Hollywood is cautiously monitoring the outbreak of swine flu for any signs it may impact box office earnings. The widespread influenza has altered the course of Hugh Jackman’s comic book caper X-Men Origins: Wolverine, with the movie’s release in Mexico postponed at least two weeks in the wake of outbreaks that have taken up to 149 lives in the country. Over the last few days dozens of theatres in Mexico City have temporarily closed following reports of contamination.

“Theatres are closed and that’s why we can’t open the film. It’s that simple,” says Tomas Jegeus, Twentieth Century Fox’s co-president of international distribution.

Concern about movie revenue may seem petty in lieu of the swine flu’s trail of devastation, but hardly surprising given Hollywood productions are business ventures with potentially hundreds of millions of dollars at stake.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens around the world on May 1. Australians can see it a little earlier, from tomorrow (April 29).