Ant-Man Thursday Box Office Could Mean Lower Than Expected Opening Weekend

Ant-Man's opening weekend estimates may be shrinking. With a Thursday night preview opening of $6.4 million, it sits smack in-between fellow Marvel Comics adaptations The Wolverine at $4 million, and Guardians of the Galaxy, at $11.2 million on Thursday nights. Those are the closest comparisons to the film's opening weekend in the last two years, though not precise.

Marvel Studios' latest could now clock in at the mid-fifty million mark, instead of the low-to-mid 60 million estimate ahead of the weekend. IMAX and other large format screens making up 48% of the Thursday night bow could make Ant-Man grow larger than estimates, however, if that range stays consistent for the weekend.

Ant-Man has the advantage of going up against only an R-rated comedy Trainwreck, in new openings, but also fights Universal's animation juggernaut Minions, which pulled in $9.5 million on Thursday night.

Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd, is in theaters now.