Ten minutes shorter, bub? Final cut of X-Men Origins: Wolverine has same running time as bootleg.

Well, tickets for X-Men Origins: Wolverine are now on sale at most major theater chains (they had been on sale at the Arclight chain for awhile now). So, if you watched that bootleg a few weeks ago, and you're feeling guilty about it, now's the chance to appease your conscience. Free tip - the AMC theater chain does super cheap shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for any showing before noon. So, for $6.00 (in Los Angeles, likely cheaper elsewhere), you can purchase a ticket for Wolverine and wipe the slate clean.

Here's the funny part though. Remember when Tom Rothman swore up and down that the final version of the film would be ten minutes longer? Apparently that was a lie. The bootleg apparently ran 107 minutes with credits. The official running time listed in the AMC and Arclight websites lists the film as running... drum roll... 107 minutes. While Tom Rothman had no choice but to convince moviegoers that the free version would be vastly different from the completed picture, it'll be interesting to see the reaction should that not turn out to be the case. Because, at this point, it would seem to not be the case. Aside from unfinished effects work and several minutes of extra Ryan Reynolds Deadpool footage that apparently comprised the majority of the reshoots (due to an alleged scheduling conflict), it's becoming increasingly likely that the bootleg that went out three weeks ago was in fact a rough version of the final film. And, judging by comments that have been posted at my various outlets and elsewhere, that's may be a problem. Boy, it's a good thing that Fox now has a bullet-proof excuse should the film under perform next month.

Scott Mendelson