AfterDawn: News

Despite leak, 'Wolverine' is hit at box office

On April 1st, one month before its theatrical release, a workprint version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked online, and saw giant amounts of downloads.

The release, being a "workprint", had some special effects missing, as well as the occasional view of wires still attached to actors during action scenes.



Despite this leak however, the movie appears to be successful at the box office, making $35 million USD on its opening day on Friday and making a total of $87 million USD for its first weekend. Comparably, the blockbuster Iron Man made the same amount on its first day.

Production companies says the movie cost about $140 million to create, so $87 million is not quite spectacular, but not to shabby either.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 3 May 2009 18:30

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• 24 comments

• Moomoo2

  The script on this film was rubbish and the CGI half-assed at best. It was somewhat entertaining. I'm happy they were giving out comic books and foam claws, because otherwise the ticket price would have seemed outrageous. But, it was a fun experience overall I suppose. Wouldn't have been so cool it I didn't go on opening night, though...

  3.5.2009 18:54 #1

• Pop_Smith

  I also saw it opening night. I thought the script was decent but the CGI wasn't quite up to par, it wasn't horrid CGI but it wasn't that great either.
  
  Overall I'd give the movie an 7.5-8/10, however, I haven't seen the workprint so I don't know what the differences, if any, between the two are other than the special affects/wire problems.
  
  Unless ticket sales drop off like a rock (and they may, but probably not) I could see this earning a bit of money, maybe hitting $200-$250 million out of the box office.
  
  I'd say the biggest problem with the movie was not enough focus on Wolverine but I won't say anything else as I don't want to spoil it for anyone that hasn't see it yet.
  
  Peace

  3.5.2009 19:14 #2

• trexxus

  I just got back from seeing it about a hour or so ago and I can tell you that I'm glad that I waited(some guy at my job was selling the workprint when it hit online a month ago but I didn't buy it)and I think it was a decent movie but nothing stellar(I loved xmen 2)but I'm still happy to have waited.

  3.5.2009 20:22 #3

• Hyasuma

  To me, the movie sucked, I saw it at the point where they were leaking it out and saw it at theater again when it came out. It made no sense, Canadian's fighting at our Civil War? and the ending? what the heck? Anyways, this was probably the worse X men I seen since the 3rd one. First 2 were great, rest of it just completely sucked.

  3.5.2009 20:52 #4

• ripxrush

  CGI was not so great! the back aging of characters was poor!. ah my kid is up will write more later

  3.5.2009 21:04 #5

• SSSJDanny

  New Ending for the theater version and the special effects were worth going to see especially since i already dl the movie

  3.5.2009 23:11 #6

• KillerBug

  I feel sorry for the pirates...they had to watch this turd of a movie.

  3.5.2009 23:54 #7

• ArtofWar5

  Making the Wolverine movie weak is a......crime against all of humanity.
  

  The one to strike first usually finishes the fight, although the second strike usually ends you. A strong ally base is a necessity in our time of strategos. Thus, we do not strike first, and live to strike secondly.

  4.5.2009 00:26 #8

• DoomLight

  i considered the leaked workprint to be a "behind the scenes" movie
  
  im planning on seeing it all finished. i thought it was pretty good. despite all the hate from some of these comments here.
  
  i look forward to seeing the finished effects and removed wire work and the missing scenes that were missing from the final version.
  
  yanno something irks me from IGN.com wrote about the movie. the bitched and moaned about the wire work which seems apparent to me they seen the work print and only complained because they knew about it seeing the workprint. i strongly dislike reviewers that complain so much about nothing that from what they write then can make people not want to see a movie and support the industry which supposedly isn't making money due to piracy.

  4.5.2009 00:38 #9

• iamgq

  140 million to make this movie? Find it hard to believe. More than half of it must have gone to the actors or probly Jackman, the movie wasnt flooded with effects or oohhhs and ahhhsss. Overall I give the movie a 3-4/10.

  4.5.2009 05:25 #10

• axxxo

  Fantastic film, role on the next one!!!
  

  firmware http://eko.4shared.com/

  4.5.2009 06:22 #11

• bomber991

  Originally posted by iamgq: 140 million to make this movie? Find it hard to believe. More than half of it must have gone to the actors or probly Jackman, the movie wasnt flooded with effects or oohhhs and ahhhsss. Overall I give the movie a 3-4/10.Shoot man, Clerks had a budget of $28k and that still seems like way too much to me.

  4.5.2009 09:17 #12

• mystic

  Despite leak now those words have there own meaning and rightfully so despite basic meaning other then ... well in an economy thats as bad as this world wide it seams silly to think that more people who hadnt watched the work print and that wanted to see the diffrence accually went.. as a family man its hard to disside which movie to take everyone to and to shell out well say 60bucks after soda and snacks for 3 let alone those who have a larger family... now the word leak which brings the thought of money down the drain well after 2 or 3 days and 85 million I dont believe its all that bad... ok so lets look at the leak and blaming pirates ok unless this was sailing around the horn then lets call this careless people who get paid bye those who made the film "employees" of one of the companies incharge of making this movie would pirates have cam-ed it in the theirator yes who they have made more money on opening day who knows but what matters it was the employees not any card carrying parret owning pirate that stole it in the first place so dont blame them....

  4.5.2009 11:46 #13

• ZippyDSM

  Why? its the worst of the new marvel films... well..Punisher 08 and Ghost rider...emo spidy 3 could be slightly worse....

  4.5.2009 14:56 #14

• 21Q

  They might have well played the work print as the real thing. The cgi in the movie I thought was done very poorly. For most of the movie the claws don't look real at all. The story is also extremely linear. It's saving grace is the action and acting, which is on par. Other wise I think this movie is a renter.

  4.5.2009 19:35 #15

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by 21Q: They might have well played the work print as the real thing. The cgi in the movie I thought was done very poorly. For most of the movie the claws don't look real at all. The story is also extremely linear. It's saving grace is the action and acting, which is on par. Other wise I think this movie is a renter.
  Good actors bad script and or directing.

  4.5.2009 19:37 #16

• KillerBug

  Not worth renting, not even worth the time to download a pirate copy. I made the mistake of paying for a ticket. This movie made Jurasic Park 2 look good! I walked out in the middle of it.
  
  I can believe they spent $140,000,000 making this...$100 for CGI, $20 for a script, and the rest to terrible actors and a brainless diretor.

  4.5.2009 23:10 #17

• Ghostdog

  I´ve never walked oout of the cinema because of a movie being bad, but this time I might as well have.
  
  I had lowered my expectations pretty low, and I was still disappointed. A quite poor script and amateurish CG-work are pretty much the worst faults. I don´t know where they spent those 140 million, but it didn´t amount to much. The bad part is that now that the movie is making money htey´ll probably keep pumping out more of these.

  5.5.2009 05:19 #18

• badkrma

  I just don't buy into the idea that piracy is killing everything, people are still going to go out for the movie experience and do something social. Pirates will always do what we only know what to do best, poo poo over everything. (Hee hee)(wonder what I just called myself :) ) I'm glad that people are still going out to see the movies cause if they didn't, movies would cease to be made.

  5.5.2009 19:26 #19

• borhan9

  The movie was awsome i loved it and i was one of the people that did not get the work print it was soo much better on the big screen. However i did not like how the movie ended but all in all a great movie :)

  6.5.2009 05:55 #20

• domie

  $ 140 million is a hell of a lot of cash to pay for a turkey in a recession - especially with thanksgiving day still 6 months away

  8.5.2009 18:37 #21

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by domie: $ 140 million is a hell of a lot of cash to pay for a turkey in a recession - especially with thanksgiving day still 6 months away
  ya but the film itself had to be 80-120M to make.

  8.5.2009 18:40 #22

• chrissd

  Piracy killing the movie? Can't kill something that's dead. =P And no cgi + wires means it'd suck even more.
  
  @all the ppls who think there wasn't enough focus on wolverine. That bit when he's in a group? Notice that he's always standing at the front? =P
  
  But yea, it doesn't stick to the comix and lost quality from the first Xmen. Still, they introed some more mutants so it wasn't too bad.
  
  But no way would an incomplete version ruin movie sells. 1, it has Jackman (which all females go gaga over, 2, it's xmen. =P And no cgi + wires.. How would that kill off sales? I have movies with subtitles/watermark/etc, was easier than ripping for portable player =P, and they're annoying enough to make me rip the movie if I watch it more than once. No way would wires beat getting the movie. Ever.

  9.5.2009 09:40 #23

• ZippyDSM

  Originally posted by chrissd: Piracy killing the movie? Can't kill something that's dead. =P And no cgi + wires means it'd suck even more.
  
  @all the ppls who think there wasn't enough focus on wolverine. That bit when he's in a group? Notice that he's always standing at the front? =P
  
  But yea, it doesn't stick to the comix and lost quality from the first Xmen. Still, they introed some more mutants so it wasn't too bad.
  
  But no way would an incomplete version ruin movie sells. 1, it has Jackman (which all females go gaga over, 2, it's xmen. =P And no cgi + wires.. How would that kill off sales? I have movies with subtitles/watermark/etc, was easier than ripping for portable player =P, and they're annoying enough to make me rip the movie if I watch it more than once. No way would wires beat getting the movie. Ever.
  Well the Xmen films did stick to the comic...the wrong one...The Ultimate series was a mixed up bunch o nuts, a black fury, a bunch of screwed up story/characters redesigns and a alt personality Phoenix..ok maybe not that last one :P

  9.5.2009 15:36 #24