pic’s cumed $45.6 million internationally.

Outside China, the top-grossing market for a single film was Russia, where “The Wolverine,” which co-stars Russian native Svetlana Khodchenkova, grossed $10.5 million — the fourth-largest local debut for Fox, behind “Avatar” and two “Ice Age” pics.

Other notable markets for “The Wolverine” were France and the U.K., which contributed $7.4 million and $7.1 million, respectively, followed by Brazil, with $6.5 million, Mexico ($6.3 million) and Australia ($5.6 million).

“The Wolverine” expands into 25 markets throughout August, with the pic’s keystone territory — Japan — slatted to bow Sept. 13.

Domestic

Film (Weeks in release): 3-day gross*; Locations; Per-theater average; Cume*; Percentage change
1.The Wolverine (1): $55.0; 3,924; $14,016; $55.0; –
2.The Conjuring (2): $22.1; 3,022; $7,323; $83.9; -47%
3.Despicable Me 2 (4): $16.0; 3,476; $4,610; $306.4; -36%
4.Turbo (2): $13.3; 3,809; $3,498; $55.8; -38%
5.Grown Ups 2 (3): $11.5; 3,258; $3,530; $101.7; -42%
6.Red 2 (2): $9.4; 3,016; $3,117; $35.1; -48%
7.Pacific Rim (3): $7.5; 2,602; $2,898; $84.0; -53%
8.The Heat (5): $6.9; 2,384; $2,873; $141.2; -26%
9.R.I.P.D. (2): $5.9; 2,850; $2,055; $24.4; -54%
10.Fruitvale Station (3): $4.7; 1,064; $4,377; $6.3; +530%

Overseas

Film (Weeks in release): 3-day gross*; Territories; Screens; Int’l cume*; Global cume*; Percentage change
1.The Wolverine (1): $86.1; 62; 15,167; $86.1; $141.1; –
2.Fast and Furious 6 (11): $25.3; 32; 3,600; $503.5; $741.1; +999%
3.Despicable Me 2 (6): $24.5; 50; 7,000; $354.5; $660.9; -31%
4.White House Down (5): $19.8; 42; 7,830; $45.6; $116.3; +466%
5.Monsters University (6): $15.6; 46; n/a; $321.6; $576.9; -25%

*in millions of $

[jo]

Awww....

William Gough‏@goughy_71m
The Rest of the World loves you @realhughjackman No one can call The Wolverine a disappointment. Not at all

smiley-love001 wolverine smiley-love001

[jo]

A salute from The Rock ( who helped define those abs and pecs and biceps) smiley-hug006

Dwayne Johnson‏@therock50m
Congrats @realhughjackman on your big opening weekend. I know the hard work & discipline you put in. Proud of ya bud. #BeersOnMe #Wolverine

[jo]

The LA Times analyzes the implications of the "soft" American reception to The Wolverine on superhero movies and the movie industry in general --

www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-box-office-the-wolverine-hugh-jackman-20130729,0,6045482.story

Box office: The cutting message of Hugh Jackman's 'The Wolverine'



By Steven Zeitchik
July 29, 2013, 8:25 a.m.



By now even the most cautious observer has come to admit that this has been one of the most topsy-turvy U.S. moviegoing summers in years. Overall revenue numbers are up by double digits over last summer--yet many studios are bleeding hundreds of millions on a bevy of big-budget flops. Nearly every Hollywood major has a surprise hit ("The Conjuring," "The Heat," "This Is the End"). But nearly every one also has seen a big hope struggle ("Pacific Rim," "The Internship," "After Earth"). There hasn't been a live-action opening of $75 million or more since the middle of June.

The only consistency of any kind has come from superhero movies, with the season's two major entries ("Iron Man 3" and "Man of Steel") landing in the box office top three for the year.

That turned this weekend into a clear arbiter of where we stood. In Fox’s "The Wolverine," we had a big-budget movie opening. The film had no new competition. And it of course was a superhero movie. If it succeeded, it wouldn't necessarily mean all the weirdness and money-losing was over. But there would at least be a sign of stability, a signal to studios that Americans still want to see a certain kind of movie in these warm summer months.

Then it faltered.

“The Wolverine” took in just $55 million, well below the previous “Wolverine” film ($85 million), a fair amount below industry expectations ($70 million) and somewhat below even Fox’s own estimates ($60 million). The total made it just the ninth-best opening of the year--not what any studio wants to see from a big-budget high-profile debut opening against no new competition. “Wolverine's” opening-weekend total is also the lowest among all six "X-Men" movies when adjusting for inflation.

The film, directed by James Mangold, will likely come out in the black thanks to its international opening of $86 million. But the $55 million is a rough sign for American moviegoing.

It's possible, of course, that this is a function of story and character issues related to this film--though reviews suggest otherwise. It's also possible the film felt victim to mid-summer moviegoing fatigue, as some Fox execs suggested. But it’s not like moviegoers have been pouring into big-budget spectacles all summer. And if fatigue really is the issue, then studios would never be able to have a bona fide hit past the middle of July.

There is a more logical explanation—that the weariness attendant to big-budget spectacle can attach itself to superhero movies too. It can particularly do so for a movie that fields a very familiar character. This is, after all, the sixth “X-Men” movie in 13 years--something that did not equally afflict Iron Man, appearing this year in his fourth movie ever, or Superman, appearing in his first movie in seven years.

The familiarity problem is a worrisome sign for a business looking to double down on superheroes. Fox has another “X-Men” movie coming next summer. Sony aims to release three new “Amazing Spider-Man” movies over the next five years. Disney’s Marvel will continue cranking out new pictures. And Warner Bros. just announced it will bring a new Superman-Batman movie to the screen.

With all these woes at the domestic multiplex, Hollywood can of course decide it wants to be overwhelmingly in the export business. But creating a world in which three-quarters of your take or more comes from international receipts is not as simple or consequence-free as it sounds. Nor, apparently, is releasing a new superhero movie.

At least the blame is not being made on the quality of the movie and Hugh Jackman's acting portrayal! I am hoping that these two factors ( translating into good word of mouth) will help the movie develop legs in the American market.

Overseas -- what is good to note is that this is the first time that XMEN movies are getting very strong reception in the international market. The past XMEN movies have had moderate success, compared to other blockbusters.


Jo

[mamaleh]

I'm still wondering about China--is it scheduled to open in that huge market? I've read that China is very choosy and random about what films it allows to be shown.

Any word on China yet?

Ellen

[jo]

They did allow FAST AND FURIOUS 6 in China...and it made $ 24 million in one weekend!

Hopefully, THE WOLVERINE will be acceptable fare, too. I wonder if the Japan slant will make it even more interesting for that market? I hope past political emnity will not color their preferences.

Btw, Les Miserables grossed $ 9.9 million in China...and maybe that can also help The Wolverine, because of the leading man?


Jo

[jo]

In the light of the box office performance of THE WOLVERINE, a Variety senior film critic gives fulsome praise of why the movie is the best superhero movie in the American box office summer!

variety.com/2013/film/news/wolverine-why-the-lowest-opening-superhero-movie-of-the-summer-is-also-the-best-1200569204/


‘Wolverine’: Why the Lowest-Opening Superhero Movie of the Summer Is Also the Best


Justin Chang
Senior Film Critic@JustinCChang
Related Stories
Film
08:50 am


Given its largely favorable reviews, its sturdy “X-Men” fanbase and the reliable draw of Hugh Jackman plus claws and effects, “The Wolverine” surprised more than a few onlookers by not exactly setting the box office on fire this past weekend. Fox’s respectable-but-not-remarkable $55 million domestic take is the sort of inconclusive figure that can prompt a certain amount of industry overreaction: Are audiences finally expressing their latent comicbook-movie fatigue? Are we seeing, at last, their impatience with a franchise-based industry that recycles everything and risks nothing in deference to the bottom line?

SEE ALSO: Box Office: ‘Wolverine’ Soft Stateside With $55 Mil, But Boffo O’seas With $86 Mil

I’d happily answer yes to these questions, if I didn’t more or less believe what H.L. Mencken once said about the taste of the American public. And then there’s the minor complication that “The Wolverine” — not a reboot but, mercifully, a rethink of the whole franchise — is easily the best superhero extravaganza in a summer dominated by the bigger, noisier likes of “Iron Man 3″ and “Man of Steel.” A model of crafty, unpretentious, less-is-more genre filmmaking, it’s that increasingly rare example of a comicbook movie done right, even as it shows there’s more than one right way to do a comicbook movie.

From a qualitative standpoint, it means nothing that the latest incarnation of Logan won’t come within raking distance of Clark Kent or Tony Stark commercially, just as it means nothing that it drew about $30 million less than “X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s” $85.1 million opening four years ago. As my colleague Peter Debruge aptly pointed out in his review, that dunderheaded 2009 film may well explain why even loyal X-Men fans, myself included, were less excited to see Wolverine’s next cinematic mutation.

And yet, from the opening frame of “The Wolverine” — a calm, distanced shot of Nagasaki Harbor so still and serene it wouldn’t look entirely out of place in James Benning’s “13 Lakes” — it’s clear that director James Mangold and scribes Scott Frank and Mark Bomback are up to something more than boom-boom business as usual. Mangold may be a helmer-for-hire here, but he understands the value of reserve: In a genre prone to overkill, no effect is more special than a story with a proper sense of flow and proportion. And he knows the power of Jackman’s Wolverine persona enough to trust us to follow the character into fresh geographical and mythological terrain.

In adapting a popular 1982 storyline by comicbook writers Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, the filmmakers have taken the sort of creative risks — setting the action almost entirely in Japan and casting relatively unknown Japanese actors in substantive dramatic roles — that honor the devotion of fans and respect the intelligence of the audience. (It’s also unlikely to harm the film’s prospects overseas, where it’s grossed a robust $86.1 million so far — and it hasn’t even hit Japan yet.) Rather than merely exploiting one exotic destination after another in the manner of so many globe-trotting actioners, “The Wolverine” patiently immerses us in the codes and tensions of a foreign culture. (There’s a marvelous intimacy and specificity to the details here: When someone tells Logan not to plant his chopsticks upright in his rice bowl, an omen of death in many Asian cultures, I couldn’t help but flash back to a similar warning from my mother to my 8-year-old self.)

It’s not just that the film makes adroit use of Japan’s urban topography by staging a crackling action sequence atop a high-speed train; on a thematic level, the setting serves only to reinforce Logan’s sense of dislocation, his profound alienation from his fellow man as well as his fellow mutant. Granted, there are few of the latter besides Wolverine in “The Wolverine” (true to its “X”-free title), and the most prominent one, the poison-tongued Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova), feels like one of the film’s few unnecessary concessions to franchise convention. She may be an improvement on Uma Thurman’s Poison Ivy, but that’s not something this particular movie needs.

In that respect, it’s tempting to consider what an earlier, even less compromised version of “The Wolverine” — the one slated to be helmed by Darren Aronofsky from a script by Christopher McQuarrie — might have looked like. In an earlier interview with Screen Rant, McQuarrie described the lost film as a decidedly unconventional venture, a lone-mutant saga with an Eastern-Western sensibility redolent of Kurosawa and Leone. Still, Mangold’s film retains enough of those soulful influences to qualify as something no less distinctive: a movie that might just be too good for mass acceptance.

I hope articles like this get to James and Hugh - for the work that they have delivered...and gives Fox a beacon on the quality of movies that they should give their full support. I think what Fox has to do in the future is to rethink how to market quality cinematic products like THE WOLVERINE, for the best of both worlds.

Maybe it is not even too late to plug articles like this ( and cite overall fan reaction ) to continue promoting the film but in a different light -- it is only the first week and maybe it can develop legs during its North American run?

Jo

[jo]

It looks like film distribution for Hollywood studios in China is not as easy/lucrative as it seems --

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-studios-havent-been-paid-594939

Hollywood Studios Haven't Been Paid by China in Months (Exclusive)



3:11 PM PDT 7/29/2013 by Pamela McClintock, Kim Masters




The delay in payments -- totaling in the tens of millions of dollars for some studios -- revolves around a 2 percent luxury tax that the China Film Group is trying to pass on to the movie companies.


Since late 2012, Hollywood studios haven't seen a dime returned from a slew of movies generating big grosses at the Chinese box office, including blockbusters Skyfall, Man of Steel and Star Trek Into Darkness.


Numerous sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the China Film Group stopped payments pending resolution of a fight over a new 2 percent value-added tax. The China Film Group wants the studios to pay the tax but the studios say that the additional payment would violate a landmark World Trade Organization agreement reached last year between U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

PHOTOS: China Box Office: 10 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time

In almost any other circumstance, Hollywood studios would balk at allowing their movies to continue to be released in the country. But with China on track to become the largest moviegoing market in the world within the next five years, studios are reluctant to hold back product as they establish a long-term foothold.

Insiders say MPAA chairman/CEO Chris Dodd is working on resolving the issue, although neither the MPAA nor any of the studios would officially comment because of the sensitive nature of the situation. One source says there's internal disagreement within the Chinese government about who should cover the tax. THR has reached out to the China Film Group for comment.

The MPAA can ask the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to officially investigate whether China is violating the WTO agreement, but that would be a dramatic step. It's not known whether such a request has been made, although the USTR is working with the MPAA in addressing the issue via conversations with Chinese officials.

STORY: China Claims Relaxed Censorship of Movies, but Hollywood is Skeptical

Hollywood studios and Dodd hailed last year's WTO deal for loosening key restrictions. According to the new arrangement, foreign studios get back 25 percent of box-office revenue (previously 13 to 17 percent). Chinese authorities agreed that additional payments, including any taxes, would not come out of the 25 percent split. But late last fall, the China Film Group informed studios that it intended to pass along the tax after all.

The Wall Street Journal reported on a standoff with Fox in April. Sources now say the dispute is more widespread and that all six major studios are involved.

One insider says a resolution could be reached by the end of the summer; others aren't so sure.

Going by the 25 percent rule, Warner Bros. would be owed north of $31 million for Man of Steel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Jack the Giant Slayer; Sony would be due $23 million for Skyfall and After Earth (White House Down is still in the midst of its China run); Paramount would be owed roughly $30 million for Into Darkness, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Jack Reacher; Disney's Iron Man 3 made north of $121 million in China, which would mean a return of more than $30 million for the studio, while Oz the Great and Powerful would mean about $5 million in payments (Monsters University is headed to China later this month).

Over the weekend, Universal's Fast & Furious 6 opened to north of $24 million, scoring the second-best three-day debut of the year after Iron Man 3. Universal also would be owed for Oblivion and Les Miserables, which took in $23.9 million and $10 million, respectively.

Some studios say they are due money from 2012 titles as well. Fox hasn't received payment for Ang Lee's Life of Pi, a check that's expected to come in at $23 million.

I was watching the Bloomberg Channel ( Business) earlier -- and they said the studios cannot really afford to ignore China...because it is forecast that in the long term, it will overtake North America as the largest film market!

[jo]

Re the release of the movie in Japan and China --

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323854904578634112326143902.html

Moreover, producers of "The Wolverine" cast several famous Japanese actors and models in the film. The movie is being released in at least 25 other countries, opening last in Japan on Sept. 13.

"The Wolverine" opens with an atomic-bomb explosion, so the studio staggered its Japanese release to avoid showing the movie around the early August anniversaries of the World War II nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"We didn't want to be insensitive around that time," said Paul Hanneman, co-president of Fox's international distribution.

Twentieth Century Fox is a unit of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. and until recently was part of the same company as the publisher of The Wall Street Journal.

"The Wolverine" has been submitted for release in China, but the studio hasn't heard from Chinese regulators whether it will be approved, said Mr. Hanneman...

[jo]

Estimated cume after the second weekend --

www.deadline.com/2013/08/smurftastic-start-sequel-opens-to-modest-5-6m-domestic-but-big-international-hopes/comment-page-4/#comments

In #2 is Twentieth Century Fox’s holdover, Marvel’s Wolverine (with the highest theater count of 3,924). Marvel character played by Hugh Jackman yet again dropped 59% drop from last weekend for $21.7M and a new domestic cume through Sunday of $95M. Worldwide total should near $225M.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros/New Line’s low-cost $19M horror genre The Conjuring (3,155 theaters) crossed $100M after three weeks Saturday on its way to $135M all in. Here are the Top Ten films based on weekend estimates:

1. 2 Guns (Emmett-Furla/Universal) NEW [Runs 3,025] R
Friday $10.0M, Saturday $9.8M, Weekend $27.4M

2. The Wolverine 3D (20th Century Fox) Week 2 [Runs 3,924] PG13
Friday $6.4M, Saturday $8.6M, Weekend $21.7M (-59%), Cume $95.0M

3. The Smurfs 2 3D (Sony Animation) Week 1 [Runs 3,866] PG
Friday $5.5M, Saturday $7.1M, Weekend $18.1M, Cume $27.6M

4. The Conjuring (New Line/Warner Bros) Week 3 [Runs 3,115] R
Friday $4.3M, Saturday $5.1M, Weekend $13.6M, Cume $108.4M

5. Despicable Me 2 3D (Illumination/Universal) Week 5 [Runs 3,207] PG
Friday $3.0M, Saturday $4.0M, Weekend $10.3M, Cume $326.6M

I wonder if the supposed "worldwide total" ( presumably to include domestic + overseas) of $ 225 million is fairly accurate or complete?






EDIT/UPDATE: DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD has corrected/updated its worldwide total >

In #2 is Twentieth Century Fox’s holdover, Marvel’s Wolverine (with the highest theater count of 3,924). Marvel character played by Hugh Jackman yet again dropped 59% drop from last weekend for $21.7M and a new domestic cume through Sunday of $95M. Worldwide total is $255.2M.



Here are the Top Ten films based on weekend estimates:

1. 2 Guns (Emmett-Furla/Universal) NEW [Runs 3,025] R
Friday $10.0M, Saturday $9.8M, Weekend $27.4M

2. The Wolverine 3D (20th Century Fox) Week 2 [Runs 3,924] PG13
Friday $6.4M, Saturday $8.6M, Weekend $21.7M (-59%), Cume $95.0M
International Cume $160.2M, Worldwide Total $255.2M

More like expectations ( Mine )!!!


Jo

[jo]

BoxOfficeMojo's estimate is slightly lower ( by a million for overseas) --

Total Lifetime Grosses


Domestic: $95,039,000 (37.4%)


Foreign: $159,000,000 (62.6%)


Worldwide: $254,039,000

Jo

[jo]

Update as of August 11, 2013 ( Weekend figures are estimated), per August 11, 2013 --

Total Lifetime Grosses

Domestic: $111,986,000 (36.5%)

Foreign: $194,700,000 (63.5%)

Worldwide: $306,686,000

Four new films opened during the weekend, on the domestic front.

[klenotka]

I am a little confused how Elysium, which had a similar budget as Wolverine, is with 30 mil. considered a success and Wolverine with 53 mil. a disappointment?
However, I am torn here because Sharlto Copley is, after Hugh, my favourite actor (in my Top 5 ) so I wish him all the luck and success but still, it is weird.

[jo]

No word yet on whether THE WOLVERINE has been allowed for exhibition on screens in China, but there is word now that the standing conflict on the levying of additional taxes on Hollywood films has now been resolved favorably. The Chinese market is really huge -- IronMan 3 has exceeded receipts of $ 100 million and word is that Pacific Rim may also be on the way to that huge box office figure! I am just hoping that the current political conflict between the Chinese and Japanese governments ( especially as they pertain to how the Japanese honor their war dead of the Second World War is concerned - China was invaded during that time and the memories have not been forgotten...unless of course the Chinese are using that as leverage to the recent territorial conflicts between the two nations) not be considered a negative factor in approving THE WOLVERINE for local exhibition.

www.deadline.com/2013/08/mpaa-settles-china-box-office-pay-dispute-report/#more-563592

[jo]

Update as of August 18 ( estimated), per Box Office Mojo --

Total Lifetime Grosses

Domestic: $120,458,000 (35.9%)

Foreign: $214,800,000 (64.1%)

Worldwide: $335,258,000

[jo]

Update as of August 25, 2013.

Per BoxOfficeMojo --

Total Lifetime Grosses


Domestic: $125,079,463 (35.7%)

Foreign: $225,600,000 (64.3%)

Worldwide: $350,679,463

[jo]

Update ( estimated) as of September 1, per Box Office Mojo --

Total Lifetime Grosses


Domestic: $127,809,000 (35.7%)

Foreign: $230,391,000 (64.3%)

Worldwide: $358,200,000

This now ranks the movie at 4th of all XMEN movies ( having exceeded FIRST CLASS and the first XMEN movie).


Hopefully, within a month of its opening, we can gauge the full box office results from Japan. The movie opens there on September 13. The Last Samurai ( with Tom Cruise) did $ 112 million during its release in that country. If THE WOLVERINE could turn up with at least 50% of that, it will leapfrog the movie to well over $400 million. However, XMEN movies are only moderately successful in Japan, hence it is hard to tell how the impact of the local setting of the story and the use of Japanese actors as well as references to Japanese customs and society would have on the box office appeal.

Jo