Storming into theaters as the sole major release is Watchmen, the long-awaited adaptation of the classic superhero graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder and released by Warner Bros., hits wide on more than 3,600 screens, a record for an R-rated film. The movie also will open on 124 IMAX screens.
Warner Bros. is hoping for a repeat of the success of Snyder’s last film, an adaptation of the Frank Miller comic book 300, which opened the same weekend two years ago and charged to a domestic gross of $210 million.
With nothing else opening to steal its thunder, the only question is how much the Watchmen will rake in. Some estimates run as high as $70 million, reflecting the intense fanboy interest in the film.
However, reviews to date have been all over the place, ranging from flat-out pans to proclamations of a masterpiece. The film’s R rating, graphic violence and lengthy running time also may curb the interest of non-fans.
