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Told Ya So! Zack Snyder Confirmed For WATCHMEN!!

Aaarrgghh ... why won't they let this project die?!? by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:02:00 PM
We all know it will be ass unless it's like a 10-hour miniseries. Can't they butcher something else??!
This is my big thing by MrCere	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:04:48 PM
Watchmen I mean, is MY next big movie I will enjoy anticipating. However, give us MORE info Mori, that wasn't enough to know quite what you are talking about.
Nah by imkindofabigdeal	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:05:05 PM
I'd like to see it happen. If it's done right; almost by the book, the it would rule hard.
Arrrggghhhh by bigboxer	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:05:59 PM
Nooooooo, please say it isn't true !!! Hollywood is going to ruin this beautiful story like they did "V" !!! Noooooooo, they'll screw it up completely !!!!
this is Snyder's defining moment by calami-shami	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:07:27 PM
as an artist and a filmmaker. Just as LOTR was PJ's defining moment. This movie will decide the course of his career. Either he nails it and goes on to Jackson-esque stardom (perhaps re-remaking KONG lol.) or fails and is reserved forever to Ratner status. I still think this should be a twelve episode HBO miniseries but Im hoping Snyder pulls through. His last name is Snyder for god's sake!
Well, I wouldn't say Hollywood ruined V by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:08:28 PM
For one thing, Evie trying to warn the bishop makes a helluva lot more sense than what transpires in the book. Granted, they created one gigantic ass plot hole (If Creevy and the Chancellor are dead, why the fuck does he need to blow up Parliament?), but there are ways around that if you shut down the thought centers of your brain.
So . . . why do we bitch? by MrCere	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:09:13 PM
I wonder if in fans' eyes ANYTHING can be appropriately adapted from a comic to the screen. I mean, those bitching about this attempt, and I ask you seriously: Should the comic medium be forbidden for adaptation? Did you like ANY comic-to-film translation? Are the texts so sacred that they cannot be touched?
It's about the depth of the material by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:11:08 PM
V was barely able to make it on screen as a complete, but probably has about 1/10th of the things going on that Watchmen has. It's like doing a 2 hour movie of LOTR -- you're going to have to cut so much that only the bare skeleton will be left and even that might be unrecognizable. I doubt they'll even go to Mars.
re: Well, I wouldn't say Hollywood ruined V by ar42	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:11:23 PM
Any post with that headline that includes the phrase "if you shut down the thought centers of your brain" is automatically disqualified. I will say V was treated vastly better than any other Alan Moore adaptations so far, though.
I am not going to poo-poo on this until it's underway by Doctor_Sin	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:14:41 PM
This could be awesome. I loved 'V' precisely because of how it was different. It was a wonderful movie. Not from a 'fan puttting a stamp of approval on it' angle - but just as a film. It was great. This could be just as awesome. Let's give it time before we start emptying our colons on it.
And to further answer your question, MrCere by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:16:07 PM
Some material would be great on screen. Batman Year One, for example. Shit, just film that damn thing exactly as laid out in the comic. And I actually enjoyed V (although, again, I still have a problem with the plot hole they added). Marvels or Kingdom Come are also short enough that you could probably do them in a 3 hour movie without sacrificing too much. But Watchmen? There's just too much they have to cut out to get it under 3 hours. No black pirate. Probably no newstand. I'm sure they'll come up with another way to 'eliminate' Big Blue besides the cancer scare. No Hollis Mason in his shop. No impotency storyline. No psychiatrist's life falling apart. Etc. Pretty much everything that makes the book an enjoyable read time and time again, things that you catch upon the 11th reading that you never caught before ... all gone.
If it's done right... by floydtheater07	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:16:21 PM
I'd like to see an adaptation of this. True, there are a lot of ways that Hollywood could screw it up, but hey, it has the potential to be a great movie. Might as well give it a shot. It's not like making a crappy movie out of the material is gonna ruin the graphic novel.
the cultural pillaging continues by Shozo	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:19:19 PM
Watchmen is a landmark because it contained original ideas. Where Hollywood will always fail is in thinking they can pick up shit that's hot - whether it be a foreign film or a comic book or whatever and give it to some flavor of the week hack to make more generic movie product. Their best shot with WATCHMEN was to give it to a guy with some integrity - like Greengrass. If they ain't gonna do it right, I say, they should refrain from making asses of themselves.
ar42: I was exaggerating a tad by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:19:42 PM
It just bugs me so much. I mean up until that moment I enjoyed every single change they had made. Evie not being a naive nit. Stephen Fry hamming it up. The flashback/forward sequence instead of tripping on some LSD. Even the setup of the betrayal, while visible from a mile away, was still well done. It's just when you stop and think about it you say 'well wait just a damn second ..'
It's possible. by ar42	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:19:57 PM
I do think it would be perfectly possible to produce a thought-provoking, two-hour-ish adaptation of "Watchmen" that would honor the spirit of the original, and now is probably a good time for Hollywood to do it. Superhero movies have come full circle in the last 30 years, from Superman to Superman Returns, and I think both mainstream audiences and fans are starting to get a little weary of the formula. Maybe it's time for a more thoughtful film that examines the nature of heroism and what superheroes mean to our culture, much like it was time for such a story when the original Watchmen was published. You won't get all the backstory, you won't get all the details, but if a talented director can nevertheless tackle the ideas and produce a great film out of them, I for one would see it.
I shall believe it when I see it! by Cory849	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:20:37 PM
and I do not believe that it can be effectively done on screen. But hey. whatever. I loved the book and I'll enjoy it a bit whatever they do with it. And now for the game we ALL love to play, over and over and over again: WHO SHOULD THEY CAST?
floydtheater07: the problem with them getting it wrong by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:22:00 PM
Is that we'll have to wait another 15-25 years before they take another stab at it, if then. The thing that sucks about the POTA remake is that they totally wasted the tremendous makeup job on a lameass plotline (and inane twist at the end), so now we're forced to wait another decade or more before another attempt can be made.
why make this? by reckni	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:25:09 PM
It's an impossible adaptation.
Remember that big tentacle creature from Watchmen? by PervOmatic	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:25:42 PM
I thought of it when I saw this: http://tinyurl.com/l6cmk
Thanks chrth by MrCere	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:27:44 PM
OK, I buy your reasoning. Year One would work beautifully, Watchman has some very big adaptation problems. However, I still want to see somebody with vision and love for the material making the attempt. I shouldn't assume that many talkbackers are just nay-saying, opinionless, paroting, thoughtless members of the geek choir. I would vote for the HBO mini-series myself but I would hope to see a three-hour flick that I can enjoy. I enjoyed 'V' for example. Different yes, but I still had a good time at the movies and went and read the book again. (The new Moon Knight would be a lovely thing to adapt to the screen in all its visceral glory!)
Alex who? by loopdesign	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:29:52 PM
After all the great guys who have already taken a shot at adapting, they're bringing in Alex Tse?? Huh?
I hope Snyder take some of Greengrass ideas by Wonderboys	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:30:54 PM
Greengrass is a serious, thoughtful filmaker, who was going to inject his adaptation with a deep reflexion on certain themes more akin with a political thriller than and action-adventure comic adaptation. Im afraid with Snyder we can only expect a whoddunit or, even worse, an action movie... I hope im wrong.
After hearing about it for so long I finally read it. by one9deuce	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:31:31 PM
And it IS as great as it's reputation. I had towering expectations and it surpassed them. Zack Snyder is not the director for Watchmen. I don't understand the "I told you so" stance you are taking Moriarty, because based on this guys filmography he is not qualified to bring this to life. You sound ridiculous when you act like this is a great idea, and you were the one to break the story. I watched Dawn of the Dead (2004) recently for the first time, and it was a decent enough movie. Not a lot of subtext, and certainly not a lot of depth to the characters. The two most important things to get right on Watchmen. And as much as I'll get dumped on for this: A twelve part miniseries on HBO would be great. Think Band of Brothers. If is does great then a limited theatrical release in four parts. Each week a new 3 hour movie. How awesome would that be! Note to the studio: Do this right and you will reap the benefits. Zack Snyder is not the right director.
Interesting correlation to Peter Jackson, Moriarty. by one9deuce	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:38:00 PM
I didn't think that Peter Jackson had what it took to bring The Lord of the Rings to the big screen. And I still feel that way. They did turn out great, but they could have been so much more. I think that the studio was behind the project 100%, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens had a lot to do with keeping those scripts close to the book, the cast is very very good, the production had enough money to look really impressive, but Peter just isn't a great director.
This will either be very very good... by brycemonkey	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:39:11 PM
or very very bad. I know which I want, unfortunately I also know what I'll probably get. I don't think it's do-able. But then I said that about LOTR...
one9deuce by Killah_Mate	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:39:57 PM
Moriarty is confident because he's had the benefit of seeing Snyder's work on the "300" adaptation; it's supposedly really really good. Also, chrth, I'm in the middle of a brain freeze: what's POTA?
Killah_Mate: POTA=Planets of the Apes by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:42:09 PM

Snyder cannot ruin the book. by beastie	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:42:44 PM
As Moore has said, the book will still be on his and our shelves no matter what happens in the movie. I have no problem with this movie, even if fucking Uwe Boll gets ahold of it. If the movie turns out good, then great. We get a good Watchmen movie. If it turns out shit, fine. We still have that wonderful masterpiece of a book just like we do with League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. However, if the movie goes the right way, I'm very excited to watch Zack Snyder's career.
Two questions for the fanboys (spoilers): by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:47:59 PM
In a post-9/11 world, do you think they can get away with killing millions of New Yorkers? Also, do you think it's worthwhile trying to hide the identity of the orchestrator?
I agree chrth... by brycemonkey	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:54:49 PM
The main plot to kill millions of NY residents might fall victim to artistic license. How come no one ever tries to blow up Tallahassee anyways...?
chrth by Killah_Mate	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:57:27 PM
1) I'd love it if they did it. Even in the eighties when it was written, Moore picked that plotline precisely because of its sheer horror, and I believe it could be done respectfully. But I don't think they could "get away with it". The execs don't have the balls to try it, and if they did, no matter how carefully they treated it, there'd be dozens of easily insulted pressure groups that would go running to Mommy, screaming "Too soon!" 2) Of course it's worthwhile. It always is. The whodunnit aspect is a legitimate part of the book, they shouldn't just assume we know. There's no point in non-disclosure agreements and all that, but the actors shouldn't give it away in interviews and that shit.
3 words: H.B.O. by Kemmer Barnes	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:57:40 PM
I just re-read this about a month ago and was shocked that nobody had thought about this becoming a mini-series on HBO. Imagine 12 30 to 60 minute episodes, treated with the love and grace of HBO's best shows. There's just no way that the depth, sorrow and true epic-ness can be conveyed in even a 3-hour movie. There's no way. But a 12-HOUR movie...well, there you go. It would be a legendary event...the first true superhero epic.
When are they gonna add the damn Edit button? by Killah_Mate	Jun 23rd, 2006 03:59:21 PM
"...easily offended pressure groups..." --- Wording matters when you're insulting someone :)
Kemmer Barnes by Killah_Mate	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:00:20 PM
Dude, EVERYBODY had thought about it becoming a mini-series on HBO!
Amen Kemmer Barnes! by jesuschrist	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:01:12 PM
Although it's been brought up here before, it's till the right answer.
Budget will be small and movie will suck by Rupee88	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:04:08 PM
Can you say "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"?
KM:The problem with the whodunnit by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:05:54 PM
First, they don't really spend much time on it in the book; yeah, Rohrschach has his costume-killer theory and pays a couple visits, but it's not until after Nite Owl breaks him out that they actually try to solve the whodunnit, which wasn't very well done anyway (gee, I wonder which character might have ties to Pyramid Deliveries? And for the smartest man on Earth, he sure does have a stupid-ass security system in his office). Second, in the post-Usual Suspects/Sixth Sense world, everybody waits for the twist in a movie like this, so people are going to be guessing from frame one. Why not mix things up by not having a twist? Make it obvious from the beginning that ...
whodunnit by Killah_Mate	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:10:03 PM
Well, isn't it easier to call Pyramid Deliveries by some other name, and beef up the security in the office, than to change the end of the book? But you're right about the audiences expectating the twist. I dunno. I sure wouldn't be surprised if they changed it.
Kemmer Barnes by Bunch-backdToad	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:11:10 PM
Umm... Actually that was thought of by visionary director, Terry Gilliam (IMO the ONLY person who can do justice to the story) over a decade ago. He wouldn't make the movie because he said that he'd have to compromise the structure of the story way too much. He then said that he would be happy to direct a 12 part miniseries for cable. The studios said no.
The adaption needs to be true in spirit... by dr_buggerlugs	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:15:18 PM
...not literal in adaptation. Lots of things are going to get thrown to the side, a lot of things changed but ultimately if they can nail the spirit of the book, the mood of it, the morals, the characters and the issues then we have a successful adaptation. Do you honestly think a 12 part literal adaptation would actually work? Would it totally engage a viewer for 12 hours as it is? I'm not sure Watchmen as it is would suit the screen - it has to be adapted for it to work - and in these more paranoid times, it could still work. PJ may have butchered and amended parts of LOTR but it was still true in spirit and that's really all I'm hoping from this. If Snyder can make it a worthy companion to the graphic novel, expect it to cause a whole new generation to pick up Moore's book. If so, is that really a bad thing?
Watchmen DOES NOT hold up well by Snookeroo	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:19:33 PM
Go back and read it again -- it's terribly dated. And this comic would NOT translate well to the screen -- at all. Couple that with the inevitable baggage that superhero movies have to go through to get the greenlight (Rorschach in a black rubber suit, anyone?) and it's just not going to be worth the investment. Watchmen is a book to remember fondly, but let it fade into the comic book history files.
Snookeroo, what? by brycemonkey	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:25:34 PM
Are you nuts? This is one of the best and most important graphic novels of all time. Indeed, it is one of the best novels of all time. Why don't people just stop reading Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, 1984, Catch-22?
HBO... by vinceklortho	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:40:34 PM
wasn't the HBO thing just Gilliams idea when he tried to give this a try? It's a great idea, but it seems all you nerds are just calling some idea that Gilliam said awhile ago. I'm just going to back Snyder on this one and I do truly believe that this will make or break his career. I've heard some of the stuff coming from '300' is amazing, enough for the studio to be 100% behind the decision to throw Snyder in the driver's seat. Take this route if you doubt this guy: The director's cut of Dawn of the Dead is great, more character development and such that, besides the point the it's a remake of Romero's classic, is way more than we deserve. So, I believe that this guy has the ability to go above and beyond. We'll see.
Snookeroo by finky089	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:42:48 PM
I have tremendous reservations about any adaptation of Watchmen to the silver screen. But I just re-read it again last month and it still holds up fine. Certainly no worse than V, in fact much better so I think. If people want to experience Watchmen, they should read it. It's the only true way to get everything there is to get about it. There's just no way to effectively capture all the nuances in a film adaptation. And I'd rather always have it be known as EXACTLY what is it-in its comic form- than any watered-down, adapted Hollywood film version. There is no point in making this movie if it leaves people saying "It was okay, but still not as good as the comic"? It's not like SPiderman or Superman or Batman b/c they're serial comics. They've had so many different artists and writers and plotlines. Watchmen is completly different. Just leave it alone Hollywood.
Too Late by Ky-El	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:47:04 PM
It's too late for this film to be accepted by main stream audiences. The story is no longer revolutionary. Every superhero movie from X-men to The Incredibles (which was VERY much a family version of WATCHMEN) has taken and used the ideas from the book. Your average person would see this movie and say, "The heros are lame, and it's all been done before". Leave this one in the comics.
THE CAST by the beef	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:49:14 PM
If it's gonna make it to the screen then I say Guy Pearce for Rorschach, or maybe Rufus Sewell. I don't know about Night Owl, The Comedian, or Dr. Manhattan. Maybe Mickey Rourke for Night Owl? I just read this a few weeks ago, and it's seems inconceivable that this can be made into a GOOD and coherant film. There are too many characters with soooo much backstory. I think in order for it to even hit the 3 hour mark there will need to be a few characters completely cut out or some important backstory gone missing. I can only hope for the best, but I remember as I was reading it that it should be broken down into an HBO mini-series. In fact HBO might as well get the rights to all of Alan Moore's stuff and just have a show called the STORIES OF ALAN MOORE, and then each season will be an adaptation of one of his stories. That's what I think.
Even if it pisses Drew off... by kintar0	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:50:03 PM
I represent yet another vote to make the Watchmen adaptation a mini or maxi series. If at all. There's just too much there, and the amount of content that would be required to be excised would be to its detriment. You can't stuff 12 pounds of shit into a 2 pound bag. We need a bigger bag.
And it's not about not wanting to task a risk... by kintar0	Jun 23rd, 2006 04:53:24 PM
Fuck that noise. Creativity is all about risk.
Right on Ky-El... by vinceklortho	Jun 23rd, 2006 05:12:36 PM
I kinda agree with you on your assessment. It may have lost somewhat of it's spark as of recently cause of how influential it was in the context of the time that it came out. Also, most people really have no idea what this thing is and it really has to be treated with an epic flare to get people to come see this. Otherwise, it could be another League of Gentlment type thing....cringe
I can't wait to see this! by Turd Furgusen	Jun 23rd, 2006 05:12:44 PM
I really want to see how Synder translates this to the screen.
It doesn't need to be a movie. by rev_skarekroe	Jun 23rd, 2006 05:13:16 PM
I wish they'd just leave it alone.
needs a genius film maker, not a "competent" one by Winterchili	Jun 23rd, 2006 05:15:52 PM
the watchmen book is incredible
Please just leave Alan Moore's stuff alone... by Mickey The Idiot	Jun 23rd, 2006 05:25:49 PM
ENOUGH ALREADY. I liked Snyder DoTD, but this is turning into 'You want...You'll settle for....You get.' From Gilliam to Greengrass to this. And yes, it's just too late now - prepare for irrelevance on a par with V For Vendetta.
Who cares about The Watchman? Not the masses. by R.C. the "Wise"	Jun 23rd, 2006 05:47:02 PM
Which is why the majority of the studios passed on this flick. F*ck this film. I'd much rather see a live action Wonderwoman, Flash, Silver Surfer, Wildcats, Captain America or Aquaman film then this.
at least it's nor a straight to dvd tv home movie... by blackthought	Jun 23rd, 2006 05:48:55 PM
they are thinking of doing...that would suck worse.
Leave it alone. by Jar Jar 4 Prez	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:01:26 PM
Just gonna fuck it up.
I'd be surprised if this actually gets made by Big Bad Clone	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:05:00 PM
How many directors in the last few years alone have been attached? How many over the life tiem of bringing this to the screen? I won't be convinced that this is being made until after it dropn 75% of its audience in its second weekend.
I hope he fucks up it up royally. by MattCG	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:05:19 PM
Really, I do. I hope he turns all the characters into glorified sitting poles for WB actors. I hope they changes the ending so they stop New York from being destroyed. I hope they don't kill the Comedian and cast someone like Jim Belushi in the role. I hope they take out all the awesome character development and invent a brand new villian and toos out everything except the name and few characters and make another "Fantastic Four". Why? Because, I'd rather have a total failure that I could completely hate than the half-assed piece of shit this is destined to be.
the beef by The_Comedian	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:07:06 PM
Guy Pearce as Rorscach? Rorscach is supposed to be a homely ugly little man. Guy Pearce is definately not that. He should be played by an unknown, and anyone who uggests that assclown David Caruso deserves a kick in the taint. Also, Tim Robbins as Nite Owl II, Clint Eastwood as Nite Owl I Bruce Campbell as Comedian, Christian Bale as Dr. Manhattan, Julianne Moore as Silk Spectre II, and Christopher Walken as Moloch
All people who says "Watchman" and "Lex Luther" ... by Wonderboys	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:07:35 PM
should be banned from this talkback... jeez, it's that hard to get it right? WachtMEN, LuthOr!
I live how Kemmer thinks he's the first person who that by wash	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:18:37 PM
It's a huge Talkback cliche at this point - almost to the "has a beer and cheats on his wife" degree.
*that should read "thought of that" by wash	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:19:30 PM

Al Swearengen for Comedian by kintar0	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:24:55 PM
Ian McShane, motherfuckers.
Back off, it's not loaded! by Kemmer Barnes	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:26:03 PM
Jesus christ, ya bunch of twelve-year olds. Please accept my apology for my extremely humble suggestion. If somebody's already thought of it (clearly), that doesn't make me wrong, just ignorant of years of talk back...and ya know what? I'm ok with that. It's still a good idea, whomever thought of it first. (Pretty sure that was Moore, when he made it a twelve issue series).
What about people who "say" "WachtMEN?" by crazyeyezkillah	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:26:05 PM
Should we ban them, too?
Yeah, I can't stand those pricks who... by Ribbons	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:36:43 PM
...spell "Lex Luthor" like "Lex Luther." The nerve of some people.
Who's Lex Luger? by The Heathen	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:54:20 PM
Wasn't he a wrestler? Oh and I guess it's time for the obligatory, "Wha, this is stoopid. It should be a 12 part MAXIseries on HBO or nothing at all. It's not possible!!!" Remember, we still have the book. You know, Watchman. It'll be okay.
Who's Lex Luger? by The Heathen	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:55:00 PM
Wasn't he a wrestler? Oh and I guess it's time for the obligatory, "Wha, this is stoopid. It should be a 12 part MAXIseries on HBO or nothing at all. It's not possible!!!" Remember, we still have the book. You know, Watchman. It'll be okay.
Oh, damn by The Heathen	Jun 23rd, 2006 06:56:15 PM
I said Luger and Watchman (jk) AND double posted. There's no coming back from this. : (
The Heathen, you idiot! by Ribbons	Jun 23rd, 2006 07:17:20 PM
You're talking about "V" the television miniseries! "V for Vendetta" is a comic book written by Alan Moore! Next time you f... oh, wait... wait, whoops. Nevermind. Sorry about that.
Classic, Ribbons. Classic. by The Heathen	Jun 23rd, 2006 07:21:04 PM

The Watchmen... by WISEBLOOD	Jun 23rd, 2006 07:50:20 PM
...With Zack Snyder directing will knock your nuts into your butt. End of Line.
Why they should not do it by gombi	Jun 23rd, 2006 07:57:25 PM
Are they going to show Comediam try to rape Silk Spectre? Are they going to show Night Owl and Laurie getting turned on by doing it in their costumes? Are they going to let Rorschach shoot a cop in the chest? Are they going to let the kid Rorshach stab a lit cigatette into a kid's eye? Are they going to let a murderer chop up a child and feed it to his dogs? Are they going to let millions of New Yorkers die? If not, then why make this movie? You'll be making some other movie if you try without showing all the dakness of the human soul which is the whole point of it.
One other thing by gombi	Jun 23rd, 2006 08:00:17 PM
Are they going to let the Comedian shoot and murder a pregnant woman in cold blood?
Gombi, I hope so. by RezE11even	Jun 23rd, 2006 08:16:06 PM
That bitch got what she deserved.
I hope HBO makes an 80 hour version by INWOsuxRED	Jun 23rd, 2006 08:47:05 PM
with days worth of footage of someone sitting around reading a pirate comic book. Whatever they do with it will piss everyone off that isn't getting something from the studio or director, so they might as well go all out.
It stands the potential by beastie	Jun 23rd, 2006 08:50:50 PM
to win awards for everyone involved and that is not sarcasm. If Snyder (who is yet to prove himself as either good or bad; 300 will do that) does it just right, it could be the first comic book film to win best picture. I mean all of this. Most likely, though, it will just be so-so like V. Here's hoping for the best.
RezE11even? by MattCG	Jun 23rd, 2006 09:25:46 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!!! !!!!!!!1
Nice to see one9deuce is still a fucking moron by mortsleam	Jun 23rd, 2006 09:31:28 PM
I'm going to say it again, just like I've said it every time this topic has come up for the past three years. Nite Owl: Sam Rockwell. Silk Spectre: Maura Tierney. Rorschach: Steve Buscemi. Comedian: Harvey Keitel. Dr. Manhattan: John Malkovich. Ozymandias: Kevin Kline. I will accept no substitutes.
mortsleam... by beastie	Jun 23rd, 2006 09:40:18 PM
The only character I can think of an actor for is Rorschach. I think Hugh Laurie would be great. The other actors you came up with sound great to me, as I couldn't think of any to fit the characters.
Wow mortsleam! by one9deuce	Jun 23rd, 2006 09:53:29 PM
Care to explain why you think I'm a moron? Wait just a darn minute....are you Zack Snyder? That would be perfect. If you are Zack you're out of your depth on Watchmen, but I still think your a decent filmmaker. If you're not Zack then this is barely keeping my attent....zzzzzzzzz
The only way this project will work by chrth	Jun 23rd, 2006 10:09:49 PM
Ok, Hollywood is hellbent on making a Watchmen movie. The challenges are as follows: 1) The ton of material. 2) The dated storyline (Adrian's plan doesn't make sense in a world that doesn't live under the specter of nuclear annihilation). 3) The theft/familiarity of the source material. Yes it was revolutionary 20 years ago, but as already noted, it's all been done since. ... The only solution: throw away the story. I'm dead serious. Keep the characters: Rohrscach, Nite Owl, Doc Manhattan, Silk Spectre, Adrian, and Comedian. Keep the idea of the Spirit of '77: costumed superheroes not under government control are outlawed (Who Watches the Watchmen?). Comedian is killed. Rohrschach investigates. Doc Manhattan is 'eliminated'. Other than that, do whatever you want. Ignore the comic book. BUT MAKE SURE YOU TELL EVERYBODY THIS. Look, the Fanboys want a great flick with these characters. It's going to be impossible to deliver because something left out or changed will bother them. So change everything except the characters (and of course, their personalities). That way the fanboys can't go too nuts because it's essentially Elseworlds. ... The other advantage is that you have a better chance of making a film with popular appeal. This is the best and only way to make a successful Watchmen film.
He's the man like Conran is for JOHN CARTER...oh, wait. by Triumph poops!	Jun 23rd, 2006 10:52:30 PM
Yep! Snyder's the right man for WATCHMEN and no one else can do it justice! Hey, he's adapting a comic right now, so he HAS to be perfect for the job right? I mean, filming one comic equals filming another, no sweat! Just like like Kerry Conran is the ONLY man who can take on JOHN CARTER OF MARS once he finishes SKY CAPTAIN because there's no question that he really understands and "gets" pulp fiction and--oh, wait. Gee, didn't quite work out that way, did it? Look, no offense to Snyder, and no offense to Mori and his ravings after visiting an editing room or whatever, but why don't we just wait and SEE what Snyder does with "300"...SEE how the movie ACTUALLY turns out when it's all put together...and THEN decide how "right" he is for taking on WATCHMEN. Because if there's one truism about Hollywood, it's the simple fact that if "300" comes out and fails at the box office -- much like Conran suffered a major body blow from SKY CAPTAIN underperforming -- you can bet your life savings that the studio will take Snyder off WATCHMEN at light speed. That said, personally, I think WATCHMEN is all but unfilmable simply because anyone trying to film it as a 2 or so hour movie is going to turn out a half-assed piece of crap no matter what. It'll be called WATCHMEN...it'll have people running around that look like characters from WATCHMEN...but it won't be WATCHMEN simply because it will have been massively hacked in size and thus had its heart cut out. Pretty much everyone has the right idea about "how" to do WATCHEMN. Well, everyone but the Hollywood suits that are actually in charge, as usual. The only way to do WATCHMEN and do it RIGHT would be as a cable miniseries where you could really capture the feel of the books and not lose any of its epic scope AND finer storytelling points, which a broadstroke 2 hour movie is clearly going to fuck up.
Get Bruce Timm to produce an animated mini-series by textual	Jun 23rd, 2006 11:16:39 PM
If they could get Gibbons to do the character designs, that'd be great.
GOD DAMMIT by zikade zarathos	Jun 23rd, 2006 11:24:10 PM
This is one of those things I just wanted to languish in development hell and never get made. Christ on a pogo stick we don't need a WATCHMEN adaptation. The original uses the comics form to such a degree that any adaptation would lose so much of the material's purpose as to render it pointless.
Original? Well... by Nodwick	Jun 23rd, 2006 11:35:42 PM
My problem with Watchmen was that the ending was the same as that portrayed in "The Architects of Fear," an episode of the original "Outer Limits." Sure, the characters were interesting, especially Doc Manhattan, but the ending was a huge let-down.
Solid choice, but not a perfect one by moviemaniac-7	Jun 23rd, 2006 11:55:26 PM
Paul Greengrass was a perfect choice, as would James Cameron be. Hopefully that Hayter script will pop on-line sometime soon, since they say it's a good as it can be - and they are not going to use it!
watchemn? by dkthurlow	Jun 24th, 2006 12:34:54 AM
I still don't understand how this can work as a film now when it's all about the cold war and post vietnam america. V for Vendetta made sense in the current world but Watchmen just doesn't. Anyone know how this will be approached in the script?
MATTCG by calami-shami	Jun 24th, 2006 12:42:24 AM
Jesus Christ... you're right.
animate it by MR INBETWEEN	Jun 24th, 2006 01:45:54 AM
You ask me, the first, most logical medium in which a comic book should be adapted is an animated feature. I wish Mignola had done that, or does it, with Hellboy. Sure, it's neat to see what our favorite heroes look like in the flesh, even though they all seem to end up in black leather. But it just seems to me the easiest, most direct translation would be a la animation. Maybe not for Watchmen, necessarily, but then again, maybe. Oh, and re: the hate for a 12 issue HBO series...not getting it. Seems perfect to me.
Doubt... by Milou	Jun 24th, 2006 01:54:04 AM
Just having read some fan forums (superherohype, imdb, the vivarium, chud.com), I think I'm able to say that the general response to that news is doubt, and a kind of fear... Why not having Hayter to do the little rewrites ? And I never was a fan of Snyder directing this adaptation : I hope we will soon get an interview at least as interesting (and it will be hard) as the Greengrass one at Chud.com a year ago... And if Snyder says he wants to shoot the film with a lot of green screens, my nightmare will begin.
What is everyone so worried about?? by 3D-Man	Jun 24th, 2006 02:03:19 AM
If the movie comes out and it sucks, we have lost nothing. NOTHING! Here's a newsflash, EVERY movie has the potential to be a turd, does that mean they should stop trying to make movies altogether?? For that matter, your entire LIFE could turn out to be crappy, so does that mean you just stop trying to live it?? Of course not! There is no disgrace in failure, only in failure to try. Godspeed to Mr. Snyder, Mr. Tse, the producers and Warner Bros., and to all of those who believe a WATCHMEN movie should be made. See you all on opening night. I hope.
Alex Tse is the shit by Doc_McCoy	Jun 24th, 2006 02:10:19 AM
This has an outside chance of being a good movie.
Watchmen is IMPOSSIBLE to adapt by CuervoJones	Jun 24th, 2006 03:12:14 AM
Too complex, too long
sorry fans but this will suck ass: by newc0253	Jun 24th, 2006 03:52:22 AM
the original has not aged well and has too many flaws to be adapted straight from the page. secondly, CGI-heavy films are vverry expensive. no major studio would finance this project without demanding major changes, changes that would make fanboy bitching over episode 1 seem like mild applause.
Please Everyone that's Involved: Stop Now and Walk Away by DOGSOUP	Jun 24th, 2006 04:49:58 AM
Stop making this movie! Stop it! It just doesn't work. The streamlining they're doing will be everything that made The Watchmen great you'll see.
WATCHMEN teaser trailer idea by Solrider77	Jun 24th, 2006 05:14:32 AM
I've had this idea for a teaser trailer and so here it is: FADE IN: PRISON PSYCH WARD Two men sit at a table, the man on the right pushes A INK BLOT CARD across table. DR. LONG: What do you see here Walter? CUE Holst's MARS suite: RORSCHACH VOICE: The cold, suffocating dark that goes on forever, telling us we are alone. (Cut to three quick images, A Flashing Clock, The Happy Face Button in the drain, Adrain Veidt watching his monitors.) ROROSCHACH VOICE CONT: Live our lives, lacking anything better to do. Devise reason later. (Images of punks running past Dan Dreiberg, kid reading next to newstand.) Born from Oblivion; Bear Children, hellbound as ourselves; go into oblivion. (Images of the birth of Dr. Mahattan, Sally and Laurie Jupiter.) There is nothing else. ROROSCHACH VOICE: Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. (Nite Owl's ship over the prison, Roroschach waiting for the cops, and Manhattan floating in front of Capital.) ROROSCHACH VOICE:This Rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. (Manhattan as a giantin Vietnam) It is not God who kills children. (The Police riots in New York) Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to dogs. (Comedian getting beaten to a pulp) It's us, only us. (Cascade of images including:Manhattan on Mars, Daniel and Sally embracing, the Hiroshima lovers, Veidt raising his arms in triumph. Final image is the Comedian being thrown out the window.) Cut to: CLOSE UP ON ROROSCHACH'S FACE ROROSCHACH: Does that answer your question doctor? FADE TO BLACK: Out of the darkness comes a smiley face watch. The title WATCHMEN materializes in front of it.
Moriarty, is Tse going to rework the Hayter script? by Wonderboys	Jun 24th, 2006 05:58:14 AM
..or is he going to write a completely new script?
Despite the bile and hatred by emeraldboy	Jun 24th, 2006 06:33:36 AM
Shown towards Peter Jackson, He proved that nothing in Hollywood is impossible.
Jackson made LOTR because..... by emeraldboy	Jun 24th, 2006 06:49:17 AM
He was suilding up to Kong and he wanted to get it out his system the feeling that New Zealanders had towards him which was " if you love NZ so much, what are you doing in the US". Lotr was an open love letter to New Zealand. But it was open advert to others to come and visit, so everyone benefited, it gave jackson a chance, to show off his country, Make three of the biggest films of his career, Put NZ on the filmmaking map, New Zealand govt benefited. Which efects house did the effects for X-3. Ilm? No, Weta............
A little reality... by genro	Jun 24th, 2006 07:28:25 AM
The guys behind this are the Hellboy producers and behind MEG. If you think AICN or CHUD are going to report fairly on this film, you're smoking crack.
Only a cable mini would work by BrandLoyalist	Jun 24th, 2006 08:14:16 AM
Just kidding -- just trying to get Moriarty's lower eyelid twitching :D
Although by Athanatos	Jun 24th, 2006 08:22:44 AM
I loved the comic books, actually placing Watchmen in my top 5, I don't see how they can adapt it into a 2 or 2 1/2 hour movie. So much of what I loved would be left on the cutting room floor, or not filmed at all. And I'm still waiting for The Dark Knight Returns...c'mon, you know you are too.
by Sparhawk38	Jun 24th, 2006 08:24:00 AM

I am Hopeful! by Sparhawk38	Jun 24th, 2006 08:34:07 AM
Even though many of the current comic book movies make significant changes....overall we are living in a remarkable time for people who love comic books. Even Fantastic Four, which seems like the weakest of all the recent adaptations, had some entertainment in it. I love "V for V" the movie and I love "V for V" the book. I hope they can capture the core of Watchmen. Keep 'em coming and bring on Supes!
Never read it. by TomBodet	Jun 24th, 2006 08:48:10 AM
Flipped thru. Thought, okay, this is mid-80s cold war shit. ZZZZ. I am sure that's flippant, but who cares? I hope they take it and make it into something Cinematic. Just be sure to Insert the Giant Robots and you will be fine. Word.
STILL NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!! Just sayin'. by Negative Man	Jun 24th, 2006 09:10:45 AM

cool teaser idea! by blackshuck	Jun 24th, 2006 10:19:31 AM
But there's very little chance a feature could do this book justice. I think a cable mini would be perfect! Otherwise, you know the suits would be trying to push Rorschach Happy Meals...hmm on second thought that would be great! PLUS the material is a little dated and it's themes have been subtely mined by others over the years...some reworking would be required, which would make fanboys' heads explode.
btw re: ff2w/ss by blackshuck	Jun 24th, 2006 10:24:27 AM
Is it really possible that the sequel to fantastic four will be worse than the original?
No don't make a movie. They should do an HBO by brycemonkey	Jun 24th, 2006 10:32:16 AM
miniseries! That would rock. Hard!!!!
;-) by brycemonkey	Jun 24th, 2006 10:33:48 AM
And that is the best description on an imagined teaser I have ever read. Not that I've read a lot of those but if I did it'd still be up there...
Yeah woo hoo, that's great news !!!! LOLZ by IAmLegolas	Jun 24th, 2006 11:06:52 AM
A 12 issue series into a 2 hour movie...
If They Make An HBO Miniseries... by tonagan	Jun 24th, 2006 11:47:00 AM
HBO would probably cancel it one-third of the way through, like Carnivale...
He's been hired to do a movie that will not be made by YackBacker	Jun 24th, 2006 12:10:56 PM
It will never be made. Good luck, Zack-sack.
The reason I believe this won't work by Immortal_Fish	Jun 24th, 2006 12:15:23 PM
This story can't be told as a superhero movie. That's what the suits will want and what general movie audiences will expect. This is a talksy drama, sans grand postuering. There are few exciting set pieces. Most conflicts are resolved in a single punch or completely offscreen. There is no obvious Big Bad and the reveal is rather subdued. Believe me, this material is gold in the right hands and Snyder appears more than capable. It's just way too cerebral and I don't think audiences are ready for a superhero drama that is light on both action and humor. Consider how all adaptations fall into only two categories -- high adventure and parody. Hulk was quite dramatic and even included several action bits, one of them stellar. I loved it. But audiences and fanboys alike weren't quite ready for it. And that's precisely why they aren't ready for Watchmen too.
Hey Tom, I left some Great Comics in the Motel 6 by DOGSOUP	Jun 24th, 2006 12:23:35 PM
Including Watchmen which you HAVE to read or get your dick chopped off. I also left From Hell, Transmetropolitan, White Out, and The Invisibles. There are no brightly colored tights for you to drool on in these because it's time to grow up. Don't worry, I'll leave the light on for you.
Casting Ideas by Solrider77	Jun 24th, 2006 01:22:41 PM
Here's my main cast idea for WATCHMEN. ROROSCHACH-Edward Norton or William H. Macy. NITE OWL(Daniel)-John Cusack. COMEDIAN-Burt Reynolds; for younger version Jason Lee. SILK SPECTRE(Sally)-Diane Lane. DR.MANHATTAN-Val Kilmer. OZYMANDIAS-Brad Pitt. What do you think?
300 to be released on March 16, 2007 by McGsBro	Jun 24th, 2006 01:36:38 PM
So I'm guessing we will know if he will direct WATCHMEN on March 17th or 18th.
Dawn of the Dead... by OhDaesu	Jun 24th, 2006 02:13:29 PM
...was pretty entertaining especially being his first widely released feature film. He's definitely got potential, but Watchmen is a masterpiece. Since this is already set in stone we have nothing we can do except hope he does the graphic novel justice. Didn't Jude Law want to be Manhattan? He's got a tattoo of a Rorschach because he's such a fan of the book and the character, I say cast him already! Also William H. Macy (Filliam H. Muffman) as Rorschach would be great.
THis would be better if by barryap	Jun 24th, 2006 02:45:00 PM
Snyder made it a Zombie movie.
Zack is a Talented Guy by twitaman	Jun 24th, 2006 02:45:54 PM
His "Dawn of the Dead" re-imagining proved that (hell I like it better than the original). But "Watchmen" shouldn't be made into a film. It should exist only as a comic book to me. I did like "V: For Vendetta" and thought they did a good job with it. But it wasn't the graphic novel. I know you shouldn't compare the two, but "Watchmen" I think will be harder to film than "V". Good luck Zack, you're gonna need it.
An overweight, middle-aged guy in an owl suit by Snookeroo	Jun 24th, 2006 03:35:56 PM
can only come off as parody on film. There's no way to make Watchmen come off in a movie like it does in the comics; and I hate to see such a tremendous milestone in comicdom go down like that. Leave it alone. Please.
DogSoop....lol ah Korean Delight. by TomBodet	Jun 24th, 2006 03:52:01 PM
You know whut they say in Kentucky-about the three legged Dog-Can't Eat a dog that good all at once! Nossir!.......Now What was that again? Something about someone needing to be grown up if they don't read you precious Comics?! Is that before or after your Power Rangers suit gets back from the dry cleaners?? Lookie awwwful careful about what you just said Son. I kinda stopped worrying about missing out on comics about the time I left your sister pregnant and waiting at the alter. You looked cute in the Colossus suit by the way. Just sayin'.
Well said, Solrider77 by Zenslinger	Jun 24th, 2006 03:56:19 PM
That was a nice trailer. Veldt raising his hands in victory might be too obvious, maybe if it's a very quick slice of him doing so. But very, very well done.
Can't Work As A Two-Hour Movie by Barron34	Jun 24th, 2006 03:57:05 PM
and won't get made as an HBO mini-series. It has been said a million times before, but I will add my voice to the cacophony: don't make this movie. I do enjoy the casting game when it comes to WATCHMEN anyway, and do also belive it MIGHT work as a cable mini-series if handled properly. Yet, as a fan, I would much prefer to see the CITIZEN KANE of comics left alone unless it can be done right. A two-hour movie won't cut it. End of story.
It CAN work as a two hour movie ... by UserIDGoesHere	Jun 24th, 2006 04:37:16 PM
Only way to really save this project is to get Will Smith on board as Rorschach, with Bruce Willis as Dr. Manhattan, and make it about a real alien invasion. Now that would be hot!
3-D Man - Watchmen Vs. The Syphilitic Pygmies by StrangeCo	Jun 24th, 2006 04:47:43 PM
"If the movie comes out and it sucks, we have lost nothing," you say. Really? Nothing? How 'bout we do a porno featuring your mom getting gangbanged by a bunch of syphilitic pygmies and then you watch it? Will you have lost "NOTHING!" Something is ALWAYS gained and something is ALWAYS lost. That, sir, is called living. As you so succinctly note with your "newsflash," every movie DOES have the potential to be a turd, but some of us (not necessarily me, but some of us) would prefer that the Hope Diamond not be inserted into the Giant Hollywood 50/50 Turd Factory. Some of us like the "diamond" how it is and would prefer not risking the pygmy ass-raping that might produce another diamond or might produce another turd. Who said that "they" should stop trying to make movies altogether? Nobody here that I saw. Some don't want them to insert what they consider borderline sacred into the Giant Hollywood 50/50 Turd Factory for the possibility of said ass-raping. What don't you get there? Sure, one's "entire LIFE" COULD "turn out to be crappy," but your ridiculous alternative ("just stop trying to live it") is not the only alternative. Me, personally, my life "could turn out to be crappy," but, as opposed to just stop trying to live it, I'll avoid things like exposing valued parts of it to pygmy ass-raping. Seems to me like if you avoid risking letting the best parts of yourself or your life (or your comics) get gangbanged by syphilitic pygmies who work in Hollywood factories you MIGHT also avoid the crappy-life outcome. Yes? I ask you, though: how is not giving up valued parts of yourself, your life, or things that you value to small-minded "men" to twist and turn and bend and fuck "failure to even try?" I mean, you could "try" to turn your only daughter over to Eastern European sex traffickers in the hopeful attempt that she might really be a happy, successful person, but, honestly, would you expect anything but the fabled pygmy ending with the drooling and the Swiss cheese brain? Hope and "trying" are not masks that WE apply to blind ourselves to reality and the law of averages.
Bodet, you left his sister at the ALTER?!?!?! by StrangeCo	Jun 24th, 2006 04:55:07 PM
I guess that not reading comics really taught you how to spell, huh? Maybe you should use that light that you keep leaving on to read a dictionary at least.
Sorry, StrangeCo but... by 3D-Man	Jun 24th, 2006 06:21:44 PM
Your argument doesn't hold water. Here's why. If my Mom was in a porno getting gangbanged by a bunch of syphilitic pygmies and then I watched it, the experience would profoundly change both myself and my poor unfortunate mom, and not for the better. Whereas, if the WATCHMEN film were made and it sucked, the original graphic novel itself will remain intact and unspoiled (unlike my mom's ravaged orifices), and continue to be a classic. Look at the Huck Finn movie with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. It was crap, so does that mean that the original Mark Twain works have been lessened somehow? I think not. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll give my mom a call to see how she's doing.
Another idiotic AICN Kelsey Grammer cop. by TomBodet	Jun 24th, 2006 07:01:44 PM
Shaddap. I read and internalized enough Windsor McKay, Elzie Seger, George Herriman, Johnny Hart and Fred Opper in my time to choke a pig and then some palie. Please spare me. I don't get off on the little nerd orthodoxy where you are sposed to creme de pants about Watchmen or Groening's little rabbit doodle toon or whatever else is meant to be 'in' to read. I don't care, frankly. I remember when Jim fucking Lee or Sodd MacFarlane were all 'Must reads'. Gee ya think that holds up now? I kinda stopped at King Kirby then seventies Marvel and DC. Woo hoo I don't need books w/ them there infernal drawings to actually comprehend whut um readin there sporte. (Kin yew see wear I done mispeld inethin' here fellar? So tel' me whut part of zis eye misdid) Dudes in their undies meant to be riffs on the fifties Charlton comics guys. I got that. Woweeeeeeeeeee! Hey lookie Rob Neyer's new book just got here....He writes stuff w/out too many drawings. But it does mention Heinie Manush. You might like it.
Not dated.... by Gondolfin	Jun 24th, 2006 07:02:19 PM
but the film version of Watchmen will die on its arse. Who will honestly watch this? I will, but then I'm a fan. And that's the point: Watchmen is a huge in-joke. Only people who enjoy comics and superhero movies will buy into it and it's significance. Consider this: all of the "hero's" are entirely unfamiliar and the crux of the story requires at least a good understanding of the genre. The casual movie-goer will get nothing from a Watchmen film and that's probably one of the big reasons for why it can never get the greenlight. Contrary to what some have said, I think you could easily make a very good 2.5-3 hour film of Watchmen. There's a lot of padding in there and the whole "comic within a comic" storyline is entirely expendable from a cinematic point of view. And "the Citizen Kane of comics"? Jesus! Citizen Kane is overrated shite. At least Watchmen lives up to its billing.
Oh, they'll adapt it fine, by samsquanch	Jun 24th, 2006 07:36:37 PM
They just won't include Dr. Manhattan. I can imagine the executive meeting ... Exec #1: "What the fuck is up with giant fucking naked blue guy? What the fuck?" exec #2: "You're right. Fuck 'im. I'm meeting Kirsten at three for a blowjob, see you on the court tomorrow."
bring back gilliam by erockwilly	Jun 24th, 2006 09:18:37 PM
I know that will never happen but this project needs a seasoned director. I'm not sold on snyder but if he's got the project off the ground that's more than anyone else ever did. I hope he's got the chops.
Without Dr. Manhattan there is no story ... by UserIDGoesHere	Jun 24th, 2006 09:25:03 PM
Not sure if you were totally joking, dstrbo1, but Dr. M or some variation has to be involved. Sure the nudity will be changed, unfortunately, but he was the hero who was the entire reason for the world being in the mess it was in.
Ah, I was joking... by samsquanch	Jun 24th, 2006 09:30:56 PM
but it's funny 'cause it's true. Hollywood is like that.... This just in! Watchmen to be directed by Brett Ratner, the man responsible for saving the X-Men franchise from itself! It has a 91 minute running time, and not only does the Comedian die in the first scene, but so does half of the rest of the Watchmen's roster as well! He's a fucking genius!________ I laugh, because otherwise I'd never stop crying.
teaser by treewarrior	Jun 25th, 2006 12:41:38 AM
good teaser idea, but Holst is too grandiose, don't you think? something more subtle, like Billie Holliday's You're My Thrill, would be cool. I keep thinking of the trailer for Blade Runner...
Hey Tom, Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon not an Identity. by DOGSOUP	Jun 25th, 2006 12:53:27 AM
It's ok to join us in the new millenium where people can be themselves and not be so terribly butt hurt about their insecurities that you can't even laugh at yourself. You take yourself so seriously you don't even understand that speaking like Foghorn Leghorn isn't humor in this our new millenium. Maybe you shouldn't read comics today then, they obviously scare you somehow. Why are you here again? Oh that's right, to give my sister scabies. She never recovered from that you know, those little bugs ate away her entire vagina. See that's me using you to laugh at myself because I have no problem in the self esteem department. You should learn about humerous self depreciation, it's more entertaining to these people than your scabies.
Casting ideas... by Negator76	Jun 25th, 2006 02:08:01 AM
Rorschach: Hugo Weaving. Nite Owl: Campbell Scott (with weight gain) Silk Spectre: Maura Tierney. Doctor Manhattan: Christian Bale. The Comedian: J.K. Simmons. Ozymandias: Ralph Fiennes/Val Kilmer/Paul Bettany. Nite Owl 1: Paul Newman/Robert Redford. Silk Spectre 1: Ellen Burstyn. That is all.
At the risk of judging something unfairly... by BigTed	Jun 25th, 2006 08:15:52 AM
I can't believe they are going with Zack fucking Snyder. I don't care if 300 looks exactly like the comic, that means jack shit. The very fact that they've grabbed him says to me that this thing is going to be neutered.
It DOES need to be a movie... by stones_throw	Jun 25th, 2006 09:01:30 AM
...that's the only medium that could have the scope to effectively translate Watchmen. Also, I think it wouldn't be too hard to keep most of the boom in a 3 hour film ...lose the Black Pirate comics though. Watchmen always was very cinematic and streamlined*********THE CAST: Comedian - Bruce Willis, Rorschach - Steve Buscemi, Nite Owl 1 - Paul Newman, Nite Owl 2 - Alec Baldwin/ George Clooney, Ozymandias - val Kilmer, Silk Spectre - Julianne Moore
Where THE ZONE Go??? by ZombieSolutions	Jun 25th, 2006 11:32:37 AM
Where THE ZONE Go???
Hilarious by Metebelis3	Jun 25th, 2006 11:46:17 AM
Another day, another name signed on to the project. The development purgatory continues. The same debate continues - Feature film vs. Mini-series. I
Gondolfin by one9deuce	Jun 25th, 2006 01:42:47 PM
You think Citizen Kane is "overrated shite"? That's just because you're ignorant. It's OK, don't panic, most people are it seems. At least you will have plenty of company in that ignorance. If you don't think Citizen Kane is a great film, then you don't know what makes a film great. Period. So you don't like the film and that's fine, people can like or dislike whatever they please, but your opinion is irrelevant to where that film places on all-time lists. At the top or very near the top and deservedly so. ************ After seeing V for Vendetta turned into a mediocre film and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen turned into a shit film I don't have a lot of hope for Watchmen. Zack Snyder is in a similar place to where Stephen Norrington was when he got The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Both hadn't done much when they directed a genre/fanboy film that was a small hit (Blade and Dawn of the Dead) before being handed the directorial reigns of something that was beyond them in complexity. Will Watchmen end up being reduced to a shallow summer action film that only resembles the graphic novel like "LXG" was? With the direction they're taking, that sure looks to be the reality.
One9deuce ...good point by Metebelis3	Jun 25th, 2006 03:35:11 PM
...Too anyone that still says "Just be glad its being made, even if it does turn up a lame adaptation" ...ask yourself what wonders LXG brought to the world? And were you 'at least glad that it was made' ....heh-heh-heh. I thought so.
Dated scenario? ...Depends on the setup by Metebelis3	Jun 25th, 2006 04:06:48 PM

Metebelis3...even better point. by one9deuce	Jun 25th, 2006 08:02:25 PM
I hadn't even thought about how Watchmen is an alternate reality thanks to Dr. Manhattan. The whole scenario works perfectly with that in mind. Excellent point. So do you incure the extra cost of setting it in 1985, or do you write around a few things and set it in the present?
i remember the high while watching Sky Captain.. by white owl	Jun 25th, 2006 08:40:51 PM
..more than the film itself. I absolutely love Watchmen, and I know this just can't be done right. I have so much faith in Snyder to try and make it all work but when I think about it over and over again.. nothing adds up. It's all been stated in this TB before so I won't repeat but the problems are evident. The atmosphere of nuclear war, an attack on NY, all the context and backstory (newsstand and black pirate being the best) this can't all possibly be done in a 3 or 3.5 hour movie. I would be happy with a miniseries, whether on HBO or showtime or whatever. Give this story the respect it deserves. I'd hate to see a story so loved, so dear to me, be reduced to opening-weekend joe moviegoer bored-on-a-friday banter. So sad...
I just can't wait for the Maus adaptation by LeFlambeur	Jun 25th, 2006 09:25:35 PM
Starring Ben Afleck, Robert Duvall, and Nicole Kidman. With Chris Columbas to direct. And a Hans Zimmer score.
Watchmen Trailer by Steelydan	Jun 25th, 2006 11:48:57 PM
First, I agree with HBO doing it. They would be perfect. The sopranos people picked "preacher". Incredible. Two, the Sin City could do an excellent job as well. And someone did an amateur trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =QijL6PbUED8&eurl=http%3A%2F%2 Fwww%2Ethreeriversonline%2Ecom %2F Philip Shropshire www.threeriversonline.com
Mid 1980's setting... by Metebelis3	Jun 26th, 2006 07:27:16 AM
Tough question-An
White Owl - its possible but damn difficult by Metebelis3	Jun 26th, 2006 07:37:51 AM
The plot is not for the FF4 audience. If they think they are going to make a movie for the same boobs who went to see Fantastic Four (inexplicably it made millions-go figure?) we
Watchmen Casting by Metebelis3	Jun 26th, 2006 07:46:29 AM
My 2cents worth
So it's the cold war, so the fuck what? by Engineer_at_peac	Jun 26th, 2006 08:48:52 AM
Ever heard of a period piece? Any conceivable reason they couldn't just set the damn movie in 1985? Or perhaps just say the cold war was drawn out this long because of the existence of Dr. Manhatten?
Cusack's my horse... by Childe Roland	Jun 26th, 2006 10:01:49 AM
...for Nite Owl II, and I'd love to see David Caruso give Rorschach a go. As for the material being dated. Sure...there's no fear of a nuke going off in any major U.S. city these days. If you're comatose. And if it isn't a nuke, it's a dirty bomb or a bird flu or another airplane. The difference between the timeframe of this book and today is that people are so scared of so much different stuff that the overall fear impact of a simple nuke may have been lessened some. But what an opportunity to remind them how scary a simple nuke can be. I dunno. Seems to me, the time has never been better for a movie like this. Especially if it's done well with genuine respect for the source material and a sense of economy (for story, not necessarily budget). Streamline things here and there and you could easily bring this in under three-and-a-half hours. If it was as good as Ang Lee's Hulk, I'd see it twice in the theater.
Threads, the Day After... by samsquanch	Jun 26th, 2006 10:43:24 AM
Scary, yes. At the end of Threads no one has any language, humanity has reverted to pre-history, that's what affected me... But here in North America we had "The Day After", I think I was in sixth grade, and that was absolutely terrifying. It showed what happens to an ordinary north western suburb slowly dying of radiation poisoning, after Seattle has been nuked. Ugly, graphic, hopeless, depressing. I remember everyone I talked to the next day, from the busdriver, the teacher, the students, were totally fucking bummed out and scared. Thank GOD Superman threw all those nuclear bombs into the sun and we don't have to worry about them anymore!! Oh wait, what?
Okay people, it's officially getting annoying. by Devil'sOwn	Jun 26th, 2006 02:10:44 PM
ANY comic book adaptation has the potential to be screwed up, and as any visitor to this site knows, even when the movies are right on the money, there's still a contingent of fans out there who will find fault with the film. One has to wonder: If decent movies can be made from such convoluted source material, then why oh why can't Watchmen- a series with a very finite amount of ideas an concepts- be made into a kickass movie? The answer is no reason at all. Pshaw to all the naysayers. Just because something doesn't synch up with your fevered little imaginations doesn't mean it can't be done well.
SPOILER ALERT by one9deuce	Jun 26th, 2006 03:16:09 PM
I got to disagree with you Childe Roland. There is certainly a lot of fear of terrorist type attacks now, but it is stuff that is very isolated. A nuclear bomb going off in a big city would be catastrophic, but it doesn't carry the same weight that an apocolypse scenario like full on nuclear war does. With the two Super-Powers of the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. pointing thousands of nuclear warheads at each other, the plan that Ozymandias ends up implementing at least makes sense. He got the two Super-Powers to unite against a common foe. That doesn't really work in todays world. I can't really see terrorists getting on the same side as the U.S.A. under ANY circumstances.
But one9... by Childe Roland	Jun 26th, 2006 03:35:35 PM
...it's not whether terrorists would join forces with the U.S. that would be at issue. Terrorists aren't a nation, per se. Yet, as we've seen, when a terrorist attack against the U.S. succeeds, some nation's getting pasted with a retaliatory/pre-emptive strike. So the fear is multi-layered. U.S. citizens fearing terror attacks, foreign nations fearing what may or may not be just reprisals for same. It may not be a direct A to B matchup of the plot for the graphic novel, but enough of the elements (fear of annihilation and the friend of my enemy being my enemy) remain for a very intelligent and poignant modern interpretation to be written. And if you go back in the mental WayBack machine to the early eighties, no one then would've imagined anything unifying the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. for any reason. Yet we know now that it can happen...sometimes over relatively mundane issues. Things change but themes tend to remain the same. Such is the curse and the charm of the human condition.
Fiennes as Ozymandias is a perfect idea. by mortsleam	Jun 26th, 2006 03:36:11 PM
Forget Kevin Kline. Too old now anyway. Let's remember people, Dan, Julie and Mahattan are in their mid to late 30's, Veidt and Rorschach in their mid 40's, Eddie, Hollis and Sally in their late 50's. Let's look at who can realistically play these parts.
metebelis3 you're asking Hollywood to grow up? by white owl	Jun 26th, 2006 04:44:44 PM
In order to make a faithful adaptation possible? Now THAT is the impossibility of this whole scenario. It won't happen. Nor will the long-called-for regime change like the "easy riders, raging bulls" period of the 70s.
You might be right about tha White Owl by Metebelis3	Jun 26th, 2006 05:12:03 PM
...I might be pissing into the wind on that one ;)
btw that fan trailer is lame by white owl	Jun 26th, 2006 05:44:51 PM

White Owl by Immortal_Fish	Jun 26th, 2006 07:32:39 PM
Explain why "that fan trailer is lame," please. I grant you the voiceover could have been better and the style appeared to be heavily influenced by Sin City. Doesn't mean it didn't work. It was a beat by beat direct adaptation of the first few pages of issue 1. And it was available for the best price -- free. Please explain your problems with it and why it was lame.
its retro.. that shit's in right? by godee	Jun 26th, 2006 11:53:28 PM
funny.. i always called it the crime and punishment of comics... metebelis3 is right it's an alternate timeline.. a big "what if".. so fuck it.. set it in 85 and make it retro 80s scifi noir.. thats some geek shit right there.. pack it into 2 1/2 hours.. and it would work beautifully.. with very short and sparse analogies from tales of the black freighter.. it would be delicious. obviously a 12 part single season run would be better.. and yes.. i cant even imagine the depths to which these execs and producers will sink in trying to get this to make summer money.. but the one thing going for it is that if they wanted to make that kind of movie.. this is absolutely horrible source material for it.. for all the reasons everyone's stated.. its supposed to be a joke.. i found the book hilarious when i read it.. sure it's a profound cautionary tale and philosophically thought provoking.. but its also fucking funny.. because the characters are all so fucking lame.. they're all struggling with human weakness.. except doc.. who's struggling with being god.. which is an interesting contrast.. and they're all lame superheros too.. there's way hotter properties.. i love rorshach for the demented little badass that he is.. but really.. a dude with swirly face, trench coat, and a scarf?.. who beats people up.. fightin crime with his dumpy owl buddy.. like batman.. but homely. here's hoping.. that being said.. Comedian: ian mcshane, ron pearlman.. dare i say clooney? - Holis: paul newman.. - Dreiberg: alec baldwin suggestion is good.. plumpy john cusack too.. philip seymour hoffeman would be nice.. though maybe overexposed. - Laurie: i like the maura tierney.. - Dr. Manhattan: jude law, christian bale, guy pearce.. - Veidt: jude law, guy pearce, brad pitt.. all work. - Sally Jupiter: susan sarandon.. - Rorshach: robbins works.. would love to put in willem dafoe.. maybe it should be an unknown for the sake of the story.
Casting, etc... by Negator76	Jun 27th, 2006 01:27:12 AM
I like Alec Baldwin, but he's still too slick to play Dreiberg. And Cusack is a freaking joke. The guy's charisma has slowly eroded over the years.... I think he's been taking career advice from Nic Cage. Nah, I'd cast Paul Giamatti before either of those dudes. Or a fattened-up Campbell Scott. he's got chiseled looks but a nerd's heart. Russell Crowe could do it, because he can do anything... but he's too pricey. What about David Morse? He's a good actor who's been wasting away in lame villain roles. I stand by Hugo Weaving as Rorschach... not because of the Matrix, but because of his insane acting chops... see 'Little Fish' or 'The Interview' or anything he's ever been in. Stanley Tucci or Gary Sinise might also work. Not Willem Dafoe. He's great, but I don't think he could make Rorschach sympathetic. He's too theatrical. The more I think about it, the more Fiennes seems like the only choice for Viedt. Really, he's got it all. The Comedian is J.K. Simmons. Great actor, a little older, and brilliant at playing funny and menacing simultaneously. Ian McShane is good, but he's not athletic enough to be plausible onscreen. Simmons looks like he could take you apart. Which is a necessary feature to sell this kind of character. Silk Spectre BELONGS to Maura Tierney. She's made sexy, sulking irony into an art form. But I could see Cate Blanchett tackling the role. She can play anything, anywhere, anytime. And whoever said Hollis and Sally were in their fifties needs to go back to basic math.
Oh, and Tim Robbins.. by Negator76	Jun 27th, 2006 01:29:11 AM
... would make a great Nite Owl.
quinlans run by hank quinlan	Jun 27th, 2006 03:46:25 AM
Yeah...sooo I have to join the ranks who simply don't want this made. I think Snyder seems like a decent, if uninspired, choice but I can't think of any director up to this challenge. The movie seems costly, unwieldy, and utterly uncommercial. It's a story that very much relies on your knowledge of the medium it's told in. Actually post 9-11, the story still makes sense. Post Iraq and a fragmented world...not so much. It really is about the cold war. I'm just old enough to remember what that was like. How can you translate that fear to today? The new worries are sooo different. Speaking of fears...I'm pretty sure, the one about Watchmen one day being made will come true. People wonder why we get so upset about it. Because it taints a pop culture masterpiece that shaped your nascent views on art, story, politics, and writing. Because that's what people will remember instead of Alan Moore's genius. Because after Tim Burton (thats right, Burton) fucked up Batman (and Schumacher killed what was left), it took literally half my life for another film to show up you could point to and go...that's what I'm talking about. And to the person who posted about a Brett Ratner Watchmen (shudder), I would laugh if I didn't think that was a very possibility. Zach, you seem like a filmmaker with a lot of potential. Make something else.
Quinlan, I share your scepticism... by Metebelis3	Jun 27th, 2006 04:58:42 AM

Oh Yeah Quinlan - Off Topic but... by Metebelis3	Jun 27th, 2006 05:03:47 AM
Funny you should say that about Batman Begins, I totally agree
Casting Watchmen by Barron34	Jun 27th, 2006 07:19:06 PM
Comedian--Tom Berenger (see him again in PLATOON for a dead-on version of the Comedian). Ozymandias--Jeffery Nordling--this guy is a relatively unknown character actor. I was channel-surfing one day and saw him playing a hockey coach in one of the MIGHTY DUCKS movie. He is a dead-ringer for Veidt, is the right age, and his IMDB profile says he is an accomplished stage-fighter, which would help in the combat scenes between Veidt and Rorschach. Nite Owl II--Alec Baldwin. I think that he could downplay his movie star nature and get into the role of Dreiburg. Silk Spectre II--Julianne Moore. She is a strong film actress of the right age and looks for Laurie. Rorschach--Gary Sinise. Rorschach shouldn't be tall (like Steve Buscemi), and I think that Sinise can project the sense of menace that Rorschach requires better than some of the other actors mentioned (William H. Macy, Paul Giamatti). Doctor Manhatten--Christian Bale. A good choice I think, since Manhatten never really ages. Bale could play the inhuman detatchment of Manhatten well, I think. Nite Owl I--Paul Newman or James Garner. Silk Spectre I--Faye Dunaway. Moloch--Christopher Walken.
Watchmen Adaptation surprises.... by Quangaroo	Jul 12th, 2006 12:48:57 PM
Adaptations are not always such a bad thing. I remember reading the script when it was attached to Terry Gilliam. It opened with a scene that explained why super-heroes had been outlawed: the Statue of Liberty has been taken over by terrorists and they are holding hostages, threatening to blow the whole thing up. The Watchmen are called in and while Nite Owl is lowering Rorschach from his copter within reach of some badguys in the torch, a f**k-up in strategy inside the statue by the Watchmen triggers the detonation. Everyone is running like hell to get out, and Nite owl pulls away in the copter just as a PO'd Rorschach is about to nail one of the terrorists. They get away in time just as the whole thing blows to pieces--a total loss, hostages all killed. Now I'm a big fan of the comic, and when I read that opening sequence I couldn't beleive how good it was! A film would be actually quite boring if it was an EXACT panel-for-panel translation.

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