Last year, 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool defied all odds and broke numerous box office records, eventually becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all-time. The raunchy comedy’s tremendous success helped pave the way for Fox to develop more adult-orientated comic book adaptations, including this March’s Logan. Said to be Hugh Jackman’s final time donning the claws of Wolverine, director James Mangold’s latest takes cues from gritty, character-driven Westerns and will finally truly unleash the fan-favorite mutant on the big screen. Though studio executives were wary of the approach at first, their fears have been quelled by an excellent marketing campaign that’s generated much excitement.
With Logan earning a spot on many most-anticipated lists, the film is most definitely on pace to make a pretty penny at the box office when it comes out. With just two weeks to go until its theatrical premiere (as of this writing), the first opening weekend projections for Logan are now available, suggesting the audience turn out will be larger than the last time Mangold and Jackman teamed up for a Wolverine solo movie.
Per The Wrap, Logan is currently tracking at $60 million for its first three days, a higher mark than 2013’s The Wolverine - which made $53.1 million during the same time frame. However, that haul would be significantly lower than X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s intake of $85 million when it premiered in 2009. Still, Logan is poised to have one of the better debuts in March. Should it reach that $60 million estimate, it would be the tenth-largest opening in the month’s history, an impressive accomplishment.
If these numbers seem modest to some (especially after Deadpool), there are a few factors to keep in mind. For starters, Logan is a radically different film than Deadpool, and the notion of a hard-hitting, somewhat depressing drama may not be as accessible to the masses as the humorous antics of one Wade Wilson. It’s also important to remember Deadpool was an anomaly and more of an exception than the rule. The R rating, while a key selling point of Logan, is still going to be restrictive and potentially limit its overall audience. Additionally, Westerns in particular have had rough sledding at the box office of late, with few true hits to speak of over the last handful of years. Logan will receive a nice boost from the X-Men connection and Wolverine’s popularity, but its genre influences and style might prevent it from rewriting the record books.
That said, there’s always a chance these projections increase as Logan’s premiere draws nearer. Word-of-mouth should play a role in determining the final tally, and if the reviews are as enthusiastic as fans hope, that will bode well for the film’s prospects. All signs are pointing to a worthy swan song for Jackman that delivers an emotionally-riveting experience, so hopefully the reaction is positive and Fox scores another hit. The pressure is on Logan to have a sizable opening weekend, since Kong: Skull Island and Beauty and the Beast will prevent it from having strong legs throughout March. Luckily, it is on the right track.
Source: The Wrap
- Wolverine 3 Release Date: 2017-03-03
