Top 3 Upcoming Live Action Comic Book Movies of 2009

Movies based on comic books make some of the best money in the box office. The Dark Knight is the highest grossing Batman movie of all time, currently ranked at the number four spot in the worldwide box office. All three movies of the Spiderman trilogy made the top 30 and then you have to consider Iron Man's spot on the top 100 as well.

Comic book movies have always been some of the best blockbusters because they are stories we've had for years that we became attached to as we grew up. There are so many great heroes and villains to bring out in cinematic live-action form. With the special effects of the 21^st century, almost anything can be done. Here are the three upcoming comic movies of 2009 that should be watched as soon as they are released.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Release Date: May 1^st, 2009

The X-Men franchise was one of the few mutant superhero series that did it right, with unstoppable antiheroes like Wolverine and a successful trilogy at the movie theaters. X-Men Origins: Wolverine will focus on Wolverine, played once again by Hugh Jackman, and will be set twenty years before the start of the first X-Men film.

The story will focus on Wolverine's violent past and dealings with antagonist William Stryker, a recurring enemy in his life. Many new characters will appear for the first time in the movie franchise, such as Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds from Van Wilder), Gambit (played by Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights), Emma Frost (played by Tahnya Tozzi), and many other mutants tied to the Weapon X program.

Watch the official trailer here.

Akira - Release Date: Part I in 2009 and Part II in 2011

Akira is a Japanese-animated film first released in 1988. To date it remains of the most influential anime movies in history, heavily influencing the art direction of the genre in the West. The story is based on the original 2,182 page manga epic (graphic novel), though the movie's plot is different from the latter half of the printed version. Technically, a manga counts as a comic book.

Akira begins with the destruction of Tokyo, which leads to the beginning of World War III. Neo-Tokyo, thirty one years later, deals with uprisings, political tensions, biker gangs, and more. A secret military project turns one of the biker gang members into a dangerous psychopath with the power to destroy the entire city and only two kids and a team of psionics can stop him.

Now a live action remake of Akira is in development, started by Warner Brothers. The movie will be released into two films, the first in the summer of 2009 and a current expected date of February 2, 2011 for the second part. All dates are still unofficial. No cast has been announced yet but Leonardo DiCaprio will be one of the producers adapting the landmark anime film.

Watchmen - Release Date: March 6^th, 2009

Watchmen is one of the most covered comic book series, with fans waiting more than twenty years to watch it grace the silver screen. The project has been in development hell for a long time but 300 director Zach Snyder will be heading the live action adaption. The comic series that Watchmen is based on is a twelve-issue limited series first published by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987.

The story will be set in 1985 during the escalating tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. It will be an alternate universe of sorts, with superheroes existing and Richard Nixon running as President. The vigilante, Rorschach, discovers a conspiracy that could change history as he investigates the murder of a former hero. Watch a few video clips from the movie here. It also contains an interview with Zach Snyder discussing the film's sex scenes.

The written series is huge and Zach Snyder had many difficulties deciding the length of the movie, whether or not to include certain scenes and easter eggs from the comic version, and fleshing out the important details that won the franchise critical acclaim. The marketing for Watchmen hasn't been subtle, with the official viral marketing website "The New Frontiersman" featuring teasers and tidbits from the film stylized as declassified documents and other public promotion. A downloadable episodic Watchmen video game will also be released (the first coming at release and the second when the DVD arrives). It will be downloadable on the Xbox 360, PS3, and on PC.

Comic Book Movies Are Making a Comeback

There used to be a time when movie adaptations based on books, video games, and other media never quite lived up to the original franchises. Video games still don't reach that level of standard. However, after high-octane summer blockbusters like The Dark Knight, Spiderman, and other movies before them paved the way to the top ranks of the box office, the future of comic book live-action movies is better than ever, especially for newer generations of to-be fans who never actually read the comics.