'Watchmen' Conquers Box Office With $55.7M - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

comedyfreak · 03-08-2009, 05:21 PM

LOS ANGELES - " Watchmen " clocked in with $55.7 million in ticket sales to claim the top spot at the box office, making director Zack Snyder 's comic book adaptation about a team of twisted superheros the biggest opening of 2009 so far.

Still, it was not quite as big as the $70 million take of Snyder's "300" in 2007.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution for "Watchmen" studio Warner Bros ., said it was unfair to compare the two films.

"They're two different movies," Fellman said Sunday. "This is a movie that runs two hours and 45 minutes. That really only leaves the exhibitor with one showing a night. If you have an 8 o'clock show, the next show is at midnight. So with essentially one show a night, I think this is outstanding."

Fans of the subversive comic book series by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons waited years for Snyder's big-screen version. The anticipation was complicated last year when Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox fought over who owned rights to the $125 million film. The studios eventually settled in January, keeping the March 6 opening intact.

Many "Watchmen" enthusiasts raced to IMAX theaters to see the exploits of Dr. Manhattan and company on the bigger screens. Greg Foster , chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, said the movie sold out on all 124 IMAX screens it was playing on during the weekend and was the second largest opening in company history behind another superhero film, 2008's " The Dark Knight ."

With no other new releases to compete against, "Watchmen" easily bumped off " Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail ," which had held the top spot the two previous weekends. The Lionsgate comedy took in $8.8 million, good for second place, according to studio estimates Sunday. 20th Century Fox's "Taken," starring Liam Neeson , took the No. 3 position with $7.5 million.

For the year, movie attendance continues to soar, with revenue at $1.9 billion, up 16 percent through the same point in 2008. Even factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 14 percent higher than last year.

Disney's " Jonas Brothers : The 3D Concert Experience" dropped from No. 2 to No. 9 at the box office.

"There have been some casualties this year," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. "Not every film can be a hit — even during this box-office bonanza we're having right now. It dropped about 78 percent the second weekend. It's a young audience. The ones that wanted to see the Jonas Brothers came out last weekend."

Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.)
This Wk Last Wk Title Dist. Weekend Gross Cumulative
Gross Rlse
Wks # of
Theaters
1 - Watchmen Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $55,655,000 $55,655,000 1 3611
2 1 Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail Lionsgate $8,800,000 $76,505,000 3 2151
3 4 Taken 20th Century Fox Distribution $7,450,000 $118,049,000 6 3016
4 3 Slumdog Millionaire Fox Searchlight Pictures $6,925,000 $125,441,000 17 2890
5 6 Paul Blart: Mall Cop Sony Pictures Releasing $4,200,000 $133,643,000 8 2558
6 5 He's Just Not That Into You Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $4,020,000 $84,647,000 5 2445
7 7 Coraline Focus Features $3,313,000 $65,680,000 5 1959
8 9 Confessions of a Shopaholic Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $3,121,000 $38,356,000 4 2290
9 2 Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $2,785,000 $16,791,000 2 1276
10 10 Fired Up! Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Releasing $2,600,000 $13,360,000 3 1798
11 12 Gran Torino Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $2,100,000 $141,676,000 13 1520
12 13 The Reader The Weinstein Company $2,086,000 $30,021,000 13 1175

Jude The Obscure · 03-09-2009, 12:27 AM

Thanks as always posting these......it'll be interesting to see if other films cross the $100 million mark such as "He's Just Not..." and "Madea Goes to Jail", which has to be Tyler's most successful film to date at the box office, correct?

comedyfreak · 03-09-2009, 07:42 PM

That's right...They'll both probably cross the 100 million mark in the next two weeks or so. I'm glad to see that Gran Torino is still raking in the bucks, 141.6Million not bad for being snubbed at the Oscars.

Jude The Obscure · 03-11-2009, 05:52 PM

and yet, tyler perry wants to kill off Madea...LOL. We have yet to see "Madea's Class Reunion" and "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" translated to movies from the plays. Lionsgate must be thrilled to have a film distributed by them doing so well.

comedyfreak · 03-12-2009, 04:17 AM

They'll keep cranking them out, especially if Tyler Perry has new ideas for Madea.

JamesG · 03-13-2009, 03:46 PM

Watchmen Script Writer Calls For Fan Support
12 March 2009 2:36 AM, PDT

With several box-office analysts predicting that Watchmen will experience a steep revenue plunge at the box office this weekend, David Hayter, who adapted the original graphic novel for the screen, has issued a call to Watchmen fans to return to theaters.

"You have to understand, everyone is watching to see how the film will do in its second week," said Hayter in a letter posted on the HardcoreNerdity.com.

"If you're thinking of seeing it again anyway, please go back this weekend, Friday or Saturday night."

He implored fans to demonstrate their power, "because it'll help let the people who pay for these movies know what we'd like to see. Because if it drops off the radar after the first weekend, they will never allow a film like this to be made again."

-IMDB News

03-08-2009, 05:21 PM	#1
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	'Watchmen' Conquers Box Office With $55.7M LOS ANGELES - " Watchmen " clocked in with $55.7 million in ticket sales to claim the top spot at the box office, making director Zack Snyder 's comic book adaptation about a team of twisted superheros the biggest opening of 2009 so far. Still, it was not quite as big as the $70 million take of Snyder's "300" in 2007. Dan Fellman, head of distribution for "Watchmen" studio Warner Bros ., said it was unfair to compare the two films. "They're two different movies," Fellman said Sunday. "This is a movie that runs two hours and 45 minutes. That really only leaves the exhibitor with one showing a night. If you have an 8 o'clock show, the next show is at midnight. So with essentially one show a night, I think this is outstanding." Fans of the subversive comic book series by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons waited years for Snyder's big-screen version. The anticipation was complicated last year when Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox fought over who owned rights to the $125 million film. The studios eventually settled in January, keeping the March 6 opening intact. Many "Watchmen" enthusiasts raced to IMAX theaters to see the exploits of Dr. Manhattan and company on the bigger screens. Greg Foster , chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, said the movie sold out on all 124 IMAX screens it was playing on during the weekend and was the second largest opening in company history behind another superhero film, 2008's " The Dark Knight ." With no other new releases to compete against, "Watchmen" easily bumped off " Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail ," which had held the top spot the two previous weekends. The Lionsgate comedy took in $8.8 million, good for second place, according to studio estimates Sunday. 20th Century Fox's "Taken," starring Liam Neeson , took the No. 3 position with $7.5 million. For the year, movie attendance continues to soar, with revenue at $1.9 billion, up 16 percent through the same point in 2008. Even factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 14 percent higher than last year. Disney's " Jonas Brothers : The 3D Concert Experience" dropped from No. 2 to No. 9 at the box office. "There have been some casualties this year," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. "Not every film can be a hit — even during this box-office bonanza we're having right now. It dropped about 78 percent the second weekend. It's a young audience. The ones that wanted to see the Jonas Brothers came out last weekend." Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.) This Wk Last Wk Title Dist. Weekend Gross Cumulative Gross Rlse Wks # of Theaters 1 - Watchmen Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $55,655,000 $55,655,000 1 3611 2 1 Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail Lionsgate $8,800,000 $76,505,000 3 2151 3 4 Taken 20th Century Fox Distribution $7,450,000 $118,049,000 6 3016 4 3 Slumdog Millionaire Fox Searchlight Pictures $6,925,000 $125,441,000 17 2890 5 6 Paul Blart: Mall Cop Sony Pictures Releasing $4,200,000 $133,643,000 8 2558 6 5 He's Just Not That Into You Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $4,020,000 $84,647,000 5 2445 7 7 Coraline Focus Features $3,313,000 $65,680,000 5 1959 8 9 Confessions of a Shopaholic Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $3,121,000 $38,356,000 4 2290 9 2 Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience Buena Vista Pictures Distribution $2,785,000 $16,791,000 2 1276 10 10 Fired Up! Screen Gems, Sony Pictures Releasing $2,600,000 $13,360,000 3 1798 11 12 Gran Torino Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution $2,100,000 $141,676,000 13 1520 12 13 The Reader The Weinstein Company $2,086,000 $30,021,000 13 1175
	__________________ www.facebook.com/comedyfreak

03-09-2009, 12:27 AM	#2
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	Thanks as always posting these......it'll be interesting to see if other films cross the $100 million mark such as "He's Just Not..." and "Madea Goes to Jail", which has to be Tyler's most successful film to date at the box office, correct?

03-09-2009, 07:42 PM	#3
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	That's right...They'll both probably cross the 100 million mark in the next two weeks or so. I'm glad to see that Gran Torino is still raking in the bucks, 141.6Million not bad for being snubbed at the Oscars.

03-11-2009, 05:52 PM	#4
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,520	and yet, tyler perry wants to kill off Madea...LOL. We have yet to see "Madea's Class Reunion" and "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" translated to movies from the plays. Lionsgate must be thrilled to have a film distributed by them doing so well.

03-12-2009, 04:17 AM	#5
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	They'll keep cranking them out, especially if Tyler Perry has new ideas for Madea.

03-13-2009, 03:46 PM	#6
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,223	Watchmen Script Writer Calls For Fan Support 12 March 2009 2:36 AM, PDT With several box-office analysts predicting that Watchmen will experience a steep revenue plunge at the box office this weekend, David Hayter, who adapted the original graphic novel for the screen, has issued a call to Watchmen fans to return to theaters. "You have to understand, everyone is watching to see how the film will do in its second week," said Hayter in a letter posted on the HardcoreNerdity.com. "If you're thinking of seeing it again anyway, please go back this weekend, Friday or Saturday night." He implored fans to demonstrate their power, "because it'll help let the people who pay for these movies know what we'd like to see. Because if it drops off the radar after the first weekend, they will never allow a film like this to be made again." -IMDB News