“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” reaped an estimated $87 million, scoring number one at the box office this weekend, according to audience trackers Nielsen EDI. The films totals mark the second-highest opening of the four X-Men films, behind 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand”. Despite having the best weekend of any film released, the film did not meet industry projections.

The movie was expected to gross more than $100 million in its opening weekend and it is unclear whether fears over the swine flu, and the internet leak of the film April 1 had an effect on the films grosses.

“I don’t think we’ll ever know how either the downloading or swine flu affected the movie because I don’t think there’s a way to quantify it,” says Chris Aronson, senior vice president and head of domestic distribution at Fox told the Wall Street Journal.


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Meanwhile, love took second place at the box office, with romantic comedy “Ghost of Girlfriends Past”. The Matthew McConaughey vehicle opened to $15.3 million.

The Beyonce Knowles thriller “Obsessed” finished third, with $12.2 million, after opening the last weekend to first place. The film has grossed $47 million, more than twice its $20 million budget.

The Zac Efron comedy “17 Again” placed fourth with $6.36 million, followed by “Monsters vs. Aliens”, which picked up an estimated $5.8 million its sixth weekend. The animated hit has now grossed $182 million.

Final figures are due Monday.

Box Office Grosses
Week Ending May 3, 2009

Rank Title Weekend Total Gross
1 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) $87M $87M
2 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) $15.3M $15.3M
3 Obsessed (2009) $12.2M $47M
4 17 Again (2009) $6.36M $48.5M
5 Monsters vs Aliens (2009) $5.8M $182M
6 The Soloist (2009) $5.6M $18.1M
7 Earth (2007) $4.18M $21.8M
8 Fighting (2009) $4.17M $17.5M
9 Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) $4.08M $70.9M
10 State of Play (2009) $3.66M $30.9M