Sci-Fi Watchmen (2009)

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Title: Watchmen

Tagline: Justice is coming to all of us. No matter what we do.

Genre: Action, Mystery, Science Fiction

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Malin Åkerman, Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Carla Gugino, Laura Mennell, Matt Frewer, Stephen McHattie, Rob LaBelle, Gary Houston, James M. Connor, Mary Ann Burger, John Shaw, Robert Wisden, Jerry Wasserman, Don Thompson, Frank Novak, Sean Allan, Garry Chalk, Stephanie Belding, Michael Kopsa, William S. Taylor, Chris Burns, Malcolm Scott, Danny Wattley, Nhi Do, Walter Addison, David Mackay, Keith Martin Gordey, Fulvio Cecere, Ted Cole, Mark Acheson, John Destry, Chris Gauthier, L. Harvey Gold, Jay Brazeau, Jesse Reid, Manoj Sood, Dan Payne, Niall Matter, Apollonia Vanova, Glenn Ennis, Darryl Scheelar, Clint Carleton, Brett Stimely, Carrie Genzel, Greg Travis, Greg Armstrong-Morris, Andrew Colthart, Bruce Crawford, Sal Sortino, Eli Snyder, Lori Watt, Tony Bardach, John Kobylka, Carmen Lavigne, J.R. Killigrew, Steven Stojkovic, Martin Reiss, Frank Cassini, John R. Taylor, Tara Frederick, Daryl Shuttleworth, Jaryd Heydrick, Ron Chartier, Carly Bentall, Matt Drake, Haley Guiel, Sonya Salomaa, Tyler McClendon, Salli Saffioti, Neil Schell, Michael Eklund, Deborah Finkel, Louis Chirillo, Marsha Regis, Patrick Sabongui, John Tench, Santo Lombardo, Jason Schombing, Darren Shahlavi, Marshall Virtue, Colin Lawrence, Chris Weber, Alessandro Juliani, Alison Araya, Sahar Biniaz, Matthew Harrison, Bernadeta Wrobel, Youri Obryvtchenko, Heidi Iro, Kit Noon, Parm Soor, Cristina Menz, Lynn Colliar, Tony Ali, Katie Bennison, Ian Farthing, Calvin Lee, Alexander Mandra, Isabelle Champeau, Ashley O'Connell, Mark Gash, Suzanne E. Smith, Agam Darshi, Tom McBeath, Kevin McNulty, Mark Docherty, Clay St. Thomas, Dale Wolfe, Ken Tremblett, Dawn Chubai, Manuelita Kinsey, Tamara Stanners, Sahara Davis, Dave Hospes, Greig Hospess, Ali Dunn, Jeffrey Frieler, Kurt Evans, Sylvesta Stuart, Terence Kelly, Mi-Jung Lee, Ted Friend, Tiffany Burns, Michael Adamthwaite, Danny Woodburn, Zack Snyder, Clay Enos

Release: 2009-03-04

Runtime: 163

Plot: In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so uncover a sinister plot that puts all of humanity in grave danger.
Watchmen (2009)

 
Jude Law told the Empire Online Web site that he is interested in playing Ozymandias in Darren Aronofsky's upcoming film version of Alan Moore's graphic novel Watchmen. Law told the site that he is an avid comic-book collector.

[Full article @ Sci-Fi Wire]
 
Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy) will direct Watchmen, a film adaptation of Alan Moore's classic superhero graphic novel, for Paramount Pictures, stepping in for Darren Aronofsky, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

[Full article @ Sci-Fi Wire]
 
Count me as one of those skeptics who thought it couldn't be done. Alan Moore and David Gibbon's 1995 masterpiece Watchmen was the greatest work ever in the medium of comics and graphic novels, an impossible sprawling dissertation of life, love, heroes, villains, and what it would take to truly save the world. It's a bleak dystopia, a horrific alternate reality, and the odds of any director -- even one with the comparative chops of a Zach Snyder, who had only two feature films under his belt -- being able to bring this vision to the silver screen seemed dismal, at best.

But if you've read the book, and you love the book, check out the HD trailer below:


The look and feel of the book, the darkness, the sneering visage of the Comedian, the murky fury of Rorschach -- it's all there. Obviously, they take all the best scenes and use them for the trailer, but if the movie even manages to be half this good... I'll be right there on March 6th, 2009, ticket in hand, with a jumbo tub of buttered popcorn and an ice cold Coca-Cola.



What are your reactions? If you haven't read the book, does the trailer draw you in? If you have read the book, what does the trailer do for you? And how well do you think this movie will do with the general public?
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

I am one of those who thought that there is just no way a credible movie adaption could be done and was fearing a Fantastic Four type result if somebody did try. As we've seen with some recent movies though like the rejuvenated Batman series, the Matrix series (well, at least the first one), and stuff like Sin City & 300, it is possible to create a good movie that is either comic based and/or anime influenced.

I'll be watching Watchmen when it comes out but let just hope that the previews are what we can expect from the entire movie and that we do not have another Speed Racer on our hands.
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

But, I mean, of course Speed Racer sucked. It's a low-quality Japanese cartoon about a race car driver and his monkey. Not even the Wachowski Brothers could have made a silk purse out of that sow's ear.

But I'll admit, I had my own ideas for casting, and I definitely couldn't see Billy Cruddup as Doctor Manhattan. Now I can't see anyone else in that role. And Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian also seem spot-on.

I'm reserving judgement on Patrick Wilson as Dan Dreiberg -- still seems to pretty for the role -- and I suppose they could have cast just about anybody as Laurie. But we'll see. The trailer looks incredibly awesome... but yeah, I get your point -- the trailer for Speed Racer looked pretty good, too.
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

But, I mean, of course Speed Racer sucked. It's a low-quality Japanese cartoon about a race car driver and his monkey. Not even the Wachowski Brothers could have made a silk purse out of that sow's ear.
I tend to think that the problems with the live action Speed Racer had less to do with the subject material and more to do with the Wachowski Brothers.

With the core story of Speed Racer you have a family, you have a "lost" brother, you have action, you have romance, you have adventure. In short, you have what should've made for an exciting story.

The brothers, instead of making Speed Racer for adults decided to make a story set in the world of Spy Kids 3-D instead. :cry: In short... they made a kids movie that was so dumbed down that not even kids were interested.
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

The recent Mutant Chronicles was a passable B movie interpretation of an RPG game, which I somehow manage to place in my mind along with comic books. Or at least was till the ending!

We have to put up with many issues with films in our genre really. Just have to be glad some are made.
 
Billy Crudup On Working With The Green Screen For ‘Watchmen’

Billy Crudup On Working With The Green Screen For ‘Watchmen’

MTV Splash Page said:
140x105.jpg
Despite the fact that working on a green screen while wearing a bulky motion capture suit shouldn’t be comfortable for any actor or actress, for Billy Crudup, who stars as Dr. Manhattan in the upcoming “Watchmen” film, it was almost second nature.

“I look like a 40-year-old jackass, which is kind of what I am,” joked Crudup.

However, despite the high-tech aspects of filming his character — a glowing, blue-skinned, usually naked hero with god-like powers — Crudup explained that not everything was filmed using sensory-depriving sets or wearing a bulky suit. “Just the Mars stuff,” he said. “While it was a big portion of the story of the third part of the movie, it was only probably a couple weeks that we were on rocks and a big blue or green screen room. Most of it was on normal sets and me on a very strange motion capture sequence.”

But despite the fact that Dr. Manhattan gets the CGI treatment, not everything in the film will be aided by computer. After all, Zack Snyder managed to build a full scale replica of the Owlship, which Splash Page got a personal tour of at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

All giant, superhero vehicles aside, one burning question remains for those who have read the “Watchmen” graphic novel — will Dr. Manhattan remain pants-less, and if so, did Crudup go commando for the role? “I did all my shots in the nude so if you see anything, it was totally me. It was totally me.”

What do you think of the Dr. Manhattan footage you’ve seen so far? Looking forward to seeing Crudup’s take on the character? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
(Via MTV Splash Page)
 
LEGO Dr. Manhattan Reminds Us To Be Excited About Watchmen [Poster]

LEGO Dr. Manhattan Reminds Us To Be Excited About Watchmen [Poster]

Have you lost your excitement about the upcoming Watchmen movie? This Dr. Manhattan poster constructed out of LEGO pieces should remind you that you need to turn up that giddiness dial a bit. Great job, artpoly! All that's missing is Manhattan's LEGO junk. Maybe you can CGI that in, like in the trailer. [Thanks Ryan!]

(Via Gizmodo)
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

Watchmen is one of my all time favourite books so I really hope it doesn't get screwed up like V for Vendetta did. It's doesn't have a simple plot that can be easily adapted to film so I can't say I'm too hopeful :(
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

Watchmen is one of my all time favourite books so I really hope it doesn't get screwed up like V for Vendetta did. It's doesn't have a simple plot that can be easily adapted to film so I can't say I'm too hopeful :(
What was it about the V adaption that did not like?
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

The ending especially sucked. Why they felt the need to totally change the ending is beyond me. But generally, the book is too complex and multi layered to transfer to film while keeping all the nuances. It became a simple action film with flowery phrases thrown in. Watchmen is a similarly complex book (even more so!) so I just can't see myself being happy with the film adaptation.
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

I can see your point, Chopper. I guess it depends on what you're looking for in the film. If you want to recreate the exact experience of the graphic novel... I think you're going to be disappointed. You're right, it's too big, too epic, to capture in a 2-hour movie. I worry that the experience may be similar to what we saw from Sin City -- visually stunning, but essentially vapid.
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

I'm with you there. Sin City (and 300) worked so well as graphic novels because the basic plots suited the dark and arty artwork. Transferred to film aaaaand nope... just didn't quite work...
 
Re: Watchmen (2009) - Official Thread

Yeah, caveman, I have to admit -- I'm pretty excited. Have you read the graphic novel?
 
Movie information in first post provided by The Movie Database

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