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Will ‘Pompeii’ erupt at the box office this weekend, even if we all know how it ends?

Does knowing how a movie will end affect how well it performs at the box office? That’s a question that probably crossed the minds of the producers of “Pompeii,” the upcoming sword-and-sandals action adventure set against the volcanic destruction of the titular Roman city.

Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson (“Event Horizon,” the “Resident Evil” series), “Pompeii” stars Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”) and Emily Browning (“Sucker Punch”) as a pair of star-crossed lovers (a gladiator and wealthy merchant’s daughter, respectively) battling to escape the doomed city.

We all know how this movie ends, right? (Even so, just in case: SPOILER ALERT.)

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of history knows that the real city of Pompeii was destroyed and buried under ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., killing most of the inhabitants. Whether Harington’s Milo and Browning’s Cassia survive unscathed (we doubt it) is still unclear, but the central thrust of the entire movie is that the legendary volcano goes boom. Will that knowledge of the ending keep moviegoers away?

Not likely. Movies set against tragic and catastrophic backdrops are not a new phenomenon. Did knowing that the famed ocean liner sinks at the end of “Titanic” prevent that film from winning the Best Picture Oscar or becoming one of the highest grossing movies of all-time? Nope. Did knowing how the bloody tales of “Romeo + Juliet” and “Bonnie & Clyde” came to an end keep moviegoers away? Nope. Did familiarity with the real-life events depicted in movies like “United 93,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” and “Lone Survivor” prevent those films from becoming box office hits? Not a chance.

So the volcano erupts, so what? The real appeal of “Pompeii” is getting to see good looking people like Browning and Harington fleeing from all that fiery destruction. And if their characters don’t survive, at least audiences had an enjoyable 90 minutes with them, right?

“Pompeii” will be the first real test of “Game of Thrones” star Kit Harington’s box office potential. With its fourth season about to kick off, the HBO fantasy series is at the height of its popularity, and Harington’s character Jon Snow is a favourite of “Thrones” fans. Whether that fandom will translate into concrete box office numbers will be revealed this weekend.

If anything keeps those audiences away from “Pompeii," it will be director Anderson’s critically abhorred previous work, like the "Aliens vs. Predator" and "Resident Evil" franchises. That said, despite consistently terrible reviews, Anderson's movies somehow still manage to become hits. Those who know the filmmakers work know precisely what to expect, and probably aren't looking for much else from "Pompeii."

"Pompeii" blasts into theatres on February 21.