chris_sc77

So It looks like Watchmen is going to be tumbling over 70% this weekend. Terrible news I must say. I would like to think this wont affect things for future risky endeavors such as this (not to mention running times and ratings for future films including T4) but I am kinda worried.
SO now the hard reality is that Watchmen wont even make the money that Paul Blartt and Taken have made his year. I wonder if Watchmen will even make back its HUGE marketing budget back with the US grosses.



http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/03/13/...o-25m-opening/
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article...res-65-million
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/sm...3/estimates-8/
EXCLUSIVE STEVE MASON EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW – Race to Witch Mountain (Disney) - $6.5M, $2,040 PTA, $6.5M cume
2. NEW – The Last House on the Left (Universal) - $5.3M, $2,207 PTA, $5.3M cume
3. Watchmen (Warner Bros) - $5.2M, $1,440 PTA, $73.13M cume
4. Taken (Fox) - $1.9M, $665 PTA, $122.08M cume
5. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail (Lionsgate) - $1.45M, $658 PTA, $79.52M cume
6. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) - $1.35M, $524 PTA, $128.95M cume
7. NEW – Miss March (Fox Searchlight) - $750,000, $431 PTA, $750,000 cume
8. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) - $700,000, $307 PTA, $135.36M cume
9. He’s Just Not That Into You (Warner Bros) - $650,000, $344 PTA, $86.74M cume
10. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Disney) - $600,000, $377 PTA, $39.95M cume

EXCLUSIVE STEVE MASON EARLY 3-DAY ESTIMATES
1. NEW – Race to Witch Mountain (Disney) - $25M, $7,844 PTA, $25M cume
2. Watchmen (Warner Bros) - $15.75M, $4,362 PTA, $83.68M cume
3. NEW – The Last House on the Left (Universal) - $14M, $5,831 PTA, $14M cume
4. Taken (Fox) - $6.1M, $2,134 PTA, $126.28M cume
5. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail (Lionsgate) - $5M, $2,271 PTA, $83.08M cume
6. Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) - $4.65M, $1,807 PTA, $132.25M cume
7. Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony) - $2.59M, $1,135 PTA, $137.25M cume
8. He’s Just Not That Into You (Warner Bros) - $2.08M, $1,101 PTA, $88.17M cume
9. Coraline (Focus) - $2.07M, $1,174 PTA, $68.59M cume
10. NEW – Miss March (Fox Searchlight) - $2M, $1,148 PTA, $2M cume

Deftones

while it's a pretty significant drop, it's not like it's getting creamed by the #1 and #2 movies.

calhoun07

Not surprising the family oriented Disney flick is making more money. But I think it's sad that Watchmen will probably only be mainly fanboy based movie. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for all the money thrown at this project it seems to me the studio was hoping for something that would play to more than just the ComicCon crowd. Now it makes me think that studios will be less likely to tackle some lesser known comic book movies in the future.

And I suppose Watchmen is the better known of the lesser knowns, so that really puts it unlikely that we will see a high profile project like this for lesser known comic properties for some time to come.

I was thinking of seeing Watchmen again tomorrow...looks like I don't have to worry about the crowds tomorrow!

fumanstan

I don't think it will necessarily affect the production of other comic movies; just ones proposed at this kind of scale, including the length and rating. We've had plenty of lesser known properties already made like V for Vendetta or 300.

maingon

I dont think its a suprise. I think if you are not familiar with the graphic novel you wont like the movie as much as people who are familiar with it. I havent yet read the novel and I was somewhat lost and ended up not liking the movie that much. It wasnt a bad movie, I couldnt get into it. I dont think this movie would play as well to people who never heard of the graphic novel.

Ronnie Dobbs

Interesting because I don't think I've seen a commercial for Last House on the Left but I've seen tons of commercials for Miss March.

calhoun07

Well, V for Vendetta and 300 certainly weren't marketed like your average superhero comic book movie.

At the very least, your point about movies of this scale/rating will suffer is spot on. It saddens me that an R rated adult oriented superhero movie can't be more successful. That's not to say a movie HAS to be rated R to be good...TDK was Pg-13 and great and wildly successful...but I still find it a bit sad.

islandclaws

Nice use of alliteration.

The Watchmen tumble was expected but it still sucks. I can't believe that Paul Blart is going to have a higher take than this film. Good thing it wasn't designed to be a franchise.

Last House seems to be doing quite well, especially considering how bad it is.

LickTheABCs

^ that's never stopped a movie from being successful before.

Ronnie Dobbs

Watchmen will become a cult hit DVD like Fight Club.

Speaking of which I read somewhere that Joe Dirt is/was the number one selling DVD in Wal-Mart chains. Seems fitting.

NoirFan

Full-screen edition of course.

OldBoy

especially these made on a dime gritty/realistic horror gems

Lastyear

Guess it depends on what station you watch but I've seen tons of commercials for both.
And as for Watchman not making as much as Paul Blart-not gonna happen. Watchman will earn overseas wheras Paul Blart will not do well outside the US.

Ranger

I thought Paramount and Fox would get all the overseas money for Watchmen?

fumanstan

I've seen plenty of commercials for both Last House and Miss March.

TheMovieman

Not much of a consolation, lol. PB will make around $155-170m WW while Watchmen will get just over $200m. Overseas, PB has only opened in 2 markets thus far (Aruba and Curacao) while WM I believe is in every major market except Japan and it's not expected to do that well there...

RyoHazuki

Watchmen is gonna do gangbusters on dvd/blu not to mention that Black Freighter movie. It's hardly a flop. The only reason there is woe is because the two studios have to share.

rexinnih

Looks to be a huge drop for Watchmen but I'm sure DVD/BD sales will be up there.

stingermck

"Blaming the film's inability to crossover to non-comic book fans, ercboxoffice.com specifically sites the "buzz" over Dr. Manhattan's "glowing phallus" as indicative of how it's being received among the general populace."

Daytripper

Yeah, this will sell a lot on DVD. Especially BD. Still, I thought this film would have grossed in the neighborhood of 175-200M at the box-office.

Panda Phil

Maybe if there'd written in a talking dog. People seem to love those.

Ah well, at least I'm not as upset about this as I was when 'The Golden Compass' failed. Not like there was going to be a sequel.

I just hope they give us a nice fully-packed dvd release.

Rockmjd23

It's a hell of a lot better than I expected it to be.

Jason

Not a fan of Paul Blart type movies at all, but I can easily see how it would have a bigger take than a 2 and a half hour movie made almost exclusively for hardcore scifi/comic book geeks.

Ronnie Dobbs

Horror movies nowadays don't have much B.O. stamina. I expect Last House to drop next week to 7th at least with Knowing and I Love You Man coming out.

Its Friday the 13th weekend again Paramount should've tried to promote its Friday movie again.

RocShemp

I adore the comic book and I didn't really care for the movie. Even a friend of mine who became obsessed with the comic ever since I lent it to him a few years ago didn't really like the movie. So I don't think being a fan of the book is an issue. The movie for all its pomp and grandeur is actually rather bland.