The sexy latex costume worn by actress Malin Akerman, who portrays Silk Spectre II in the just released “Watchmen” movie, has garnered both praise and controversy from comic book fans because it departs radically from the original graphic novel design.
“Watchmen,” the highly anticipated movie from Warner Bros, is based on the seminal 12-issue limited comic book series created in the 1980s by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins.
Michael Wilkinson was the costume designer for “Watchmen” while L.A.-based Syren Couture was the production house that fabricated the actual design for the character, from prototype to finished model. Syren is the leading latex high fashion house and has been supplying custom latex and leather designs to the entertainment industry for over 16 years, including the iconic Catwoman suit worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in the film Batman Returns.
Silk Spectre II’s latex costume is a dramatic departure from the original silk lingerie style mini dress that she wore on the pages of the comics, and loyalists to Gibbons’ first designs are already creating a buzz about whether or not the costume should have been changed.
Zack Snyder’s Watchmen has topped the Australian box office on its first weekend on release.
The big-budget graphic novel adaptation, which stars Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman, Jackie Earle Haley and Patrick Wilson as superheroes in Cold War-era America, ends He’s Just Not That Into You’s three-week reign at number one.
The box office top ten in full (figures in Australian dollars):
1. (-) Watchmen – $3,584,253
2. (1) He’s Just Not That Into You – $1,062,802
3. (2) Slumdog Millionaire – $974,068
4. (3) Gran Torino – $729,067
5. (-) New In Town – $512,950
6. (6) Last Chance Harvey – $472,304
7. (4) The Unborn – $470,733
8. (7) The Reader – $410,363
9. (5) The International – $346,079
10. (8) Ghost Town – $220,024
Comic book film Watchmen has matched its US box office success by topping the charts in the UK and Ireland.
The Warner Bros film, based on Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel, took £3.2 million in its opening weekend to knock last week’s number one Slumdog Millionaire into second.
Starring Billy Crudup, Malin Akerman and Patrick Wilson, Watchmen tells of an alternate 1985 in which a group of outlawed masked vigilantes reunite after one of their former comrades is murdered.
The film yesterday topped the US box office with $55.7 million (£40.2 million) after its opening three days on release.
The top ten films at the UK box office are: (last week’s position)
1 Watchmen – £3.2 million (-)
2 Slumdog Millionaire – £1.3 million (1)
3 Gran Torino – £1.2 million (2)
4 The Young Victoria – £1 million (-)
5 Bolt – £978,954 (4)
6 Confessions of a Shopaholic – £977,441 (5)
7 The Unborn – £749,898 (3)
8 Hotel For Dogs – £569,802 (7)
9 The International – £423,358 (6)
10 He’s Just Not That Into You – £317,588 (8)
From In The News
Director, fans and stars think this is one comic adaptation that shouldn’t go on.
After the big opening weekend that Zack Snyder and his cast just enjoyed, Hollywood execs would typically be spending Monday morning peppering their voicemails with the word “sequel.” But since the “Watchmen” universe is built upon a unique mix of elements that are sacred, satirical and sequel-proof, the graphic novel’s fanbase insists it could never happen. And as of the moment, the people behind the film agree that we’ll never watch the “Watchmen” in a new adventure.
“I know that I wouldn’t have anything to do with it,” Snyder told the New York Times recently.
“I don’t really know how [a sequel] would ever be possible, because ‘Watchmen’ is ‘Watchmen,’ ” insisted Malin Akerman, who plays Silk Spectre, when we caught up with her recently. “We covered pretty much the whole novel.”
“I just don’t know where you go,” Patrick Wilson, the film’s Nite Owl, said. But, he added, if there ever is a sequel script, he’d sure love to hear the pitch. “You would need one good idea. I don’t know [what it could be].”
Akerman agreed, realizing that by shutting the door on a sequel, she’s also ruling out the chance to reunite with the people who worked so hard on the film. “[The graphic novel] would be a tough one to beat,” she said. ” ‘Watchmen’ is the ultimate the way it stands. I would love to work with the same crew, but it would be a tough one to beat. It would be amazing to see a script, but it’s perplexing how you would go about it.”
Over the years, creator Alan Moore’s aversion to Hollywood and any “Watchmen” movie adaptation has been well established. A recent episode of “The Simpsons” even teased his animosity, giving the comics legend a cameo in which Milhouse asked Moore to sign his copy of the imaginary spin-off “Watchmen Babies.” Since the participation of the “Watchmen” creator in a sequel seems ridiculously unlikely, Snyder and the fans seem happy to wave goodbye to Rorschach and friends.
“It would be like me going to ['No Country for Old Men' author] Cormac McCarthy and going, ‘I have an idea for a [sequel]: You write a book, and I’ll write a movie, and you can release it. You’ll win a Pulitzer; I’ll win an Oscar. It’ll be awesome,’ ” Snyder said during his Times interview, condemning the Hollywood mind-set that every comic-based movie should just keep cranking out sequels as long as there’s money to be made. “The attitude toward comic books, they show their hand a little bit. They would never say that about a real novelist, but they would about a comic book.”
From MTV
The adult-themed superhero film Watchmen seized control of the North American box office posting the biggest debut of the year with an estimated $55.7M in ticket sales over the Friday-to-Sunday period. Directed by Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead), the R-rated film based on the acclaimed 1986 comic series averaged a muscular $15,413 from 3,611 theaters. It was the third best March opening ever trailing 300 ($70.9M) and Ice Age: The Meltdown ($68M) and the sixth largest bow for an R-rated film after The Matrix Reloaded ($91.8M), The Passion of the Christ ($83.8M), 300, Hannibal ($58M), and Sex and the City ($57M).
With a reported budget of about $125M, the anti-heroes began the weekend with a terrific $25.1M on Friday including $4.6M in Thursday night shows beginning at midnight. Saturday fell sharply by 25% to $19M while Sunday is estimated to drop 38% to $11.6M.
Who watches the “Watchmen?”
Audiences answered that question on Friday to the tune of $25.1 million at the box office for the highly anticipated superhero film.
Its grosses included $4.6 million from midnight previews.
The two hour, 41 minute film opened on 3,611 screens, the most ever for an R-rated movie, though it will likely fall below director Zack Synder’s previous effort, 2007’s “300,” which earned $70 million during its opening weekend — a record for March openings. The long running time means that the film screens less times per day on each screen.
Based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ classic graphic novel, the journey of “Watchmen” to the big screen has been closely followed by fans.
The film follows a group of cynical heroes as they investigate the murder of one of their own against the backdrop of societal dysfunction and looming nuclear war.
The film faces no significant competition in the form of other new releases at the box office this weekend.
From Access Hollywood
Malin Akerman is the coolest thing to come out of Sweden since IKEA.
The sexy Watchmen star graces the April cover of Maxim, and FOXNews.com got a sneak peek at her sexy spread and hilarious interview.
Akerman, 30, who plays skin-tight costumed fighter Silk Spectre II in the hotly anticipated film, which opens across the country today, sounds off on everything from peeing on Ben Stiller, her secret criminal past, and how her Watchmen costume made her feel.
“I thought it was really f***ing hot [at first],” she tells the magazine. “Then I tried it on, and I thought it was really f***ing uncomfortable. And the smell? When you take it off, it smells like a human condom.”
As for the film: “It’s cool because only one of us has special powers. It appeals to everyone, whether you’re a male, female, chimpanzee, or dwarf.”
But if you end up a fan, and you see Akerman on the street, a word of advice. “Just say hello,” she advises. “Don’t grab my butt.”
The April issue of Maxim hits stands March 17.
From Fox News