War of the Worlds (2005 film) has grossed $704,745,540 including DVD sales, making it the fourth highest grossing film of 2005, and the 66th highest grossing film worldwide. The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator website Metacritic gave the film an average score of 73 based on 40 reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives "War of the Worlds" a 75% "certified fresh" rating based on 255 reviews and the critical consensus: "Steven Spielberg's adaptation of War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells' classic novel while impressively updating the action and effects for modern audiences." James Berardinelli praised the acting
The War of the Worlds (radio drama) sound effects chief Ora D. Nichols. Welles discussed his fake newscast idea with producer John Houseman and associate producer Paul Stewart; together, they decided to adapt a work of science fiction. They considered adapting M. P. Shiel's "The Purple Cloud" and Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" before purchasing the radio rights to "The War of the Worlds". Houseman later wrote that he suspected Welles had never read it. Howard Koch had written the first drafts for the Mercury Theatre broadcasts "Hell on Ice" (October 9), "Seventeen" (October 16), and "Around the World in 80 Days" (October 23). Monday, October