Though it will not debut in the realm of the entertainment community’s loftiest projections, “The Wolverine” is still pacing for a decent–and dominant–debut at the box office.
Based on an estimated $23-24 million gross Friday, the latest “Wolverine” film should cross the $60 million barrier by the end of the weekend. Ahead of the opener for 2011’s “X-Men: First Class” ($55.1 million), the expected weekend gross would nonetheless represent a steep decline from that of the previous Wolverine-driven film.
“X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” that film, earned $85.1 million in its 2009 debut. It went on to earn $179.9 million domestically.
A gross in the $60-65 million ballpark would also represent the lowest for a film with Hugh Jackman in the Wolverine role since the first “X-Men” released in 2000. That film earned $54.5 million in its debut, while follow-ups “X2” and “The Last Stand” earned $85.6 million and $102.8 million, respectively.