PUNISHER: WAR ZONE

In 2007 Lionsgate set up a four year financing deal with Societe generale de financement du Quebec, which is the government investment branch of the Canadian province — in which SGF would cover 35% of the production costs for Lionsgate’s slate of films.  Punisher: War Zone was one of the first projects under the new arrangement, which received the remaining capital from German based MHF Zweite Academy Film.  The budget was reported at $35 million, but director Lexi Alexander has gone on to say that the troubled film had a budget under $20 million.  After much on set interference from executives at Lionsgate and reports that Alexander was removed during a period of post production and reinstated at some point, buzz was not very promising.  Rumors also circulated that the pic would be trimmed to PG-13, which seems ridiculous, considering the amount of gore on display.  Lionsgate originally slated Punisher: War Zone for a September 12 release, but pushed it back to December 5, which was a head scratcher since the studio released the action pic Transporter 3 the week before.  The film was dead on arrival with a terrible $4,271,451 — placing #8 for the weekend led by Four Christmases and it opened slightly below Transporter 3 in frame two.  War Zone sank 67.6% in its second frame to $1,383,898 and was pulled out of all theaters after its third week with only $8,050,977.  Sony handled most overseas territories where the film received a theatrical release and it was dumped and pulled in a mere $2 million and it went straight to video in most countries.  In its third quarter report, Lionsgate posted a $93.4 million loss, mostly attributed to the terrible theatrical runs of The Spirit, Punisher: War Zone and Transporter 3.