At long last, we can put all that mildly nauseating talk about the corrosive effects of Wolverine leaks behind us: The hairy Canadian freak with the built-in rotisserie forearms has proven triumphant at the box office. The results are after the jump.
1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Gross: $87,000,000 (new)
Screens: 4,099 (PSA: $21,225)
Weeks: 1 (Change: n/a)
A Fox summer tentpole accursed with multiple setbacks, it seemed as if Wolverine would never fully recover from an international incident in which Somali internet pirates boarded a working print and held Will i Am hostage in exchange for $27 million in finished CGI sequences. Then there was the cancellation of the Mexico City premiere, after CDC researches warned a Swine Flu epidemic in the area might easily mutate into the far deadlier Sabretooth Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Well, all's well that ends well, as the beastly origin myth hauled $87 million domestically (the second biggest opener of all the X-Men films), and easily dominated overseas box office with a $73 million take on 9,234 worldwide. As star Hugh Jackman might say while executing a perfect high-kick, it's one singular sensation!
2. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Gross: $15,325,000 (new)
Screens: 3,175 (PSA: $4,827)
Weeks: 1 (Change: n/a)
Warners' romantic comedy underperformed slightly, as audiences hoping to enjoy a couple hours being told whether or not a shirtless Matthew McConaughey was just that into Jennifer Garner had a hard time connecting with a high-concept plot that borrowed heavily from an obscure Charles Dickens story. On the plus side, one of the supporting characters -- Teensy Tom, McConaughey's unflappably optimistic, crippled great-nephew -- was overwhelmingly well-received.
3. Obsessed
Gross: $12,200,000 (cume: $47,002,000)
Screens: 2,514 (PSA: $4,853)
Weeks: 2 (Change: -57.4%)
A sizable but not unusual drop in Obsessed's second week suggests most of this film's highly specific target audience (that cross section of the moviegoing population who enjoy generous helpings of both Beyoncé and girl-on-girl violence in their movies) had already met their needs. Still, the film is a surprise sleeper, and sequel Obsessed 2: I Don't Think You're Ready for This Jelly shouldn't be far behind.
4. 17 Again
Gross: $6,355,000 (cume: $48,497,000)
Screens: 3,255 (PSA: $1,952)
Weeks: 3 (Change: -44.8%)
As the release that established that Zac Efron could open a movie inches past the $50 million mark, I just pray that the matinee idol heeds Leo DiCaprio's warning, and doesn't throw it all away by tying one off for a blissful dance with some high grade Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds.
5. Monsters Vs. Aliens
Gross: $5,800,000 (cume: $182,405,000)
Screens: 2,626 (PSA: $2,209 )
Weeks: 6 (Change: -31.9%)
This movie would have been more interesting to me if it had simply consisted of a series of bouts pairing off famous movie monsters and aliens (and allowed wagering).
Fight 1: Rosemary's Baby vs. E.T.
Fight 2: Spike the Gremlin vs. ALF
Fight 3: Ursula from The Little Mermaid vs. Kim "Stepmother" Basinger
Fight 4: Blacula vs. The Brother From Another Planet
[Data: Box Office Mojo]