Wolverine Hurt By Piracy

Opening Weekend $38,000,000 Less Than Previous Film X-Men 3

The leaked film "Wolverine" made $85 million dollars at the North American box office, over the weekend, in Fox's widest release to date, with midnight showings (Thursday sales).

However, its predecessor, "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" made $123 million dollars in its comparable opening weekend in 2006, when ticket prices were lower and it was also screened in less theatres than "Wolverine." That's a difference of $38 million dollars for the opening weekend.

Many previously stated in print and online the film would be unaffected by the piracy leak. I disagreed strongly. A month ago, on April 6, 2009, I wrote that the studio would lose millions and my prediction was correct:

"...People who've downloaded it are not likely to go see the film when it is released or buy the subsequent DVD. If each download represents a unique user, that's $70,000,000 to $100,000,000 in ticket sales gone and many millions in DVD sales wiped away."

As stated above, so far in only one weekend, 2009's "Wolverine" is $38 million dollars off its predecessor's sales bow from 2006. As the days go by, the financial loss will continue to mount, for every person that illegally downloaded it online that will not bother to go to the theatre and purchase a ticket.

I don't like Fox and I'm not sorry for them, but I do not wish to tout or promote piracy either. However, this illustration proves piracy does hurt.

I have been informed the leak was an inside job, performed by someone upset over a slight. Whether the FBI will nab the right person and the site they initially handed it off to remains to be seen.

*Speaking as slowly as the FBI works, while addressing, well, the FBI*:

maybe...you...should...interview...the...people...that...had...access...to...the...work...print...

and...pull...their...internet...records...

both....at...home...and...work...

then...try...to...match...it...to...the...site...the...leak...first...appeared...on...

if...that's...too...difficult...for...you

pimp...slap...the...owners...of...the...site...it...first...appeared...on...for...some...answers

then...you...can...place...them...in...the...circular...things...with...holes...in...the...middle...and...chain

then...you...can...put...them...in...the...square...room...with...the...bars...on...it...AKA...jail

you...are...welcome...

Side Bar: how is it Sony's copyright infringing film "Obsessed" that allegedly made $28 million dollars in its first weekend, drop so drastically to $12 million dollars in sales during its second week of release, if said company didn't inflate ticket sales as they've done with other projects. Taking a page out of Warner Bros.'s book, are we.

ARTICLE:

SUNDAY AM: Here are Fox's final figures for the franchise prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine -- $35M on Friday (including $5 million in midnight shows), $29.7M on Saturday, and an estimated $22.2M for Sunday. That makes for an $87M weekend -- better than the 1st and 2nd installments in the X-Men franchise, but well behind the 3rd. That's certainly good enough to warrant another Wolverine.

1. Wolverine (Fox) OPENER [4,099 Theaters] $87M Wkd
2. Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past (NL/WB) OPENER [3,175] $15.3 Wkd
3. Obsessed (SG/Sony) [2,514] WEEK 2, $12.2M Wkd (-57%), Cume $47M
4. 17 Again (NL/WB) [3,255] WEEK 3, $6.3M Wkd, Cume $48.4M

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com