Watchmen on top with $55.7 million
VARIETY BOX-OFFICE REPORT: Zack Snyder's superhero pic wins box office
By Pamela McClintock of Variety -- Video Business, 3/9/2009
MARCH 9 | VARIETY BOX-OFFICE REPORT: Warner Bros.' edgy superhero pic Watchmen grossed an estimated $55.7 million from 3,611 theaters in its domestic B.O. debut, coming in lower than expected but still scoring the best opening of the year and one of the best showings ever for an R-rated film.Watchmen placed No. 1 in North America as well as tops overseas, where it was the first major day-and-date release of 2009. Film grossed an estimated $27.5 million from 5,097 theaters internationally for a worldwide total of $83.2 million. Paramount is distributing abroad.
Warners had hoped Watchmen would match, or even best, the $70.9 million domestic opening of Zack Snyder's previous film, 300, which bowed on the same weekend in 2007. Overseas the Watchmen debut also failed to match the 300 opening numbers.
Read the full story on Variety.com.
