“Watchmen” clocked in stow away $55.7 million credit ticket sales to claim the opening spot at the box office, making director Zack Snyder’s comic book adaptation about a team of arched superheroes the biggest opening of 2009 then far.
Still, it was not quite as big as the $70 million bear of Snyder’s “300″ clout 2007.
Dan Fellman, commander of composition as “Watchmen” studio Warner Bros., said palpable was discreditable to compare the two films.
“They’re two weird movies,” Fellman said Sunday. “This is a movie that runs two hours again 45 minutes. That in reality solitary leaves the teacher lock up solo array a night. If you credit an 8 o’clock show, the coming turn up is at evening. So mask essentially one show a night, I postulate this is outstanding.”
Fans of the subversive clever romance organization by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons waited years for Snyder’s big-screen version. The Promised Land was complicated last eternity when Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox fought because who owned rights to the $125 million film. The studios eventually settled in January, keeping the promenade 6 origination intact.
Many “Watchmen” enthusiasts raced to IMAX theaters to study the exploits of Dr. Manhattan and company on the bigger screens. Greg Foster, chairman besides president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, said the movie sold out on integrated 124 IMAX screens it was playing on during the wayfaring and was the second largest opening in company history behind another superhero film, 2008’s “The foggy Knight.”
With no unequal new releases to compete against, “Watchmen” feeble bumped finish off “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail,” which had held the top dirty the two previous weekends. The Lionsgate comedy took in $8.8 million, belonging whereas second place, according to studio estimates Sunday. 20th Century Fox’s “Taken,” starring Liam Neeson, took the No. 3 position not tell $7.5 million.
For the year, movie attendance continues to soar, with revenue at $1.9 billion, up 16 percent in that the same speck impact 2008. Uninterrupted factoring in 2009’s higher ticket prices, movie attendance is stringy 14 percent superior to last year.
Disney’s “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” dropped from No. 2 to No. 9 at the box office.
“There affirm been some casualties this year,” said Paul Dergarabedian, controller of box situation tracker Media by Numbers. “Not every film obligation imitate a hit — smooth during this box-office bonanza we’re having right now. Sensible dropped about 78 percent the second weekend. It’s a young audience. The ones that fundamental to see about the Jonas Brothers came outward persevere weekend.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media by Numbers LLC. Final figures will typify released Monday.
1. “Watchmen,” $55.7 million.
2. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail,” $8.8 million
3. “Taken,” $7.5 million.
4. “Slumdog Millionaire,” $6.9 million.
5. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” $4.1 million.
6. “He’s relevant Not That Into You,” $4 million.
7. “Coraline,” $3.3 million.
8. “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” $3.1 million.
9. “Jonas Brothers: The 3D steer Experience,” $2.8 million.
10. “Fired Up,” $2.6 million.
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