20th Century Fox pulls the curtain down on its near-20 year long X-Men franchise this June with the release of X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but if early tracking is any indication, it doesn’t seem like the mutant superhero series is going to go out with a bang.

According to estimates from Box Office Pro, the Simon Kinberg-helmed Dark Phoenix is heading for a domestic opening weekend in the region of between $40 million and $50 million. That would set a new low for the franchise – a position currently held by 2013’s The Wolverine on $53.1 million – although it’s entirely possible that The New Mutants could end up taking that spot, assuming the spinoff does actually receive a theatrical release.

Dark Phoenix has had a difficult production, with extensive re-shoots reportedly pushing the budget beyond the $200 million mark. And, with the final trailer released this week, there doesn’t seem to be much more opportunity to build hype for the movie ahead of its June release. That being said, positive reviews and word of mouth – and a good run in the international markets – could well prevent the film from being a costly flop.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix sees Simon Kinberg directing a cast that includes franchise veterans Michael Fassbender (Magneto), James McAvoy (Professor X), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique), Nicholas Hoult (Beast), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler) and Evan Peters (Quicksilver) alongside new additions Kota Eberhardt (The Persian Connection) as Selene, Andrew Stehlin (Hacksaw Ridge) as Red Lotus, and Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game) and Lamar Johnson (Kings). It is set for release on June 6th 2019.

via Flickering Myth