NOTE: Mega Markets are designed to generate long-range forecasts and close one month before the currently scheduled opening weekend. All participants still in the market at the close of trading will immediately receive $200 in fantasy money for their participation.
THE MARKET: “Watchmen” goes into wide release on Friday, March 6, 2009. How much will it gross in its opening weekend as first reported by Variety on March 9? Each dollar of the share price represents millions of dollars in sales. Shares bought at $45, for example, would be worth $78 if the movie grosses $78 million. Trading closes on January 9th at 11:59 p.m. PT.

THE DATA: “Watchmen” is directed by Zack Snyder, also responsible for comic sleeper hit “300” ($70.8m).

OUR TAKE: Time hailed Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s 1986 graphic novel “Watchmen” as one of the 100 greatest modern English novels. In theory, “Watchmen” should at least open in the same ballpark as graphics-heavy adaptation of Frank Miller’s comic “The Spirit” ($40m projection). The trailer below seems cryptic, but the hype is palpable even now. We think the $70m March record of “300” may well fall.


LEARN MORE:

See the trailer at the “Watchmen” home page.