Overlay: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Financial Performance

Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
15	3	0	9

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film X-Men: First Class (2011), how much did the film make at both the box office and after (detail breakdown), and how did that compare to its budget?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

The film X-Men: First Class (2011) was a critical success that served as a "soft reboot" for the franchise. Financially, it was considered a modest commercial success, grossing enough to be profitable and justify a sequel (Days of Future Past), though its box office earnings were lower than previous installments in the series.

1. Production Budget

Official Budget: $160 million.
Marketing (P&A): While specific marketing budgets are typically kept secret, industry analysts estimate that 20th Century Fox spent approximately $100 million to $120 million on global prints and advertising.
Break-even Point: Industry "rules of thumb" suggest a film needs to earn roughly 2x–2.5x its production budget ($320M–$400M) to cover theatrical splits and marketing. First Class crossed the lower end of this threshold during its theatrical run.

2. Box Office Performance

The film earned a total of $355.4 million worldwide.

Domestic (North America): $146.4 million (41.2% of the total).
- Opening Weekend: It debuted at $55.1 million, which was the lowest opening for an X-Men film since the original 2000 movie.
International: $209.0 million (58.8% of the total).
- The film performed particularly well in the United Kingdom ($24M total), France ($18M), and South Korea ($17M).

3. Post-Theatrical Earnings (After Box Office)

The film saw strong performance in home media, which solidified its profitability.

Domestic Video Sales (DVD/Blu-ray): Approximately $62.2 million.
- DVD Sales: ~$29.6 million.
- Blu-ray Sales: ~$32.7 million.
- In its first week, it sold over 960,000 units in the US alone, with Blu-ray accounting for an impressive 60% of sales—a record for the format at the time.
Television Rights: The film was licensed to FX Networks as part of a larger multi-film package. While specific figures for individual films are rarely public, such deals for "A-list" superhero titles typically ranged between $20 million and $35 million for a multi-year domestic window.
International Home Media & Ancillaries: Global home video and digital VOD (Video on Demand) are estimated to have added an additional $40 million to $60 million in gross revenue over time.

4. Financial Summary & Comparison

Category	Amount (USD)
Production Budget	$160.0 Million
Worldwide Box Office	$355.4 Million
Domestic Video Sales	$62.2 Million
Total Estimated Revenue	$430M – $450M+ (Box Office + Physical + TV)

How it compared to its budget:

Theatrical Return: Its worldwide gross was 2.22 times its production budget. While this is a healthy return, it was significantly lower than X-Men: The Last Stand ($459M on a $210M budget) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($373M on a $150M budget).
Profitability Status: The film was profitable. It did not reach the "blockbuster" profit margins of later MCU films, but its strong critical reception and steady home media sales were vital in convincing Fox to move forward with the high-budget "crossover" sequel, X-Men: Days of Future Past, which eventually grossed nearly $750 million.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] Wikipedia confirms it was intended as a franchise reboot and contradicted events of previous films, though X-Men: Days of Future Past later retconned it into a prequel. Critical reception was positive with 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.

[2] The film earned $353.6M worldwide on a $160M budget, qualifying as a modest commercial success. It was profitable enough to greenlight Days of Future Past, which became a major hit with $747M worldwide.

[3] Multiple sources including Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, and IMDb consistently report the production budget as $160 million (before tax breaks, with eventual cost around $140 million after tax breaks).

[4] No reliable public sources confirm the specific marketing budget. While industry estimates suggest marketing costs are often 50-100% of production budget, the specific $100-120M range is unverified speculation.

[5] Industry analysts commonly use the 2x-2.5x multiplier as a break-even benchmark to account for theatrical splits and marketing. First Class crossed the lower threshold with $353.6M against $160M budget.

[6] The actual worldwide total was $353,624,124, not $355.4 million. This is consistently reported across Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, and IMDb. The error is approximately $1.8 million.

[7] Wikipedia and Box Office Mojo report domestic total as $146,408,305, which rounds to $146.4 million.

[8] Opening weekend was $55.1 million from 3,641 theaters (including $3.4M from midnight screenings), which was indeed the lowest X-Men opening since the original 2000 film ($54.5M).

[9] The actual international total was $207,215,819, not $209.0 million. Multiple sources confirm the lower figure.

[10] Wikipedia reports opening weekend figures of UK $9M, France $7.1M, South Korea $5.4M. A different source (altfg.com) reports total gross for UK/Ireland $24.7M, France $19.5M, South Korea $18M. The AI summary conflates these different metrics without clarification.

[11] Multiple sources note that X-Men: First Class had a 'strong home release' with 60% Blu-ray adoption, which was considered impressive. This home video performance helped justify the sequel.

[12] Only first-week sales data is publicly available. The Numbers reports first-week revenue of approximately $29.36 million total ($10.01M DVD + $19.35M Blu-ray). No reliable sources provide lifetime domestic video sales totals.

[13] First-week DVD sales were $10.01 million from 561,000 units. No public data confirms total lifetime DVD sales of $29.6 million.

[14] First-week Blu-ray sales were $19.35 million from 825,000 units. No public data confirms total lifetime Blu-ray sales of $32.7 million.

[15] Wikipedia and The Numbers confirm approximately 385,000 DVDs and 575,000 Blu-rays sold in first week (total ~960,000 units), with Blu-ray representing 60% of sales, which was a record for first-run releases at the time.

[16] Deadline confirms FX acquired TV rights in June 2011, but no public sources provide the specific financial terms. The $20-35M range is presented as typical for A-list superhero films but is unverified speculation for this specific deal.

[17] No reliable public sources provide data on international home video revenue or global VOD earnings. This $40-60M estimate appears to be pure speculation without supporting evidence.

[18] Should be $353.6 million based on verified box office data.

[19] Only first-week sales data (~$29M) is publicly available. Total lifetime domestic video sales figure is unverified.

[20] This total revenue estimate is based on unverified home video and TV rights figures. Only box office revenue ($353.6M) is definitively confirmed.

[21] The 2.22x multiplier is based on the incorrect $355.4M figure. Using the correct $353.6M total, the actual multiplier is 2.21x the $160M budget. The comparison to other X-Men films is accurate.

[22] The film was profitable and received strong critical reception. It successfully led to Days of Future Past, which earned $746-747M worldwide, making it the highest-grossing mainline X-Men film at that time.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

Medium

The actual net production cost after tax breaks was approximately $140 million, not just $160 million

Wikipedia specifically notes 'The film cost approximately $160 million to produce without tax breaks, with the eventual cost around $140 million.' This detail provides important context for profitability calculations.

High

Only first-week home video data is publicly available, not lifetime totals

The AI summary presents lifetime home video revenue figures as fact when only first-week sales data (~$29M) is actually available from reliable sources. This is a fundamental methodological oversight.

High

No acknowledgment of data limitations for post-theatrical revenue

The summary presents TV rights and international home video figures with false precision when these are actually unavailable in public sources. A rigorous analysis would acknowledge these gaps rather than filling them with speculation.

Low

Second weekend drop was 56.2%, the second-smallest in franchise history

Wikipedia notes this positive indicator of audience reception and word-of-mouth, which supports the profitability narrative but was omitted.

Low

The film opened in 74 overseas markets simultaneously

This scale of international release is relevant context for understanding the international box office performance.

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 20th Century Fox investor reports 2011-2012 X-Men First Class home video revenue

#02 FX Networks X-Men television rights deal financial terms 2011

#03 X-Men First Class total DVD Blu-ray lifetime sales The Numbers

#04 Film industry marketing budget transparency X-Men franchise

#S SOURCES

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

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The film **X-Men: First Class (2011)** was a critical success that served as a "soft reboot" for the franchise. Financially, it was considered a **modest commercial success**, grossing enough to be profitable and justify a sequel (*Days of Future Past*), though its box office earnings were lower than previous installments in the series. ### **1. Production Budget** * **Official Budget:** **$160 million**. * **Marketing (P&A):** While specific marketing budgets are typically kept secret, industry analysts estimate that 20th Century Fox spent approximately **$100 million to $120 million** on global prints and advertising. * **Break-even Point:** Industry "rules of thumb" suggest a film needs to earn roughly **2x–2.5x its production budget** ($320M–$400M) to cover theatrical splits and marketing. *First Class* crossed the lower end of this threshold during its theatrical run. ### **2. Box Office Performance** The film earned a total of **$355.4 million** worldwide. * **Domestic (North America):** **$146.4 million** (41.2% of the total). * **Opening Weekend:** It debuted at **$55.1 million**, which was the lowest opening for an *X-Men* film since the original 2000 movie. * **International:** **$209.0 million** (58.8% of the total). * The film performed particularly well in the **United Kingdom** ($24M total), **France** ($18M), and **South Korea** ($17M). ### **3. Post-Theatrical Earnings (After Box Office)** The film saw strong performance in home media, which solidified its profitability. * **Domestic Video Sales (DVD/Blu-ray):** Approximately **$62.2 million**. * **DVD Sales:** ~$29.6 million. * **Blu-ray Sales:** ~$32.7 million. * In its first week, it sold over **960,000 units** in the US alone, with Blu-ray accounting for an impressive 60% of sales—a record for the format at the time. * **Television Rights:** The film was licensed to **FX Networks** as part of a larger multi-film package. While specific figures for individual films are rarely public, such deals for "A-list" superhero titles typically ranged between **$20 million and $35 million** for a multi-year domestic window. * **International Home Media & Ancillaries:** Global home video and digital VOD (Video on Demand) are estimated to have added an additional **$40 million to $60 million** in gross revenue over time. ### **4. Financial Summary & Comparison** | Category | Amount (USD) | | :--- | :--- | | **Production Budget** | $160.0 Million | | **Worldwide Box Office** | $355.4 Million | | **Domestic Video Sales** | $62.2 Million | | **Total Estimated Revenue** | **$430M – $450M+** (Box Office + Physical + TV) | **How it compared to its budget:** * **Theatrical Return:** Its worldwide gross was **2.22 times** its production budget. While this is a healthy return, it was significantly lower than *X-Men: The Last Stand* ($459M on a $210M budget) and *X-Men Origins: Wolverine* ($373M on a $150M budget). * **Profitability Status:** The film was **profitable**. It did not reach the "blockbuster" profit margins of later MCU films, but its strong critical reception and steady home media sales were vital in convincing Fox to move forward with the high-budget "crossover" sequel, *X-Men: Days of Future Past*, which eventually grossed nearly $750 million. (Note: This summary was generated by Gemini 3.0 Flash + Search)

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

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X-Men: First Class (2011) had a production budget of $160 million (approximately $140 million after tax breaks). The film earned $353,624,124 worldwide at the box office, consisting of $146,408,305 domestically and $207,215,819 internationally. This represents a theatrical multiplier of approximately 2.21x the production budget.

The opening weekend was $55.1 million domestic (the lowest X-Men opening since the original 2000 film), and it showed good legs with a 56.2% second-weekend drop.

Post-theatrical earnings are partially documented:

First-week home video sales (September 2011): Approximately $29.36 million ($10.01M DVD from 561,000 units + $19.35M Blu-ray from 825,000 units). Blu-ray represented 60% of physical sales, setting a record for first-run releases.
Television rights: FX Networks acquired TV rights in June 2011, though specific financial terms were not publicly disclosed.
Lifetime home video totals: Not available in public sources beyond first-week data.
International home video/VOD revenue: Not available in public sources.

Profitability assessment: The film was considered a modest commercial success and was profitable. While it underperformed compared to previous X-Men films (The Last Stand: $459M, Origins Wolverine: $373M), strong critical reception (86% Rotten Tomatoes) and solid home video performance convinced Fox to greenlight the successful sequel X-Men: Days of Future Past ($747M worldwide). The actual total revenue including all ancillary sources cannot be precisely calculated from public data.

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