Punisher: War Zone

For the comic book, see The Punisher War Zone.

Punisher: War Zone
Official graphic poster of the film, shows the Punisher in his traditional vest and logo, holds two guns and looks toward the viewer, with the film's title and credits below him.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byLexi Alexander
Written by
Based onPunisher
by Marvel Comics
Produced byGale Anne Hurd
Starring
CinematographySteve Gainer
Edited by
  • William Yeh
Music byMichael Wandmacher
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • December 5, 2008 (2008-12-05)
Running time
103 minutes[4]
Countries
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million[5]
Box office$10.1 million[5]

Punisher: War Zone is a 2008 vigilante action film based on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher. Rather than a sequel to 2004's The Punisher, the film is a reboot that follows the war waged by vigilante Frank Castle / Punisher (played by Ray Stevenson) on crime and corruption, in particular on the disfigured mob boss known as Billy "Jigsaw" Russoti (Dominic West).[6] The film is directed by Lexi Alexander, from a screenplay written by Nick Santora, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. It is the third feature film adaptation of The Punisher, the second reboot thereof and the first of two films to be produced under the Marvel Knights production banner, which focuses on films for mature audiences.

Development of a follow-up to The Punisher began two months before its release. The film was initially developed as a sequel, with Thomas Jane reprising the title role. Jane departed the project in 2006, and Ray Stevenson was announced as his replacement in July 2007. Filming began in October 2007 in Montreal, Canada.

Punisher: War Zone was released in North America by Lionsgate on December 5, 2008, and it was released in the United Kingdom by Sony Pictures Releasing on February 6, 2009 to negative reviews and grossed $10 million worldwide, making it a box-office bomb. Its related soundtrack hit the #23 slot on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart. In the years since its release, the film has developed a cult following.[7][8]

This was the final Punisher film to be produced by an outside studio before the rights reverted to Marvel Studios, with Stevenson reprising his role as Castle in The Super Hero Squad Show. A television series was later released on Netflix in 2017 and is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Punisher: War Zone". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "Punisher: War Zone (2008)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  3. ^ "Sony Pictures Picks Up Overseas Rights to Punisher 2". MovieWeb. November 6, 2007. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  4. ^ "PUNISHER - WAR ZONE (18)". British Board of Film Classification. November 18, 2009. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Punisher: War Zone". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  6. ^ Gilchrist, Todd (December 6, 2007). "Interview: Lexi Alexander". IGN. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved December 1, 2008. [Alexander:] I would say it's a complete reboot because the first one—neither of them—are relevant to us at all.
  7. ^ Rabin, Nathan (October 13, 2015). "Why Punisher: War Zone Deserves Cult Status". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  8. ^ Lewis, Maria (December 5, 2018). "Punisher: War Zone Director Lexi Alexander on the Curious Journey to Cult Status". Gizmodo. Retrieved July 9, 2024.


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