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Author Topic: Watchmen Casting Announced  (Read 111012 times)
Velorath
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on: July 25, 2007, 10:24:54 PM

From Newsarama:

Quote
According to both of today’s Hollywood trades, the long-awaited big-screen adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchman has the first additions to its cast, and they are Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Malin Akerman. Zack Snyder 300 directs.

Haley - best known for this roles as a teen in Breaking Away and The Bad News Bears before mounting a comeback with his Oscar-nominated role in Little Children will play Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach, "who ignores the ban on costumed vigilantes."

Crudup (Almost Famous, long-time voice of the Mastercard “Priceless” commercials) 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-fighter who uses technical wizardry and has an owl-shaped flying vehicle."

Morgan will play the Comedian, "a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent."

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

Some odd choices there, but for now I trust Synder's casting decisions.
Margalis
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Reply #1 on: July 25, 2007, 11:01:56 PM

I'm not expecting much. The director of Dawn of the Dead and 300? I suspect it's going to come out being more of a summer event movie than anything thoughtful.

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
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Reply #2 on: July 26, 2007, 12:47:25 AM

300 didn't have a lot of story to start with, so you can't really blame Snyder for the movie not being a real "thinker".  Ditto with the original Dawn of the Dead.  It's entirely conceivable that he'll be able to pull off a movie that has a real plot.

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Ironwood
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Reply #3 on: July 26, 2007, 01:10:45 AM

Um.  Not a huge amount of plot in Watchmen.  Don't get me wrong, worship it as much as the next guy, but come on - translating that plot to the screen should be a cinch.

"Mr Soft Owl has Seen Some Shit." - Sun Tzu
HaemishM
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Reply #4 on: July 26, 2007, 07:49:48 AM

After 300 and Dawn of the Dead, I give Synder a lot of leeway. He has shown a remarkable eye, and he does things with minimal plots. I love how the casting description for Ozymandias essentially gives away the big reveal at the end.

Margalis
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Reply #5 on: July 26, 2007, 01:30:39 PM

Um.  Not a huge amount of plot in Watchmen.  Don't get me wrong, worship it as much as the next guy, but come on - translating that plot to the screen should be a cinch.

It's mostly people talking to each other. That may not be narrative but it isn't action either.

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
Ironwood
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Reply #6 on: July 26, 2007, 02:42:40 PM

True, but it's amazing how you that changes from comic panels to a film screen.  Look at Sin City, for example.  Sure, not so much dialog in there, but I still reckon it'll be easily doable.

"Mr Soft Owl has Seen Some Shit." - Sun Tzu
Lt.Dan
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Reply #7 on: July 26, 2007, 03:50:50 PM

Watchmen isn't an action comic.  The action is mostly the prison break and the big finale.  You could count the zombie freighter wind-up too I guess.  Aside from that it's basically a murder mystery thriller.  Maybe Angela Lansbury can be in as Ms Jupiter.

Velorath
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Reply #8 on: July 26, 2007, 04:09:25 PM

Watchmen isn't an action comic.  The action is mostly the prison break and the big finale.  You could count the zombie freighter wind-up too I guess.  Aside from that it's basically a murder mystery thriller.  Maybe Angela Lansbury can be in as Ms Jupiter.

Depends on how they do the movie, and what gets left out.  While I don't think it will be an action movie, some of the smaller action sequences could be extended for the movie (the murder of the Comedian, Vietnam sequences with the Comedian and Dr. Manhattan, the assassination attempt on Veidt, etc...).  I expect the Nite-Owl/Silk Spectre plot-line to be cut down the most
Margalis
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Reply #9 on: July 26, 2007, 05:17:24 PM

Yeah, the Nite-Owl stuff will be almost totally gone - and with it the entire commentary and reflection on old-style super-heroism. Which is one of the core aspects. The entire story is set up contrast to golden-age super heroes.

There really isn't anything special about the action in it.

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
Lt.Dan
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Reply #10 on: July 26, 2007, 08:51:39 PM

That's the scary thing.  If I think back to recent superhero movies I can't think of one that couldn't be wrapped in a standard 32 pages.  The worst offender would be X-Men 3.  All they do is stretch out the fighting and glom in a couple of extra villains.  In fact, sounds like my old PnP Champions sessions :P

I really hope they don't make an action movie out of Watchmen.
Margalis
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Reply #11 on: July 26, 2007, 10:16:13 PM

To be fair, it isn't really the type of thing that lends itself to a movie. It's too reflective.

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
Ironwood
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Reply #12 on: July 27, 2007, 01:48:02 AM

Speaking Of Angela Lansbury, there's a Murder She Wrote Music Re-mix doing the rounds of the net.  It's awesome.

"Mr Soft Owl has Seen Some Shit." - Sun Tzu
Velorath
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Reply #13 on: July 27, 2007, 02:15:30 AM

Yeah, the Nite-Owl stuff will be almost totally gone - and with it the entire commentary and reflection on old-style super-heroism.

Movie audiences couldn't really give two shits about that stuff.  Old-style super-heroism for them would typically be something like the Superman movies.  They'll just want to see Rorschach break some fingers, and really, that's perfectly ok.  I mean, I can see why Moore doesn't really like his work being made into movies, but as a fan I can enjoy a Watchmen movie as a separate entity from the book so long as it's entertaining.  There's stuff the book did, that just can't, in any way, shape, or form, be done in a movie.  If the movie is good, I'll accept it for what it is, rather than what it isn't.
HaemishM
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Reply #14 on: July 27, 2007, 08:43:39 AM

The first thing that'll be cut will be the whole Pirate/Zombie comic story that made such a great allegory to the main story. I'm not sure I'd expect to see the kid and the newsstand owner, either, even though their final embrace was such a powerful symbol.

Margalis
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Reply #15 on: July 27, 2007, 08:21:50 PM

I thought the Pirate/Zombie thing was the worst part of Watchmen. It was just not needed, too preachy and hamfisted.

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
Lt.Dan
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Reply #16 on: July 28, 2007, 02:57:38 AM

I thought the pirate/zombie thing was an homage to a real-life comic - or at least that was one of the chapter break readings?
Margalis
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Reply #17 on: July 29, 2007, 03:18:22 PM

I think you are right, I'd have to check though.

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
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Reply #18 on: July 31, 2007, 11:02:18 AM

From Comiccon, Snyder basically said that he's trying to get money to shoot the Black Freighter scenes 300-style with Gerard Butler, strictly for the DVD.

It's getting an R.
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Reply #19 on: July 31, 2007, 09:21:05 PM

Watchmen really moved me, it showed me comics could be more than superpowered wrestling matches.

The kid and newspaper guy
Dr. Manhattan smiling looking in on Niteowl and SS sleeping together.
Nite and SS being real heroes by saving the folks at the fire.  Right there they showed the reader that not all the costumed folks in that world were assholes. 

I could go on.  They have GOT to keep the Niteowl, SS relationship, to me thats the emotional core of the movie.
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Reply #20 on: July 31, 2007, 09:51:43 PM

I thought the pirate/zombie thing was an homage to a real-life comic - or at least that was one of the chapter break readings?

From memory, this was Moore's way of writing about horror comics without directly writing about horror comics. He took the view that in a world with superheroes (such as they were) people weren't going to buy superhero comics. So it was pirate comics that became popular.

The end chapter reading on it talks about the writer who went missing but was responsible for a lot of innovation in the genre, including the 'Black Freighter' story the kid is reading.

But yeah, that whole storyline can get cut without damaging the main narrative.

One thing that is apparently out is Mars - apparently that was determined as costing too much. I'll be interested to see what it is replaced with or how they handle that bit. Go underwater instead? Mt Everest?


Ironwood
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Reply #21 on: August 01, 2007, 07:50:28 AM

A white room, walled with TV's.

 rolleyes

"Mr Soft Owl has Seen Some Shit." - Sun Tzu
HaemishM
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Reply #22 on: August 01, 2007, 08:42:42 AM

No Mars scenes? Shiba shiba whu? How the fuck could that be too expensive? I'd think that'd be the cheapest part to produce, since it could be done as all CGI and greenscreen work.

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Reply #23 on: August 01, 2007, 10:46:46 AM

They are doing that 300-style as well.
Interview with Snyder here.
HaemishM
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Reply #24 on: August 01, 2007, 12:08:20 PM

Mars 300 style would be quite cool. I'm pretty confident that Synder can pull this thing off.

Llava
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Reply #25 on: August 05, 2007, 01:11:30 PM

I thought the Pirate/Zombie thing was the worst part of Watchmen. It was just not needed, too preachy and hamfisted.

Word.

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Reply #26 on: August 24, 2007, 08:58:52 PM

I thought the pirate/zombie thing was an homage to a real-life comic - or at least that was one of the chapter break readings?

I figured it was a tip of the cap to the old EC Horror titles, but I could be wrong.

I really don't see how the hell they can make Watchmen into a film that measures up to the source material. Terry Gilliam tried to get the project off the ground for years and years, then finally gave up becuase it was "impossible". The people who make movies think that just because computer generated effects are so far advanced now, that they can just go and make anything. I'd love for this movie to be great, but 300 left me wanting and I don't expect Snyder's next to be anything more than mediocre. Dawn of the Dead was fun though.

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Velorath
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Reply #27 on: August 24, 2007, 09:26:43 PM


I really don't see how the hell they can make Watchmen into a film that measures up to the source material. Terry Gilliam tried to get the project off the ground for years and years, then finally gave up becuase it was "impossible". The people who make movies think that just because computer generated effects are so far advanced now, that they can just go and make anything. I'd love for this movie to be great, but 300 left me wanting and I don't expect Snyder's next to be anything more than mediocre. Dawn of the Dead was fun though.

People used to think that doing Lord of the Rings in movie form would be impossible also.  Some things are going to get left behind in the transition, and some stuff is going to get changed, obviously.  Doesn't mean they can't make a great Watchmen movie though.
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Reply #28 on: August 24, 2007, 10:48:28 PM

I thought the pirate/zombie thing was an homage to a real-life comic - or at least that was one of the chapter break readings?

I figured it was a tip of the cap to the old EC Horror titles, but I could be wrong.

That's how I read it.  The art style is dead on, as is the writing.

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Margalis
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Reply #29 on: August 25, 2007, 08:27:03 PM

Lord of the Rings is an action packed series of books. It might be hard to make into movies because of length and budget but the material itself translates ok.

The problem with Watchmen is that is just doesn't have movie type plot and pacing.

vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
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Reply #30 on: August 26, 2007, 12:24:48 PM

Lord of the Rings is an action packed series of books.

 undecided

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stu
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Reply #31 on: August 26, 2007, 06:29:42 PM


I really don't see how the hell they can make Watchmen into a film that measures up to the source material. Terry Gilliam tried to get the project off the ground for years and years, then finally gave up becuase it was "impossible". The people who make movies think that just because computer generated effects are so far advanced now, that they can just go and make anything. I'd love for this movie to be great, but 300 left me wanting and I don't expect Snyder's next to be anything more than mediocre. Dawn of the Dead was fun though.

People used to think that doing Lord of the Rings in movie form would be impossible also.  Some things are going to get left behind in the transition, and some stuff is going to get changed, obviously.  Doesn't mean they can't make a great Watchmen movie though.

That's a good point, but I'm not sure if I'd compare Zack Snyder to Peter Jackson. Now, that I think of it, Peter Jackson and Weta should be the ones making Watchmen!
« Last Edit: August 26, 2007, 06:31:44 PM by stu »

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cmlancas
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Reply #32 on: August 26, 2007, 06:47:37 PM

Lord of the Rings is an action packed series of books.

 undecided

Really? I definitely agree with him. In fact, there were action scenes in the book not even covered in the movies. RotK is a war most of the book.

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Reply #33 on: August 26, 2007, 08:22:41 PM

It does have a lot of action, and even a lot of action not covered by the movies, but there's a LOT of other stuff there as well, making action a relatively small part of the narrative.  The movies ended up being mostly action because that's the subset of the book that's easiest to translate to film in an entertaining way, but I'm pretty sure anyone who describes LotR as "action packed" is either talking about the movies and not the books, or skipping lots of parts each time they read the books.

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Reply #34 on: August 26, 2007, 09:18:19 PM

I guess you're right. I am a bit rusty on the books though, since it has been a very long time. And as far as the movies go, I still have never seen RotK, mainly because I don't want to ruin the imagined ending that my brain has for the book. :)

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