Friday’s box office estimates are in, and Watchmen walked away with a hefty $25.1 million gross on its first full day of release, according to Media by Numbers. That sum is pretty much in line with expectations, and it portends an opening-weekend haul exceeding $60 mil.
Director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s landmark comic kicked off its freshman frame with a $4.6 mil take from screenings that started on Friday at midnight; that initial figure is included in the full day’s $25.1 mil total. By comparison, on its opening weekend, Snyder’s previous R-rated graphic-novel adaptation, 300, earned $2.5 mil in Friday midnight shows, but it banked an even more impressive $28.1 mil on its first full day, en route to a $70.9 mil debut.
Friday’s box office rankings, including the other top contenders at the multiplex, are below, and please check back here on Sunday for a full weekend recap in the Box Office Report.
1. Watchmen — $25.1 mil
2. Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail — $2.6 mil
3. Taken — $2.3 mil
4. Slumdog Millionaire — $2 mil
5. He’s Just Not That Into You — $1.4 mil
More Box Office News:
‘Watchmen’ grosses $4.6 mil at midnight shows
Box Office Preview: ‘Watchmen’ will be No. 1, but how much will it make?
‘Madea’ tops ‘Jonas Brothers’ for a second box office win
‘Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail’ wins big at the box office
‘Friday the 13th’ slashes records
EW.com’s Box Office Chart
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That was one awesome movie.
First….I am lame
Watchmen was awesome. I’m definitely going to see it again.
Watchmen was visually amazing! Snyder really deserves credit for trying to bring a movie as close as you can to the comic! Rorchach was THE MAN!! Nite owl and the comedian really put on a show! I’ve seen this flick twice already and plan to see it a third time when I am finished rereading the graphic novel! with Dawn of the Dead,300 and now Watchmen Snyder has earned my money and loyalty just like Tarantino,Rodriquez,Scorsese and Lucas have! I will watch whatever this dude does! MUCH RESPECT!
I loved Watchmen and am glad it’s doing well…but it is going to sink like a stone. If you haven’t read the source material, it’s pretty tedious and word of mouth will be horrendous.
This movie was visually stunning. I loved it! The characters were wonderfully intense and well-developed. I haven’t read the novel, but now would like to. Lots of great themes to talk about for hours.
I’ve never read the graphic novel – hadn’t even heard of Watchmen till this movie came out. Will I be able to follow it if I go see it?
(Go see Taken if you have any money left – great movie!)
Shelly- I took some girls with me who never picked up the graphic novel and they understood everything perfectly fine. Go see it!
Run..not walk to go see the Watchmen…it’s a fantastic film..Zack has really done an incredible job bringing the characters to life..especially Rorshach and Dr. Manhattan.
is watchmen the next generation of x-men, or justice league?
I will say it yet again Watchmen will dominate!
It’s a really good flick, Zack Snyder deserves a lot of props for filming the so-called “unfilmable” graphic novel. I just can’t wait to see the director’s cut on Blu-Ray!
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I’m thrilled that Watchmen is doing so well. If you haven’t read the book, you should still be able to understand it. Reading helps, though. I’m glad I read the book before seeing the film. Main thing is, DO NOT go expecting to see X-Men, Spider-Man or even Batman. It’s a completely different type of story and I can see where it’d be jarring if you went expecting to see a “comic book” movie.
Matthew, you’re an idiot. Watchmen isn’t tedious in any way unless you’re without intelligence.
I never read the comic, but I thought the movie was absolutely terrible. I was with 3 of my friends and each one of us was bored out of our minds. I love comic book movies, but this just didn’t work. I’m happy for people who enjoyed it, but I want the 3 hours of my life back.
Well I never read the books/ comics/ whatever you call them. But I will see the movie. Just not this first weekend. Let all the crazy fanatics go first.
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Up to a few months ago I never heard of The Watchmen. I asked someone about this movie and he told me what it was about so I read the book never reading a graphic novel before. It was ok. I thought the ending was sort of a downer and I debated seeing the movie. I saw the movie after hearing how Kevin Smith loved it. It had it’s moments and followed the book fairly well. If the director totally changed the movie he would of lost the die hard fans of the book so he made an almost page by page, scene by scene version of the book. By doing this he has allowed fans of the book to say “Screw you guys who don’t like the movie and feel everything has to be The Dark Knight. This movie isn’t The Dark Knight, this is my version of what super heroes I like and if you can’t accept it get a life.”
Am I a fan of the book. Not really. However I can understand why a group of people like this movie. Everyone will have their reasons to like or hate the movie. You sometimes can’t please everyone.
People who go to this expecting a “comic book film” are going to leave confused. It is a complex, layered adult story, and the fact that there are costumed heroes involved is a device more than a defining force.
This film is for the open-minded, the intelligent, and those who can think outside the box. If you are a cut and dry person who needs everything explained to the letter in order to understand, you are not going to like this. If you need catch-phrases and stock characters, this is going to go over your head. This film, the performances, the characters and the story are so layered and complex, anyone who says they were “bored” by this just doesn’t have the capacity to observe intricacies or actually THINK their way through a film.
Basically, if you are up to being challenged by a film, see this. If not, stay home.
(IMO) This movie was a terrible waste of money and time. The fan boys like XSE Drake are raving about it trying to come up with clever ways to describe a dull, lackluster film. “complex, layered, adult story” Are you kidding me? Maybe compared to whatever might have opened with it that weekend. Adult story is acutally about the only thing you got right. Children definitely wouldn’t be able to get passed the sex or the dr’s private on display.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but don’t over hype a movie that’s sorely lacking. Go see the movie if you want, but don’t do it based on the trailers or the cult like fan base.
I now truley understand the impact of violation now that I have seen Watchmen. However, that is not to say it was a terrible movie, but it was lame and lifeless. To me the movie was not adequate enough to allow depth of the subjects to sink in. The directing was cold and sterile and seemed like Snyder just took pages from the book and put it on screen..if that was the plan then well done. I was very much aware I was watching a movie. The emotional depthness that is beautifully written in the book was lost with over the top action sequences, charecters looking like they did in the comic, and good ole’cg. The movie was true to the comic’s frames in fact, I give it an A+ for that but what it was missing for me was the emotional complexity of the charecters. Everyone’s emotions seemed like Dr.Manhatten’s. Now that is just sad. However, this is my opinion I will wash the feeling of guilt and shame from my body and just read the book like I did before with a hot cup of tea like alan moore.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you haven’t read the graphic novel, you probably won’t understand or enjoy the movie much.
If you have, it’s an extremely well put together movie that has good action and direction. The film stayed more true to the graphic novel than any other movie I’ve ever seen. The most notable change of the film occurs at the end, and even then, I think it was an improvement on the novel. Kudos to Snyder for staying true to the series.
I loved Watchmen and Malin Akerman is a good reason to watch it. She is so hot: http://www.actressscene.com/search/label/Malin%20Akerman
I loved Watchmen and Malin Akerman is a good reason to watch it. She is so hot: http://www.actressscene.com/search/label/Malin%20Akerman
one of the best movies i’ve seen in a long time! i haven’t read the book cause i don’t like to read, so i was expecting it to be soft like batman and spiderman but i was delightfully wrong! LOL! it was gruesome, raunchy (god she’s hot!) and bluntly “natural” with clear view of the dr’s blue privates. the only thing remotely cheesy in this movie were the costumes (naturally) but i think that was partly the point. the maker/director guy gets another 5 out of 5 from me and i rarely give those out! but of course it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, for example, i’ve been waiting a long time for deep “meaning of life” stuff to come from a movie in this genre (or any movie actually) but many people don’t like to think too much in movies. having said that, there’s more aspects to this movie than just “deep” stuff that most people can enjoy
went to movie. payed for good popcorn, received burnt popcorn. took cashier’s teeth.
Movie fail to entice millions to go see it? Tall order. Fat chance.
I cannot imagine anyone would say this movie was horrible. It was great. It felt like the movie was 45 minutes long instead of over 2 hours….Well worth the price of admission
I liked the film. I don’t exactly think it’s the best film in a long time, but it was good. My main gripe comes from reading the graphic novel. It was a carbon copy. Pretty much every line, every scene. I just wish they would’ve tried to make the film at least a little independent from the book, because a few things didn’t translate well to the screen, and the GN is one of my favorite books, so I’m not trashing the graphic novel here, just expresing some of my problems with the film, which by the way, I thought was good (for all those fans who want to attack me for having one problem with the flim).
HOrrible movie didn’t even stay to finish a real snoozer