X-Men: Apocalypse Beats Days of Future Past in Thursday Night Box Office

X-Men: Apocalypse has bested its elder brother, X-Men: Days of Future Past, in its Thursday night debut. The latest in the X-Men franchise - the ninth film overall, took in $8.2 million on Thursday night previews, beating Days by just $100,000; a marginal difference, but one that shows staying power for the franchise, despite a less than stellar critical response (our review, and many other more fan-centric responses, however, have been much more positive).

The film is looking to own Memorial Day weekend, a traditionally fairly strong opening time for 20th Century Fox with early estimates of over $80 million. That's a far cry from many other superhero films, of course. This year's openings have seen Captain America: Civil War pull in $179 million in its first weekend, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at $166 million, and Deadpool - Fox's first R-Rated entry into the X-Men franchise, grab $132.4 million. Days of Future Past opened on this same weekend in 2014 to about $90.8 million, and the biggest opener in the team film of the X-Men franchise, the lambasted Last Stand, had $102.75 million this weekend in 2006.

X-Men: Apocalypse has fairly stiff competition this weekend with Alice: Through the Looking Glass from Disney also debuting, though that film is expected to take about $60 million. Repeat customers for Captain America: Civil War, in just its fourth weekend in theaters and Angry Birds in only its second will also draw significant eyes this last weekend of May, the unofficial start of the Summer for many moviegoers.

Apocalypse had a solid first week at international theaters, taking in over $130 million in its first six days and first place in all launched territories including significant box office countries like India and Australia.

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