As many of you no doubt already know, Watchmen is coming out early next year, and last night I was invited to a limited preview/short Q&A with director Zack Snyder, production designer Michael Wilkinson, and costume designer Alex McDowell. Before showing us the footage, Snyder assured the audience that he tried to stay as true to the comic as possible. Unlike previous drafts of scripts that set Watchmen in the modern era, Snyder has kept it a period piece, maintained the alternate 1985 setting, as well as most of the book’s controversial final act. (Watch the trailer for the movie here.)
The first clip shown was actually the first 12 minutes of the film. After cycling through the Warner Brothers, Paramount, Legendary and DC Logos (all done in the classic black-on-yellow trade dressing of the books) the movie begins the same way the comic does: The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) meeting his grisly end at the hands of an unseen attacker. Even with the decidedly 300-like stylistic trickery (all the fight scenes have that same speed-up, slow-down effect), it was refreshing to see the visual language of the comic remain largely intact, thanks to some clever camera angles that pay direct homage to the opening panels of the comic.
Following the opening scene was one of the more fun credit sequences I’ve seen in a while. Snyder effectively tells the history of the alternate universe of Watchmen through a highly stylized moving photo montage set to Bob Dylan’s "Times Are Changing." Showcasing some particularly black humor, the tone seems to veer slightly more towards satire than the original work.
Snyder then showcased a series of clips from various points in the movie, in no particular order (read about them after the jump)…
-A whole chunk showcasing Doctor Manhattan’s (Billy Crudup) originstory that cribbed heavily from the comic, both visually (panels werereproduced wholesale) and through Crudup’s narrative (at times lifteddirectly from the captions themselves), as well as a longer look at DocManhattan’s crystal palace on Mars. Even in the rough pre-vis state, itlooks gorgeous. Also, yes, remaining true to the comic, the audiencegot more than a glimpse at, uh, to put it delicately, the Full DocManhattan.
-Nite-Owl (Patrick Wilson) and Silk Spectre (MalinAckerman) post-Owl Ship tryst (hello side-boobage) breaking Rorschach(Jackie Earle Haley) out from prison. Lots of sped-up/slow-motionbutt-kicking and enough skin-tight latex on Ackerman to invoke somesympathetic wincing and shifting in seats.
Some quick details gleaned from the Q&A:
-The current edit has Watchmen running at a not-so-brisk two hours and 45 minutes, and with an R rating.
-The Black Freighterinterstitials from the comic have been adapted into a 20-minuteanimated film that will be packaged along with a fake documentary setin the Watchmen universe, titled Under the Hood. Snyder hopes to edit these back into the film for the eventual DVD release.
Iknow Snyder is in a no-win position — there is absolutely no way thisfilm can (nor should it try) to appeal to everyone, devoted fans andnewbies alike, and while it was refreshing to see Snyder take greatpains to be so faithful to the source material, the R rating,unfamiliar characters, and nontraditional storytelling structure mayput off those not already already familiar with what Watchmen has to offer.
Now, PopWatchers, I turn the post over to you, newbies and fellow fans alike: Will you be watching the Watchmen next year?
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I think I just had a nerd-gasim.
I will see it if the Fox lawsuit doesn’t prevent it.
hellz yah!
This sounds like it’s going to be awesomely faithful to the comic, shiny blue Manhattan junk and all.
Super hero genre films are ready for this kind of story telling shake up. As long as we’re entertained, we’ll be happy.
I know next to nothing about “Watchmen,” but I am rather curious about it. I’ll go probably see it.
The trailer prompted me to purchase the graphic novel. The first one I’ve ever read. I’m totally excited for the movie now.
I will be there opening day! Although I’ve not read the graphic novel (but intend to) from the moment I saw the teaser trailer I was hooked. I’ve heard from numerous friends that the novel is the greatest of it’s genre and I’m hoping the movie lives up to that. Besides, Zack Snyder rocks my socks:)
Watchmen was very fortunate to have that trailer before Batman. Everyone saw it, and most people I know are pretty excited about it even though they don’t read comics. As long as the movie doesn’t confuse people who haven’t read the comic it should appeal to a lot of people.
Can I see it now? Please?
GIMMIE GIMMIE
aslong as thay get rorschach rite!…
Can I just say that I read Watchmen because of the raves EW gave it, and HATED it? I made myself keep reading, because you said it was so great and I thought if I stuck it out I might find something to redeem it, but no. Just more crap philosophy dressed up like something “deep.”
It’s a sneak “peek”, not a sneak “peak”. A peek is a glance. A peak is the top of a mountain. This is a second time in under an hour I’ve seen this mistake with regard to Watchmen, the first being on a TV monitor in an elevator. Did the Associated Press get it wrong on the newswire or something?
If you do not like Watchmen, then you are an idiot.
Watchmen opens on my birthday–Thanks for the great gift, Warner Brothers!
I’ve been waiting 20 years for this movie, and it looks and sounds like Zack Snyder has gotten it as close to “right” as possible.
You bet I’ll be there, wearing my 22-year-old smiley-face pin
I totally disagree. I am a huge Watchmen fan, and that trailer they released was an incredible. It raised alot of attention to it, I have loaned out my copy over a dozen times since that trailer was released. There are plenty so many people out there who will embrace this who are unfamiliar with the source material. So many people loved 300, so that audience will see it because its Zack Snyder. Obviously the Watchmen fans will see it, multiple times respectively (hey thats me!), and action movie junkies will see it because the trailers come across as a flat out kick ass action flick. I think WATCHMEN will open huge, its got no competition that weekend and the following.I mean WB is already talking about a sempetition, and its just not a summer movie. The internet buzz is great, Though the movie does need a long running time (2 hr 45) to stay true and insure multiple viewings from Watchmen die hards, which is a big chunk of change. On MARCH 6th everyone will be Watching the Watchmen!
I saw footage of this movie at comic con and I am a huge fan of this book. I will definitely be going to see this movie opening day.
i’m a diehard watchmen fan, and i’ve poured through it multiple times panel by panel to the extent where i really feel like i’ve now caught everything about it. sadly, these extremely close readings of it make me believe pretty strongly that it simply CAN’T be made into a movie. many forget that much of watchmen’s greatness lies not in its story, but in the way that story is told. the 9 panel grid, the scene transitions, the ironic counterpoint between panel speakers and panel backgrounds, most of these things won’t translate to the screen. what will be left will simply be the story, which, while great, will most likely have to be too thinly edited to fit a reasonable hollywood running time.
i will absolutely be seeing watchmen, and i’m sure i’ll probably see it more than once, but i don’t expect it to be great, if even very good. i mean no disrespect to zach snyder (though i was not a big fan of 300), but i believe he’s trying to succeed at the impossible.
When I first read Watchmen, I didn’t like it much… didn’t like the art, didn’t like the pacing, didn’t like the characters. Since I’ve *gasp!* never been a fan of Alan Moore, it wasn’t surprising to me that I didn’t fall in love with Watchmen. Mind you, I didn’t hate it or anything, just didn’t like it.
Soooo, I re-read it about a month or so ago, because I DO want to see the movie, figured I’d give it another chance. I’ve read articles that said that Watchmen needs to be read more than once, and I have to say, for me, that’s true… because I really, really liked it upon second reading. I just didn’t “get” it the first time around, didn’t see the whole picture, how everything fits together. I probably STILL don’t, really, but I do enough to have a definite appreciation for it, and I’m greatly looking forward to the flick.
As far as will the movie do the comic justice? I just don’t care. The only comic that’s sacred to me in that way is “Dark Knight Returns.”
Yes, PLEASE change the “peak” to “peek”; it’s embarassing. As for the movie, I like the faithfulness, but it needs to capture the spirit of the book to be good, not slavishly replicate the angles. I think I could take the slow-fast motion when the comedian is being thrown through the window and when Ozymandias fights the assasin, but in places like the prison break I think it would just be empty flas. That’s not really about Nite Owl anyway, it’s all about Kovacs taking care of business…
I have never read “Watchmen,” but the way you’re selling this movie, it sounds like it could be really good. That 2 hour, 45 minute running time is a little scary, but if the reviews are strong, I might see the movie anyways.
Was Marc Bernardin invited too?
Because if he wasn’t, I have to imagine he’s hating on you pretty seriously right about now.
Will be watching. The Watchmen panel at Comic-Con was one of the best panels I’ve ever been to and the free prize of a Watchmen t-shirt is sitting in my closet right now. It will remain unworn until the movie comes out in March 2009.
Oh, and I’m not worried about the 165-minute running time. My favorite movie of all time, Pulp Fiction, runs 164 minutes so… I can take it. Given the epic scope of the comic book, I’m not surprised that the film would have an equally epic feel.
i have a feeling the long runtime will fly by with all the visual beauty.
this movie will dominate esp on the IMAX
This will be the longest 6 months ever! I’m glad Zack Snyder is sticking so close to the source material, I really do think it will pay off for him, I know I definitely plan to watch it more then once.
I’m reading the book right now. I am extremely curious as to how it is going to play on the screen, if done right it could be spectacular. From what I have seen, it looks to be just that. So excited for March!
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES