'Watchmen' Tops in the Box Office this Weekend

'Watchmen' takes box office lead
[via EW.com]

After all the anticipation and hubbub, the weekend is coming to an end and the box office results are here: "Watchmen" (No. 1) grossed $55.7 million during its first frame, according to early estimates from Media by Numbers.

That's a solid sum, to be sure, although it's certainly on the low end of most projections. "Watchmen" premiered in more theaters (3,611) than any other R-rated movie in history, and it averaged an impressive $15,413 per venue, despite a potentially problematic long running time.

It also scored the biggest debut of 2009 so far. Nonetheless, the movie's $55.7 million take (including $5.5 million from 124 IMAX screens) is substantially smaller than the $70.9 million that 300, the last R-rated graphic-novel movie from director Zack Snyder, earned on its opening weekend two years ago.

And aside from that theater-count statistic (which almost any film could break at any time, really), there will be no major records to report on this weekend (for example, "Watchmen's" debut was just the fifth-best opening ever for an R-rated movie).

I'd argue, in fact, that this opening is a bit soft, considering the great expectations that came with Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore's landmark comic book -- not to mention "Watchmen's" hefty grosses from screenings at midnight on Friday and throughout its first day. After attracting some major initial interest, banking $25.1 million on Friday, the film's audience dropped off dramatically during the weekend: It grossed $19 million on Saturday and is expected to bring in just $11.5 million on Sunday.

These are all big numbers, don't get me wrong, but, when combined with the fact that the film got a lukewarm CinemaScore grade of B from an audience that was largely comprised of older men, it all points to a rapid downward trend that may be difficult to reverse in the weeks to come.

First 5 Minutes of Watchmen

2009 Movie Guide: Where the Wild Films Are

Will 2009 be the year that 3-D movies finally come of age and captivate audiences? Will old-school characters like Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes bury comic book characters at the cineplex, or will sci-fi and superheroes continue to slap the box office upside the head?

And who the heck is Sam Worthington? (Hint: He stars in two of the year's most-anticipated movies.)

Wired.com's 2009 Movie Guide takes a look at 13 intriguing flicks due out next year, including J.J. Abrams' younger, faster Star Trek (pictured above, lower left); James Cameron's long-awaited 3-D epic Avatar; Hugh Jackman's return as the title character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (above, upper right); the first Arnold-free Terminator film; Wolfman as re-fanged by Benicio Del Toro; Kate Beckinsale-in-a-parka Antarctic crime flick Whiteout; and Spike Jonez's reworking of Where the Wild Things Are (above, lower right).

As always, release dates may change, especially in the case of Watchmen (pictured above, upper left), Warner Bros.' highly anticipated superhero movie that must clear a huge legal hurdle to make its slated March 6 screen date. The potentially fascinating movies listed below appear in chronological order according to their currently scheduled release dates.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

New Watchmen Trailer

There's a new Watchmen trailer that just hit the internet last night and since you are already on the page and reading this I would suggest you watch the trailer below. Here's a little about Watchmen.

Watchmen is an upcoming 2009 American film that adapts Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' 1986 comic book limited series Watchmen. Directed by Zack Snyder, the film adaptation stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Stephen McHattie and Carla Gugino. Set in an alternate 1985, the film follows a group of former vigilantes as war begins to break out between the United States and the Soviet Union. The film began shooting in Vancouver in September 2007 for release on March 6, 2009. Like his previous film 300, Snyder closely modeled his storyboards on the comic, but unlike 300, he chose not to shoot all of Watchmen using chroma key and opted for more sets. [Wikipedia]