First look at the Watchmen movie...

[General_Grievous]

From Ain't It Cool News:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31814


It's an image of Rorshach that was hidden in the 300 trailer. Personally, I'm excited to see it. Watchmen is one of my favorite comic books of all time. I'm pretty sure it's still in the preproduction stage, though.

[bigbarada]

From Ain't It Cool News:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31814


It's an image of Rorshach that was hidden in the 300 trailer. Personally, I'm excited to see it. Watchmen is one of my favorite comic books of all time. I'm pretty sure it's still in the preproduction stage, though.

I really have no idea how they can make this movie without completely butchering the original storyline. If they do it right, though, it'll be a great movie.

BTW, obviously the images have been taken down, they're no longer available in that link.

[JediTricks]

The image is still right there, here's the direct link to the frame: http://www.aintitcool.com/images2007//rorshach_badge.jpg

[2-1B]

I never even heard of The Watchmen until this thread...

[El Chuxter]

You should correct that.

Kris Kristofferson read it, and he loved it. True story.

[2-1B]

I have too many childish vices as it is, no time for graphic novels.

[General_Grievous]

So there's been a lot more news on this lately, including a cast.

Watchmen Cast Confirmed!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie88dcf13294612e0d5010ddce2a351f1)
July 26, 2007



Warner Bros. Pictures has confirmed the cast for Watchmen (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=21117), the big screen adaptation of the seminal DC Comics limited series.

Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Grey's Anatomy") and Malin Akerman will star in the Warner Bros. movie, which Zack Snyder is directing. Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin and Deborah Snyder are producing.

Set in an alternate America, Watchmen (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=21117) follows costumed hero Rorschach, who is living a vigilante lifestyle because most masked heroes have retired or been outlawed. While investigating a murder, Rorschach learns that a former masked-hero colleague has been killed, prompting him to begin investigating a possible conspiracy.

Haley will play Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach, who ignores the ban on costumed vigilantes.

Crudup will play Dr. Manhattan, a superpowered being with godlike powers and temperament.

Akerman will play Laurie Juspeczyk/the Silk Spectre, who is involved with Dr. Manhattan -- but that relationship begins to fall apart as he becomes more disconnected from humanity.

Goode will play Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, a costumed adventurer who retired voluntarily, disclosed his identity and built a large fortune. He hatches a plot to avert a global catastrophe he believes will be caused by Dr. Manhattan.

Wilson will play the Nite-Owl, a crime-figher who uses technical wizardry and has an owl-shaped flying vehicle.

Morgan will play the Comedian (http://www.superherohype.com/news/watchmennews.php?id=6056#), a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent.

Watchmen (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=21117) was created by Alan Moore (http://www.superherohype.com/news/watchmennews.php?id=6056#) and Dave Gibbons.

Shooting is set to start in the fall in Vancouver, with Snyder employing many of the filming techniques he used for his boxoffice success 300.



That's a damn good cast. After "300", I trust Zack Snyder to do the Watchmen justice.

[darko666]

while i enjoy 300, Watchmen and 300 have nothing in common. i'm keeping optimistic about the movie though. i'm pleased to see an unknown cast filling the roles, the fact that it's more along the lines of a Seven movie(the look of it), with little to no CG, being set in 1985, based around the cold war, and following very closely to the source material. there are rumours of the ending being changed, rather than what happened in the book(Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias ending).

the dialouge has to be serious, nothing like 300, which is what worries me. also Rorshach has to be perfect. i read an interview with Zack describing how they might handle his voice when Rorshach talks. i always pictured a very confident yet serious tone, but we will see. The Black Freighter is planned to be an extra for the dvd, since it will probably cause confusion to non-readers of the book, when in fact it clearly states all of whats going on within the main story. but i'm all right with that.

this movie needs to be as long as ROTK, or else everything will seem rushed. but i will keep faith until i see more being develped with the movie. but this could be a big step in a new direction for comicbook/graphic novel movies. with this, TDK, and Iron Man, i can see comic movies getting a more serious tone to them, which i welcome with open arms. no more of this kid stuff.

"Stood in street, watched it burn."

[General_Grievous]

while i enjoy 300, Watchmen and 300 have nothing in common.

By that I meant Snyder stays faithful to the source material.

[El Chuxter]

Wow. (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=149166)

I am speechless.

Let the naysayers complain, this movie looks like it is going to be THE SHIZNIT.

I don't think I have ever seen any comic hero whose costume was translated as perfectly to the screen as Rorschach and the Comedian.

[General_Grievous]

I'm in full agreement with you, Chux. Those costumes look outstanding. The only one that looks a little off is Ozymandias, but it still looks great anyway. I guess they're keeping Dr. Manhattan a secret.

[El Chuxter]

I understand he's CG.

There's also the "full frontal" aspect (assuming they keep that) that wouldn't lend itself to promotional pictures very well.

[General_Grievous]

I understand he's CG.

There's also the "full frontal" aspect (assuming they keep that) that wouldn't lend itself to promotional pictures very well.

They may just decide to give him the "Ken doll" treatment. I don't know about you, but I feel no need to stare at blue man junk on the big screen.

[jjreason]

I'm actually a little frightened by the picture of Rorshach, and I don't scare easy.




Okay, really I do. :(

[JediTricks]

Manhattan is going to be motion-capture CG, so they probably don't fully know what he'll look like still.

[General_Grievous]

Judging from the others, I assume he'll look pretty close to his comic counterpart.

[JediTricks]

Probably, but with 3d CGI there is a lot to take into consideration there, it can be very interpretive, what might look good on 2d paper may look weird from other angles and filled out. Look at Stewie from Family Guy, he looks much worse in 3d versions than he does on the show, and he's far simpler than Dr Manhattan.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

I love these pics as well. I've heard lots of moaning about Ozy's costume and how it's BATMAN AND ROBIN 2 LOLZ! and while that joke is not only old and REALLY unoriginal, it also doesn't make sense to me. Ozy is pretty theatrical and over the top and the costume shows it.

This movie is looking better and better. :thumbsup:

[JediTricks]

I think the combination of muscles and black do kinda say B&R, the purple isn't there enough, there's no gold, and the outfit doesn't look enough like someone seeing himself as superior and regal in costume. I think more robes and gold could have been included in the main chest area to avoid the B&R comparisons and stay truer to the source material. But you're right that it is theatrical, and there were pharaohs who wore muscley chestplates as well (again though, the colors were different).

Plus, it's got NOTB - nipples on the batsuit. :p

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Trailer has been confirmed with TDK. No clue how long it'll be or if it'll be a teaser/announcement/full trailer. Either way, i'm sure the fanboys at my midnight showing of TDK will go crazy, myself included. :thumbsup:

[General_Grievous]

You think there's any chance the trailer will be shown in IMAX as well? Because that's where I'll be Thursday night.

[General_Grievous]

Holy crap!

Feast your eyes on the Watchmen trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H2R50ONT-Q

Dr. Manhattan looks amazing! Rorschach's voice sounds even better than I thought it would be! Can't wait for March 2009.

[preacher]

Awesome.

Nuff said.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Holy Jesus, that was AMAZING.

And I find it ironic that the song in the trailer is by the Smashing Pumpkins from the BATMAN AND ROBIN soundtrack. hehehehhehehe

Still, Dr. Manhattan looks incredible and Walter's voice is perfect. I expect this to get a huge nerd ovation tonight.....and i'll be one of those cheering. :thumbsup:

edit: here you go with tasty APPLE quality!! http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen/

[JediTricks]

No! I refuse to watch this trailer on the small screen! (I clicked the youtube one, it's gone) I will only see it on the big screen either today or tomorrow!

[El Chuxter]

If you are an atheist, watching that trailer will likely change your mind.

[JediTricks]

If you are an atheist, watching that trailer will likely change your mind.
What about agnostics? :p

[figrin bran]

Never mind TDK, I'd like to see this now!

[RooJay]

The trailer looks even better than I was hoping for (especially for a teaser) and look...the good folks over at ropesofsilicon.com have gone to the trouble of posting some trailer to comics comparison pics that have me feeling even more excited!

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/watchmen_trailer_to_comic_comparison/

[preacher]

Great find Roojay! I can't believe how faithful to the comic those shots are. I wonder if Alan Moore has taken gander...

I am really looking forward to this flick. I'm between curious and apprehension and dread. The visuals are spot on, but the narrative of the Watchmen is so complicated. I'm just not seeing how the story itself can be told and still have the same impact as the comic.

This Snyder chap is aces.

[Qui-Long Gone]

I caught the trailer at the midnight Dark Knight show....I was never a Watchmen guy and I can't say the movie interests me....only because it feels dated....the cynicism of our time is a different kind and it's hard to deconstruct a genre until it's established. I guess now would be the best time to do so, since Iron Man and Dark Knight (and I'd include X2 and Spiderman 1 and 2) have elevated the "comic book hero."

[Bel-Cam Jos]

And I find it ironic that the song in the trailer is by the Smashing Pumpkins from the BATMAN AND ROBIN soundtrack. hehehehheheheI was fearful that such a song playing, after a DC Comics logo, meant they were making a Batman and Robin and Batgirl sequel. :eek:

I was never a Watchmen guy and I can't say the movie interests me....only because it feels dated....the cynicism of our time is a different kind and it's hard to deconstruct a genre until it's established.I bought the limited series (in the days before trade paperbacks [a.k.a. graphic novels], you'd have to buy the whole 12-issue run) and found it weird and a bit hard to follow (hey, I was 13). But don't worry, Q-LG, today's cynicism isn't dated; it's the same cynicism as it's been. :sad: This looks good; I'll see it.

[bigbarada]

Amazing!:thumbsup: I had my doubts as to how much of the graphic novel would actually show up on screen and was completely dreading this, but now this is probably the one movie I am looking forward to the most next year.

[El Chuxter]

Christ in a bucket, they showed clips at Comic-Con to assuage concerns this would be toned down, and it IS the freaking comic on screen. The extended shots of Dr Manhattan blowing up the Viet Cong and over folks were gruesome. Not over the top, but definitely not a kids' movie. Hopefully they'll leak to YouTube so the rest of you can see them.

[Qui-Long Gone]

I will say I love how the trailer's choice of Smashing Pumpkin's music is a great commentary on that crappy Batman Forever flick! Same superhero song but very different superhero vibe.....nice touch.

[JediTricks]

Part of me is bummed I didn't get to see the panel, but another part is glad I didn't get too much more spoiled by how it'll look and feel.

Did you see that vehicle they had out, Nite Owl's ship in the Warner booth? That was crazy, tons of detail inside! I have no idea how this movie came in under its sub-$100mil budget.

[preacher]

Part of me is bummed I didn't get to see the panel, but another part is glad I didn't get too much more spoiled by how it'll look and feel.

Did you see that vehicle they had out, Nite Owl's ship in the Warner booth? That was crazy, tons of detail inside! I have no idea how this movie came in under its sub-$100mil budget.

Saw that on G4 comicon coverage and it looked awesome.

I would guess the budget is kept so low because partly due to the low $ actors. I mean these are people I've mostly not heard of. Except maybe Patrick Walburton.

Plus, Zack Snyder made 300 for low amount too didn't he? The town mockup utilizes a lot of green screen. Maybe that has something to do with it?

[General_Grievous]

I would guess the budget is kept so low because partly due to the low $ actors. I mean these are people I've mostly not heard of. Except maybe Patrick Walburton.
Patrick Warburton isn't in "Watchmen".

[El Chuxter]

Patrick Warburton as the Comedian would kick all sorts of arse!!

"Excuse me, Silk Spectre, but you're looking quite stunning this evening."

[bigbarada]

One of the things that seems so promising about this film is the "no-name" actors in the roles. I don't like it when they fill a movie with big name actors and actresses who essentially hijack the film because the studio wants to get their money's worth out of them.

Also the unknown actors tend to turn out better performances, because they have to. So there are no "phoned in" performances like what you sometimes get with established actors.

[JediTricks]

300 was made on a shoestring, but was all greenscreen and costumes and CGI armies, this is a lot more practical shooting - props and characters and places (I think the majority of the city scenes are soundstages rather than locations, to boot).

I do agree about no-name actors, but that only carries one so far, and look at Sin City, that had name actors and only a middling budget (that's where that film's director - Robert Rodriguez - likes to work though, enough money to make it look good enough and not so much that the studio is freaking out about the investment and thus looking over his shoulder constantly).

[preacher]

Patrick Warburton isn't in "Watchmen".

Oh, hell I did say that didn't I? I don't know who I was thinking of. Must have had Tick or Seinfeld on my mind for reason.

[RooJay]

Oh, hell I did say that didn't I? I don't know who I was thinking of. Must have had Tick or Seinfeld on my mind for reason.

Actually, I think you said 'Patrick Walburton' but we knew who you meant even if you didn't. ;)

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Actually, I think you said 'Patrick Walburton' but we knew who you meant even if you didn't. ;)Maybe preacher knows more than we do, and Patrick Walburton IS in the film; that sure would fit the "these are people I've mostly not heard of" aspect. :rolleyes:

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

new footage from the scream awards thing on SPIKE. Well, some new footage mixed with old footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5EXW2-Fj9Q

There was a test screening in Portland a bit ago and folks who saw it state that they changed the ending. Somebody remind me how to do spoiler text and I can get into specifics and thoughts about it. lol

[JediTricks]

== spoiler text here ==

=#f0eded]spoiler text here[/color]


Changed the ending is a really bad idea. Monumental hubris and stupidity have to be combined in the perfect storm of awful to think there's a better ending to that story.

[El Chuxter]

Maybe they realized the ending of the movie version of V for Vendetta worked better (at least onscreen), and thought that the bizarre fluke of improving on Alan Moore could be achieved twice?

[Rocketboy]

In recent interview with Kevin Smith (who has seen the movie twice now) commented on the changes to the end of Watchmen.

CH: Rumor has it writer-director Zack Snyder has changed the ending?
KS: It's a little different. While it is a slight departure, it actually makes sense in the context of the story because it brings the characters back into it. It kind of makes the movie more about them by the end of it because of the switch they made. I would never say Alan Moore f**ked it up or something. I love the ending of the Watchmen comic book, but I think this ending works just as well.I trust Kevin Smith.

[JediTricks]

Maybe they realized the ending of the movie version of V for Vendetta worked better (at least onscreen), and thought that the bizarre fluke of improving on Alan Moore could be achieved twice?The ending of V for Vendetta in the movie wouldn't have worked for the comic because they are very different animals, there's a lot more going on and being spoken in the comic that just wouldn't be paid off with the movie's style of ending. With Watchmen, you have a story that strips away all the excess to leave a thoughtful ending without being big and showy and flashy, it just says what it says and moves on. Maybe it'll work to change that, I dunno, but I can't imagine what they could do right changing that.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Alright, here is the info regarding the changed ending from a recent screening in Portland. I'm copying this directly from my blog (nerd.):

So, there are several reports that the ending of the film was different from the graphic at the Portland test screening. Instead of Veidt using a giant squid to destroy NYC and kill a few million, he has used Dr. Manhattan's energy to destroy nine cities around the globe with Hiroshima results. This causes Manhattan to leave Earth and humanity to unite.

It doesn't work though. The point of the ending in the graphic was that the world unites in defense against a thread that isn't global, it's extraterrestrial, not of this world and for now at least, pushes away a possibility of WWIII.

If this new ending is legit and is stayed with, it kinda screws things up. Let me put it this way: in the graphic both the US and Russia unite to fight what they think are aliens. If this Manhattan frame up thing happens, it will not work as Russia, and probably the rest of the world will blame the US for Manhattan's "destruction" as he was a US operative and this would probably lead us into a war.

I am a tad worried, but some sites are reporting that multiple endings are going to be tested, if only maybe for kicks. The squid effects have reportedly been done and all that crap. Plus, the creature SFX guy talked about it in an interview as best he could. He did call it 'the creature' too. Plus, director Zak Snyder stated a while back that they would "absolutely keep the novel's ending."


So, as you can see, I don't like it and I hope Snyder doesn't change it.

[JediTricks]

I guess my reply is spoilers technically, so I'll post it with spoiler textizing:

== Ugh, that seems like such a cop out, like something they merely cut together haphazardly, pulling pieces out of the story without adding anything new more than a couple pieces of looped dialog. You're absolutely right about the implications of this new ending being untrue to the ending and making a big mess. I suspect they want to remove the squid so they can toss out the gathering and killing of random artistic and scientific people on the island, but if they do that, there's no reason to kill The Comedian in the first place because he won't have stumbled onto Veidt's plot to begin with. It might work better for another movie, but for this story it's integral. They could change the monster to something with less suck-factor in the design though. I mean, the extra-dimensional alien squid looked pretty corny and out-there in the book even. But to change anything beyond how it looks would undermine the whole thing. ==

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

Spoilers..

Snyder psuedo confirmed the new ending in an interview at Dark Horizons (i'll post the link in a second). He says, '"What about talk he did some 'squid' stuff in pre-production? "Well... I don't want to say yes or no (laughs). The squid was not in the movie when I got the script, the squid was never in any draft that I saw. My point is only that there was this elegant solution to the squid problem that I kind of embraced. I'm a fan of the thing as much as anyone, I was saying what are we going to do about this before I even read the script." Was that solution multiple atomic explosions as some have said? "I won't say exactly but... Dr. Manhattan has a certain energy signature, it's clearly his thing...so you know." He also shot down reports of multiple endings - they only filmed the one.'

Dammit. Maybe if they handle this well I could buy it and the squid problem was only meant to be temporary as Dr. Manhattan says "things never change" when he leaves, implying that war will always happen.

I want to reserve judgment, but i'm slowly upset about this. I guess if it sucks I can cancel the pre-orders for the figures and save myself a few hundred bucks. lol


Link to Snyder's interview can be found here: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/081107k.php

BEWARE SPOILERS. :thumbsup:

[JediTricks]

Not good. This isn't a simple roadblock, this is part of the essence of the brilliance of the ending and how it ties into the beginning and middle, as well as even Tales of the Black Freighter. If that ending's solution is all the group of unique individuals can concoct, that totally undermines the film and its villain.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

New trailer!!!
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/watchmen.html?showVideo=1

Looks really fantastic. I hope the slow mo isn't overused,but overall, i loved the hell out of this trailer. The music was really solid (Philip glass and Muse) and Haley has NAILED the Rorschach voice.

Spoiler input about the ending:

It looks like at about the 1 minute mark we get a glimpse of what could be the new ending. We can't see much of it and while I dig the explosion, i'm still on the fence about it. They just need to handle it properly and I won't mind as much. While the squid was always WTF!, but it does create a united front. If this convincingly does the same, i'll be okay. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[JediTricks]

Wow, there it is, the new ending. Right there. All those other scenes are largely lifted straight from the page, and then that hit me like a ton of bricks. I doubt I'll mind the slowmo stuff, it worked in 300, but this isn't an action picture so it could affect things. Still, from a comic point of view, you do take in more in slowmo which is what comics are often about. The only thing that immediately hit me as not right was Rorschach's voice, too high and thin (Dan's was off too, but it's not as big a deal)... and the new ending, I can't entirely get past that.

[Rocketboy]

I'm surprised I haven't heard much boo-hooing over the use of the name Watchmen, which I think is probably used in place of Minutemen in the story.

That glimpse of the ending wasn't much different (even though it ends up that way).


SPOILERS? (since I can never remember the code)








In the comic all we see is a growing flash of light that engulfs the people, which is pretty much what we see here, just from a different angle.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

I'm surprised I haven't heard much boo-hooing over the use of the name Watchmen, which I think is probably used in place of Minutemen in the story.

That glimpse of the ending wasn't much different (even though it ends up that way).


SPOILERS? (since I can never remember the code)


In the comic all we see is a growing flash of light that engulfs the people, which is pretty much what we see here, just from a different angle.

Spoiler code: spoiler text here

and replying in spoiler text regarding the possible new ending:

in the book, you get the flash followed by the huge squid and the squid is rumored to be gone.

And JT: I have figured out how I can accept this new ending: if these flashes and the destruction are seen by the U.S. and world Governments as a precursor to an alien attack; THEN I can REALLY go along with it. You still keep the extraterrestrial aspect and the world uniting, but without showing a huge arse squid. I don't mind Veidt using energy from Manhattan, which is what he does in the book if memory serves (i'm rereading it now), but as long as the PUBLIC doesn't know it came from Manhattan's powers and thinks it's alien, then i'm on board. Then the remaining heroes would know it's a lie and know that manhattan was used for it, it creates an ending much along the same lines as the GN.

Your thoughts?

And i re-ordered the figures. that's how excited this trailer got me. eheheheh :crazed:

[Rocketboy]

Spoiler code: spoiler text here

and replying in spoiler text regarding the possible new ending:

in the book, you get the flash followed by the huge squid and the squid is rumored to be gone. What I meant was we don't see any of the NEW ending. We just see part of the end that was already there.

[Jedi_Master_Guyute]

What I meant was we don't see any of the NEW ending. We just see part of the end that was already there.

Ah, I see what you're saying. Good point.

And there are pics/info on the variant action figures of Maskless Rorschach, variant Comedian and Transculent Manhattan. I want! http://cooltoyreview.com/story/front/DC_Direct_Watchmen_Collectibles_Update_119076.asp

:thumbsup:

[El Chuxter]

Did we even see Rorschach without his mask in the book?

And why blank out his face? It's not like we don't know what the actor looks like.

[Rocketboy]

Did we even see Rorschach without his mask in the book?Yep. For quite a while actually.

[El Chuxter]

I disremembered. In any case, unless they're planning a switcheroo, the actor is not exactly a secret.

[JediTricks]

Yeah, we see Rorshach without his mask for almost the entire second half of the book. He's weasly and not what one would expect, it worked well there.