"X-Men: Apocalypse" has already earned a significant sum overseas, and it's off to a good start domestically as it readies to take on the North American box office this weekend.



"Apocalypse" pulled in an impressive $8.2 million in Thursday preview receipts, besting its predecessor, "X-Men: Days of Future Past," in a squeaker: The latter film earned $8.1 million at the Thursday box office when it debuted in 2014. "Days of Future Past" went on to make $110.6 million during its Memorial Day weekend debut; "Apocalypse" is currently tracking at around $100 million, though studio Fox has tempered expectations by setting its earning estimate at $80 million.



Unfortunately for "Apocalypse," it's fighting an uphill battle against a rash of bad reviews, which also plagued fellow superhero team-up flick "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" earlier this year. "Apocalypse" currently sits at 47 percent on Rotten Tomatoes's Tomatometer, a steep drop from "Days of Future Past"'s 91 percent.



And the superhero flick is also facing a showdown with Disney at the box office, with "Alice in Wonderland" sequel "Alice Through the Looking Glass" also opening this holiday weekend. That flick may wind up with bigger numbers overseas, though, considering star Johnny Depp's enormous power at the international box office. Only time will tell whether American filmgoers will prefer mutants or Mad Hatters this holiday weekend.