“Logan” sends the Wolverine off with a box office bang, as Thursday night and Friday showings push estimates for its opening weekend to $79 million.

With Hugh Jackman recovering from skin cancer (Did you see him on Colbert this week? Wear sunscreen, kids. Wear HATS.), that’s a huge endorsement of his inhabiting that character and the studio’s decision to let Logan age and show Professor X (Patrick Stewart) in his dotage. The dark approach worked.

“The Shack” is another film enjoying a healthy opening weekend. Faith-based (Octavia Spencer IS the Almighty!), starring a former Terminator (Sam Worthington), it’s headed to $16.5 million.

Then there’s “Before I Fall.” Lovestruck teens are missing out on this fine little “Groundhog Day in High School” starring Zoey Deutch. It’s only managing $4-5 million.

“Get Out” held a lot of audience from its first weekend, sitting at $26-27 million. It’s re-writing the rules for horror movies. Big box office, “satire” that doesn’t “Close on Saturday night,” as the wag once said.

Oscar winner “Moonlight” hits 1500 theaters and only does $2.2 million more this weekend.