Watchmen debuted in first place over the March 6 weekend, taking in an estimated $55.7 million on approximately 7,500 screens at 3,611 theaters, BoxOfficeMojo reported.
Watchmen's opening was the biggest opening of 2009 so far, but fell a bit short of expectations and paled in comparison to Snyder's last film, 300, which set the March opening record, with $70.9 million on around 4,800 screens at 3,103 sites (which included $3.6 million at 62 IMAX venues).
But the $150 million adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel notched the 12th highest-grossing opening weekend for a comic-book movie, behind Fantastic Four (though drops to 20th when ticket-price inflation is factored).
Opening in the most number of theaters ever of any R-rated movie, Watchmen also had the sixth-highest debut for an R-rated movie, behind The Matrix Reloaded, The Passion of the Christ, 300, Hannibal and Sex and the City.
Watchmen was the sole new nationwide release of the weekend, so grosses were mostly business as usual beneath it. The bottom fell out for Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, which dropped 71 percent to an estimated $1.4 million, for a total after 10 days of just $7.1 million.
Saturday Morning WATCHMEN!?!?!
The following, I don't believe is part of the Viral campaign - though it may be. Whatever it is - it is the most nightmarishly hilarious critique of bad Saturday Morning adaptations of comic properties that I've seen. What do you guys think? Would you Watch These Watchmen?
Laika, Inc. chairman Knight names son as president
Travis Knight has been named president and CEO of Portland, Oregon-based animation studio Laika, Inc., his father, studio owner and chairman of the board Phil Knight, announced Thursday.
He succeeds Dale Wahl, who has held the position since 2005. His father is also chairman of the board and co-founder of Nike, Inc.
The new president, who sits on the Laika board and has been head of animation since 2007, was one of the lead animators on Coraline, the studio's first feature film.
Laika also appointed Coraline producer Claire Jennings, an award-winning independent animation executive and producer of Oscar-winning shorts and feature films, including Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, to the newly created position of president for entertainment.
"Travis' passion has always been the arts in general and filmmaking in particular,"said Phil Knight. "He was Coraline's earliest champion, playing a key role in our decision to greenlight the project and his creative contribution as lead animator on the film was immense.
"His ambitious business vision for Laika grows out of a first-hand understanding of, and reverence for, the creative process. Enhanced by Claire Jennings' extraordinary depth of career experience as an award-winning producer and as a development and production executive of the highest order, I'm confident that our new leadership team will continue to move Laika to the forefront of the animation industry.
"Dale Wahl steps down as CEO at his request," Knight continued."After four years and at age 65, he felt, in his words, it was time to smell one rose. Dale moves into the position of vice-chairman to help Travis and Claire transition into their new positions until his retirement from Laika at the end of this October.
"In addition, he will temporarily fill the role of executive vice-president of business operations and CFO until we complete our search to fill that position. With his steady leadership and business acumen, Dale has presided over our nascent feature film operation as well as our thriving commercial division, led by Laika/house president Lourri Hammack. The success of both areas of the company under his leadership has gotten us off to a great start."
"At our core, Laika is an audacious, scrappy, and inventive community of filmmakers, driven by our love of animation, a belief in its endless possibilities, and confidence in its promise to touch the world," Travis Knight said. "Laika's potential is limitless. In both the entertainment and commercial arenas, we will continue to develop our visual and storytelling expertise across all animation formats. Simply put, we hope to grow into the boldest, most innovative animation studio in the world."
Travis Knight has been involved in all business and creative decision-making at Laika since the company's inception in 2003, when his father took over the failing Vinton Studios, Portland's renowned animation studio with a distinguished 30-year history, and rechristened it Laika. Travis Knight joined Vinton Studios in 1998 as a stop-motion animator, working on the Emmy-winning TV series The PJs, produced with Eddie Murphy Productions and Imagine Entertainment, as well as the animated series Gary & Mike on UPN.
He earned his CG animation stripes by animating numerous TV commercials (McDonald's, Hostess, M&Ms) and promo spots, including the "NFL on Fox" campaign. In June 2007, he was honored by Animation Magazine as one of the "Rising Stars of Animation." He has served on Laika's board of directors since 2003.
Jennings was named "Producer of the Year for Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures," along with Nick Park, by the Producers Guild of America for the Oscar and BAFTA Award-winning feature film Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). The award joined a long list of honors garnered throughout a career as an independent and studio producer, development and production executive, and project originator. In addition to Wallace and Gromit, which earned more than $250 million worldwide, she has produced multiple award-winning animated shorts and TV series, including the Oscar and BAFTA Award-winning animated short Father and Daughter, the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning animated short The Canterbury Tales, and the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated short film Jolly Roger.
She also developed and produced the BBC animated television series The Big Knights alongside its two directors, produced the BBC series Stressed Eric for Absolutely Productions, and was executive producer of HIT Entertainment's British children's TV series Pingu. As an event management and concert promotion executive, she was involved in such projects and talent as Comic Relief, Tina Turner, Talking Heads and Bob Geldof.
"I'm very happy to bring my combined experience in development and production to Laika as it embarks upon a new and exciting chapter in its history," said Jennings.
"As Coraline demonstrates, Laika is a company committed to taking bold new steps within the animation arena. I believe my strong entrepreneurial skills are a great fit for a company which truly values the creative vision behind any filmmaking process. I have a great deal of respect for this attitude and am looking forward to working alongside Travis to build a studio where many more imaginative films can be produced throughout the coming years."
All company divisions will report to Travis Knight. Film acquisition, development, production and marketing will fall under Jennings' purview. Laika/house, the advertising and commercial side of the company, will continue to be led by Hammack. Wahl will oversee technology, business affairs, finance and administration.
Because of the importance of getting another project into production, Knight and Jennings will head up Laika's film development efforts jointly. Currently, Laika's active development slate includes nine film projects, including the already announced Here Be Monsters, based on the best-selling book by Alan Snow; The Wall and the Wing, based on the bestseller by Laura Ruby, and Paranorman, based on an original idea by Coraline head of story Chris Butler.
EXCLUSIVE: Fourth ‘Mad Max’ In Development…As 3-D Anime Feature
Good ol’ Mad Max: post-apocalyptic gun-slinger with a need for blood-thirsty revenge! MTV News’ #4 Movie Badass of All Time! And…star of a 3-D anime feature film?!
Unlikely as that last one sounds, some big screen animated “Max” action is shaping up to become a reality, according to George Miller, the writer/director of the previous three films. The catch? He doesn’t want Max himself, Mel Gibson, anywhere near the project.
“We’ll probably go a different route,” Miller told MTV News about the potential talent voicing the lead role. The plot would be partly lifted from the script of the fourth “Max” film, which was set to shoot in 2003 until financing collapsed in the wake of the Iraq War.
Now Miller is resurrecting the idea as an R-rated, stereoscopic anime flick for theatrical release. It’s a curious undertaking, to be sure, but one made all the more certain to happen after the runaway success in 2006 of his computer-animated “Happy Feet”—not that the newest, ever-violent “Max” film will have much in common with that kid-friendly penguin party.
“I see myself as someone who is very curious about storytelling and all its various media,” Miller said. “I’ve always loved anime, in particular the Japanese sensibility. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
The project is one phase of a “Mad Max” renaissance of sorts. Along with “God of War II” designer Corey Barlog, Miller is developing an action-adventure videogame based on the fourth film. Gibson won’t be participating in that endeavor, either.
For the anime release, Miller isn’t looking simply to mimic Japanese-style animation but rather to adapt it for Western audiences. “The anime is an opportunity for me to shift a little bit about what anime is doing because anime is ripe for an adjustment or sea change,” he explained. “It’s coming in games and I believe it’s the same in anime. There’s going to be a hybrid anime where it shifts more towards Western sensibilities. [Japanese filmmaker Akira] Kurosawa was able to bridge that gap between the Japanese sensibilities and the West and make those definitive films.”
It’s been 23 years since we last tasted some fresh “Mad Max” goodness, but neither the anime nor the game will be arriving soon enough to satisfy our hunger for the rage-filled Australian vigilante. “I’ve got a couple of years left,” said Miller. “We’re in the early stages writing and designing. A really good game you need two and half years. And for good anime you need two years."
We’ve Got The Final ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ Trailer In Hi-Def!
The final trailer for “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” has finally arrived, so now you can get another look at Deadpool, Logan, Gambit, Sabretooth and… Waitaminute, who is that guy? Check out the full trailer below (and watch it here in Hi-Def) for your first peek at the mysterious new mutant that’s going to have everyone buzzing.
Ben studied animation under former Disney animator Milt Neil at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He has been in the animation industry since 1984. He started doing animation for small commercials, then years later moved on to J.J. Sedelmaier Productions working on the "Cluckin' Chicken" parody for Saturday Night Live, which led to MTV, where he worked on "Beavis and Butt-Head", doing storyboard revisions, character and prop design, layout. animation on the hallucination sequence on the feature "Beavis and Butt-head Do "America" and also MTV's "The Maxx", doing character layout. As a freelancer, he's worked for various companies including Disney TV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, HBO Family, Miramax, Warner Bros., Saatchi and Saatchi, General Mills and Comedy Central. Currently, he's still doing the freelancing thing, while developing some personal projects for pitching.
Good ol’ Mad Max: post-apocalyptic gun-slinger with a need for blood-thirsty revenge! MTV News’ #4 Movie Badass of All Time! And…star of a 3-D anime feature film?!
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