TheX-Men franchisehas always been an underdog in the superhero genre, and that continues heading into Memorial Day Weekend. While the latest entry didn’t doBatman V SupermanorCivil Waropening night numbers during its Thursday night preview in 3,565 theaters,X-Men: Apocalypsedid manage to pull in a healthy $8.2 million when it debuted at 7PM last night. This was definitely enough to beatX-Men: Days of Future Past, the previous team effort that landed back in the summer of 2014.
X-Men: Days of Future Pastcollected $8.1 million during its Thursday night previews when it opened in the exact same Memorial Day frame just two years ago. It went onto have a $35.5 million Friday. As it stands now, the third entryX-Men: The Last Stand, which debuted way back in 2006, still holds the best Memorial Day Friday opening with $45.1 million. It doesn’t look likeApocalypseis going to reach that plateau, at least according to Deadline.
X-Men: Apocalypsewill have no problem taking the top spot at the box office this Memorial Day Weekend, though it faces stiff competition in the Disney sequelAlice Through the Looking Glass. They will be the top two draws over this four-day traditional summer starter holiday. Right now, the sixth properX-Menmovie is speculated to earn at least $100 million through Monday. Fox, on the other hand, has a more conservative take on their own movie, and have supplied estimates of an $80M+ weekend.
Alice Through the Looking Glassis expected to rest at between $55 million and $60 million when all is said and done. In terms of best Memorial Day Weekend box office of all time,X-Men: The Last Standstands in third place with $122.9 million.X-Men: Days of Future Pastis slotted in fifth place with $110.6 million.Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s Endis the best memorial day weekend earner of all time, with $139.8 million, and is followed byIndiana Jones and the Crystal Skullin second place with $126.9 million. In fourth place isFast & Furious 6with $117 million. Right now,Apocalypseis pacingDays of Future Pastin ticket sales, so it’s possible that it could manage to squeeze its way into the top five before the weekend is over.
Alice Through the Looking Glassis on par with Disney’s 2014 live-action fairy tale releaseMaleficent, which pulled in $69.4 million during its first frame in the post-Memorial Day summer box office. Neither of these two new releases are faring well on the critical side of things.X-Men 6is currently theworst-reviewedmovie with 45% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. WhileThe Last Standhad a 58% Rotten score, it fared better with audiences, who awarded it an A- CinemaScore. 2014’sDays of Future Pastwas actually a massive hit with critics and fans alike, scoring a stellar 91% Fresh rating and an A Cinemascore.
Alice Through the Looking Glassis hitting at the same notion. Reviewers have called it deathly boring with a 27% Rotten Score. It is earning praise amongst family crowds, which will help keep it buoyed throughout the next few days. Though it might not have a strong leg to stand on as the summer season continues into May. We won’t have exact estimates until later on Memorial Day Monday. But as things appear now,X-Men: Apocalypsewill be the winner of this Holiday.
Though, themutant adventurecould disappear quite quickly with many more summer films waiting in the wings to take over the box office. Next weekend sees the debut ofTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowsand theLonely IslandcomedyPopstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, along with the romantic dramaMe Before You, which could usurp all to become an unexpected summer sleeper hit. We’ll have to wait and see how this all plays out.
