Exactly. The fact that it opened on more screens probably helped to boost its box office close to 300 levels. I think it will do well enough in it's theatrical run but I beat dvd sales for the director's cut boost it comfortably into profitability.
In a way I'm glad it didn't too well because the suits would try to turn it into a *gasp* franchise. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "ravenadal" <ravena...@...> wrote: > > It often pains me to live in an innumerate world where journalists can't do > simple math. "Watchmen" may well tank but while the action friendly "300" > clocked in at just under two hours, "Watchmen" is almost three hours long > which means - for those of you counting at home, that you lose one to two > showings per day. A three hour running length is a tremendous burden for any > movie to shoulder and I'd be hard pressed to name many blockbusters that have > have similar running lengths. > > ~rave! > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "Tracey de Morsella" <tdlists@> wrote: > > > > > > Watchmen's First <http://io9.com/5166061/watchmens-first-day-disappoints> > > Day... Disappoints > > > > > > By Graeme McMillan <http://io9.com/people/GraemeMcMillan/posts/> , 9:00 AM > > <http://io9.com/5166061/watchmens-first-day-disappoints> on Sat Mar 7 2009, > > 15,320 views > > > > Well, this wasn't what we expected. According to initial estimations, > > Watchmen <http://io9.com/tag/watchmen/> made less money in its first day > > than Zack Snyder's 300, despite playing in more theaters. Has the backlash > > happened early? > > > > According to Exhibitor Relations, Watchmen <http://io9.com/tag/watchmen/> > > made $25.1 million yesterday, including the $4.6 > > <http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118000912.html?categoryid=13&cs=1> > > million from the Thursday night screenings, from 3,611 theaters; 300's first > > day gross was $28.1 million from 3,103 theaters. The box office tracking > > site now projects an opening weekend gross for Snyder's latest movie of > > around $60 million, which is below 300's $70.8 million... as well as, > > worryingly for Warners, Ice Age 2, the movie to hold the March opening > > weekend record prior to the swords and Spartans flick. Deadline Hollywood's > > Nikki Finke agrees > > <http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/wkd-prediction-watchmen-could-do-70m/ > > > , saying that "[i]t's now certain that $70M, even if Thursday's 1,600 > > midnight shows are included in the total, is impossible," and quoting an > > unnamed marketing guru warning that things could get worse: > > > > They will get a lot of initial interest because it's an event movie in March > > - and then the bottom falls out. Whether Warner Bros can broaden the > > campaign to sustain interest in Watchmen is what movie analysts will be > > watching after this Sunday. > > > > While there's no doubting that Watchmen's opening weekend will be huge - at > > $60 million, it'll still be the third largest March opening ever - it's far > > below what now look, in hindsight, like unrealistic expectations; even > > yesterday, after all, we were being told that advance tickets were > > <http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_16458.html> outselling 300 and that > > that > > <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aiiSmRwjr8lQ&refer=muse > > > a $70 million weekend was the target (although /Film > > <http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/03/04/box-office-tracking-alan-moores-curse-w > > ont-keep-watchmen-from-topping-60m/> pretty much hit the target with their > > estimate of $63 million in the first weekend). Now, because of such > > excitement - and because 300 was being set up as the movie to compare this > > to, Watchmen's big weekend looks somewhat less impressive. But who knows? > > Maybe word of mouth will boost the movie's Saturday and Sunday. > > > > > > <http://www.ercboxoffice.com/index.php?page=news&news_id=121&PHPSESSID=f9bb3 > > fea78af4c9d99ede9046ff4a9a8> "Watchmen" Scores $25.1 Mil Friday [Exhibitor > > Relations] > > >
