X-Men: The Last Stand is a
2006 superhero film and the third in the
X-Men series. It is directed by
Brett Ratner, who took over when
Bryan Singer dropped out to direct
Superman Returns. The movie revolves around a "mutant cure" that causes serious repercussions among
mutants and humans, and on the mysterious resurrection of
Jean Grey, who appeared to have died in
X2. The film is loosely based on two
X-Men comic book story arcs: writer
Chris Claremont's and artist
John Byrne's "
Dark Phoenix Saga" in
The Uncanny X-Men and writer
Joss Whedon's and artist
John Cassaday's six-issue "Gifted" arc in
Astonishing X-Men.
The film was released May 26, 2006 in the United States and Canada. Despite mixed reviews from critics and fans, the film did well at the
box office. Its opening-day gross of $45.5 million is the fourth-highest on record while its opening weekend gross of $103 million is the fifth highest ever.