LOS ANGELES, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Hollywood's lucrative summer season opened this weekend in a happy mood as the latest "X-Men" film debuted in North America as the widest release in the franchise's history.

    "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," released by 20th Century Fox and starring Hugh Jackman, took in 35 million U.S. dollars on Friday, easily out-earning Warner Bros. comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," according to preliminary figures out on Saturday.

    The latest installment in the Marvel Comics-based franchise opened on 4,099 screens in the Untied States and Canada, did better than some other "X-Men" films, but not as well as others.

    The franchise's last film "X-Men: The Last Stand," released in May 2006 over Memorial Day weekend, brought in 45.1 million dollars on its first day of opening, according to box office tracking firm Media By Numbers.

    "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," starring Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner, took in 5.8 million dollars Friday. It opened on 3,175 screens.

    More figures about top-grossing films over the weekend are expected Sunday, with final weekend figures to be released Monday.