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Watchmen
Teaser poster drawn by comic book co-creator Dave Gibbons
Directed by	Zack Snyder
Produced by	Lloyd Levin Lawrence Gordon Deborah Snyder
Written by	Screenplay: Alex Tse David Hayter Comic Book: Alan Moore (uncredited) Dave Gibbons
Starring	Patrick Wilson Jackie Earle Haley Billy Crudup Jeffrey Dean Morgan Malin Akerman Matthew Goode
Music by	Tyler Bates
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	March 6, 2009
Country	United States
Language	English
Official website
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Watchmen is a 2009 film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' twelve-issue Hugo Award-winning comic book limited series Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder. The film stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Stephen McHattie and Carla Gugino. Set in 1985, the film follows a group of former vigilantes as war begins to break out between the United States and the Soviet Union. The film began shooting in Vancouver in September 2007 for release on March 6, 2009.^[1] Like his previous film 300, Snyder closely modeled his storyboards on the comic, but unlike that film, he chose not to shoot all the film using chroma key. Image File history File links Future_film. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ... Zack Snyder (born March 1, 1966, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.) is an American film director. ... Lawrence Gordon (born March 25, 1936 in Yazoo City, Mississippi) is an American producer and motion picture executive. ... Alex Tse is a screenwriter. ... David Bryan Hayter (born February 6, 1969 in Santa Monica, California), is an American voice actor, actor, and screenwriter. ... For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ... Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ... Patrick Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is a Tony-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American theater and film actor and singer. ... Jackie Earle Haley (born July 14, 1961 in Northridge, California, USA) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor who is best known for his portrayal of Kelly Leak, the motorcycle-riding, cigarette-smoking little leaguer in The Bad News Bears and its sequels. ... William Crudup (born July 8, 1968) is an American actor. ... Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966 in Seattle, Washington) is an American actor. ... Actress that was in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. ... Matthew Goode (born April 3, 1978) is a British actor. ... Tyler Bates is a music producer for films. ... “WB” redirects here. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // LR: Limited release in select cities WR: Wide-release to theaters IMAX: Release to IMAX theaters Beverly Hills Cop IV The Hobbit Interstellar Magneto (film) Smooth Criminal : The Michael Jackson Story Temeraire Tales from Earthsea - December 18 LR - Buena Vista Distribution - Goro Miyazaki (director) The Lost Tomb: A Neopets Adventure... Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. ... For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ... Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ... The 2005 Hugo Award with base designed by Deb Kosiba. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... For other uses, see Watchman. ... Zack Snyder (born March 1, 1966, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.) is an American film director. ... Patrick Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is a Tony-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American theater and film actor and singer. ... Jackie Earle Haley (born July 14, 1961 in Northridge, California, USA) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor who is best known for his portrayal of Kelly Leak, the motorcycle-riding, cigarette-smoking little leaguer in The Bad News Bears and its sequels. ... Actress that was in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. ... William Crudup (born July 8, 1968) is an American actor. ... Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966 in Seattle, Washington) is an American actor. ... Matthew Goode (born April 3, 1978) is a British actor. ... McHattie as Romulan Senator Vreenak in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode In the Pale Moonlight. Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1947 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada) is a Canadian actor. ... Carla Gugino (born August 29, 1971) is an American actress best known for her roles of Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids trilogy and the title character of the TV series Karen Sisco. ... This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. ... Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ...

Following the novel's 1986 publication, the film adaptation was mired in development hell. Producer Lawrence Gordon began developing the project at 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. with producer Joel Silver and director Terry Gilliam, the latter eventually deeming the complex novel unfilmable. During the 2000s, Gordon and Lloyd Levin collaborated with Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures to produce a script by David Hayter (who set it in modern times). Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were attached to Paramount's project, before it was canceled over budget disputes. The project returned to Warner, where Snyder was hired to direct in 2006. Fox is now suing Gordon for failing to pay a buy-out in 1991, which enabled him to develop the film at the other studios. Development hell is media-industry jargon for a film, television screenplay, or computer program[1] (or sometimes just a concept or idea) getting stuck in development and never going into production. ... Lawrence Gordon (born March 25, 1936 in Yazoo City, Mississippi) is an American producer and motion picture executive. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... “WB” redirects here. ... Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is a successful Hollywood film producer. ... Terrence Vance Gilliam (born November 22, 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, animator, and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. ... This article is about the American media conglomerate. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... David Bryan Hayter (born February 6, 1969 in Santa Monica, California), is an American voice actor, actor, and screenwriter. ... Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. ... Paul Greengrass (b. ...

A DVD based on elements of the Watchmen universe will be released; an animated adaptation of the comic Tales of the Black Freighter within the story, starring Gerard Butler, and the documentary Under the Hood, detailing the older generation of superheroes from the film's back-story. An extended edition of the film, with Tales of the Black Freighter edited in a manner reminiscent of the comic, is also possible. Gerard James Butler (born November 13, 1969) is a Scottish actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of King Leonidas in 300 and The Phantom in the 2004 film version of The Phantom of the Opera. ...

Synopsis

In an alternate 1985 where superheroes exist, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union are at an all time high. The vigilante Rorschach is investigating the murder of the Comedian, and uncovers a plot to discredit and murder various heroes. Rorschach discovers a far wider ranging conspiracy involving his colleagues' past which could completely change the course of history.^[2] Alternative history or alternate history can be: A History told from an alternative viewpoint, rather than from the view of imperialist, conqueror, or explorer. ... This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Superhero (disambiguation). ... Rorschach is a fictional character, a superhero featured in the acclaimed 1986 DC Comics series Watchmen. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Cast

• Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreiberg / Nite Owl: A retired vigilante superhero with technological experience.^[3] John Cusack, a fan of the graphic novel, expressed interest in the role.^[4]
• Billy Crudup as Dr. Jon Osterman / Doctor Manhattan: A superhero with genuine powers who works for the U.S. government. The role was once pursued by actor Keanu Reeves,^[5] but the actor abandoned his pursuit when the studio held up the project over budget concerns.^[3] He later visited the set while filming The Day the Earth Stood Still, an experience which he enjoyed.^[6] Crudup provides motion capture for the computer-generated character, and also plays Osterman in flashback as a human.^[1]
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake / The Comedian: A vigilante superhero who is commissioned by the U.S. government. Prior to Morgan's casting, producers Lawrence Gordon and Lloyd Levin met with Ron Perlman to discuss portraying the Comedian.^[7] Morgan found the role a challenge, explaining, "For some reason, in reading the novel, you don't hate this guy even though he does things that are unmentionable. [...] My job is to kind of make that translate, so as a viewer you end up not making excuses to like him, but you don't hate him like you should for doing the things that he does."^[8]
• Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach: A superhero who continues his vigilante activities after they are outlawed. He was transformed over time from a "soft" costumed hero into a killer who sees the world in black and white.^[3] Rorschach wears a mask with ink blots that morph to reflect his emotions: motion capture markers were put on the contours of Earle Haley's blank mask, for animators to create his ever-changing expressions.^[9] Haley found the mask "incredibly motivating for the character" because of its confining design, which heated up quickly.^[10] Small holes were made in the mask for him to see.^[9]
• Malin Åkerman as Laurie Juspeczyk / Silk Spectre: A retired vigilante superhero. Åkerman described her character as the psychology and the emotion of the film due to being the only woman among the men. The actress worked out and trained to fight for her portrayal of the crimefighter.^[11]
• Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias: A retired vigilante superhero who has since made his identity public. The role of Ozymandias was originally connected to actors Jude Law^[5] and Tom Cruise,^[12] but they left the project behind due to the studio's delay in handling the budget.^[3]
• Stephen McHattie as Hollis Mason / Nite Owl: The first vigilante to take up the mantle of Nite Owl.^[1]
• Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre: A retired vigilante superhero, mother of Laurie Juspeczyk. Gugino's character ages from 25 years old in the 1940s to 67 years old in the 1980s, and the actress wore prosthetics to reflect the aging process. Gugino described her character's superhero outfit as an influence of Bettie Page-meets-Alberto Vargas. The actress donned the trademark hairdo of the character, though it was shaped to be more plausible for the film.^[13]
• Matt Frewer as Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic: An elderly rehabilitated criminal, known when he was younger as an underworld kingpin and magician.^[14]
• Niall Matter as Mothman: He is not a main focus of the storyline, but appears in flashbacks, at one point reduced in his later years to fragile sanity, unnerving the second Silk Spectre. He is regarded fondly by most of the Minutemen, and the first Nite Owl sends the second to visit him, uncostumed, on his behalf.^[15]

Actor Thomas Jane said in June 2007 that Snyder had expressed interest in casting him in the film.^[16] Snyder said he wanted younger actors due to the many flashback scenes, and it was easier to age actors with make-up rather than cast two actors in the same role.^[1] Patrick Wilson (born July 3, 1973) is a Tony-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American theater and film actor and singer. ... Nite Owl is the name of a pair of fictional characters in the comic book series, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. ... This article is about the actor. ... William Crudup (born July 8, 1968) is an American actor. ... Doctor Manhattan (Dr. Jon Osterman) is a fictional character featured in the DC Comics series Watchmen. ... Keanu Charles Reeves (pronounced ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. ... Motion capture, or mocap, is a technique of digitally recording the movements of real things — usually humans — it originally developed as an analysis tool in biomechanics research, but has grown increasingly important as a source of motion data for computer animation. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Jeffrey Dean Morgan (born April 22, 1966 in Seattle, Washington) is an American actor. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the business executive, see Ronald Perelman. ... Jackie Earle Haley (born July 14, 1961 in Northridge, California, USA) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor who is best known for his portrayal of Kelly Leak, the motorcycle-riding, cigarette-smoking little leaguer in The Bad News Bears and its sequels. ... Rorschach is a fictional character, a superhero featured in the acclaimed 1986 DC Comics series Watchmen. ... Motion capture, or mocap, is a technique of digitally recording the movements of real things — usually humans — it originally developed as an analysis tool in biomechanics research, but has grown increasingly important as a source of motion data for computer animation. ... Malin Akerman (born May 12, 1978) is a Canadian actress, model and singer. ... Silk Spectre is the name shared by a mother and daughter fictional superheroine pair who are central characters in the classic comic book series Watchmen by Alan Moore, and published by DC Comics. ... Matthew Goode (born April 3, 1978) is a British actor. ... For other uses, see Ozymandias (disambiguation). ... David Jude Law (born 29 December 1972) is an BAFTA Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated British actor. ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. ... McHattie as Romulan Senator Vreenak in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode In the Pale Moonlight. Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1947 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada) is a Canadian actor. ... Nite Owl is the name of a pair of fictional characters in the comic book series, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. ... Carla Gugino (born August 29, 1971) is an American actress best known for her roles of Ingrid Cortez in the Spy Kids trilogy and the title character of the TV series Karen Sisco. ... Silk Spectre is the name shared by a mother and daughter fictional superheroine pair who are central characters in the classic comic book series Watchmen by Alan Moore, and published by DC Comics. ... Bettie Mae Page (though listed Betty on her birth certificate) born April 22, 1923 in Nashville, Tennessee, is a former American model who became famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos. ... Alberto Vargas (1896–1982) was a noted painter of pin-up girls and erotica. ... Matt Frewer (b. ... Moloch the Mystic, real name Edward Jacobi, is a fictional character in the 1987 graphic novel Watchmen. ... “Illusionist” redirects here. ... Niall Matter (October 20, 1980-Present) was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... The cast of Watchmen. ... For the 15th century English Bishop of Norwich, see Thomas Jane (Bishop of Norwich). ...

Production for Watchmen began casting in July 2007 for look-alikes of the era's famous names for the film, including Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, H.R. Haldeman, Ted Koppel, John McLaughlin, Annie Leibovitz, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Fidel Castro, Albert Einstein, Norman Rockwell, John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Mao Zedong and Larry King.^[17] The actor playing Nixon used a full face prosthetic.^[18] Nixon redirects here. ... Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, and 1973 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. ... Harry Robbins (Bob) Haldeman (October 27, 1926 - November 12, 1993) was a U.S. political aide and businessman, best known for his service in the Nixon White House, and for his role in the Watergate scandal, for which he was convicted and imprisoned. ... Photo by Bob DAmico/ABC Ted Koppel, anchor of the ABC News program Nightline. ... John McLaughlin (born March 29, 1927) is the creator, executive producer, and host of The McLaughlin Group, a weekly public affairs television program broadcast in the United States since 1982, and of McLaughlins One on One, an interview program. ... This article is about the American photographer. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... For the song by Die Ärzte, see Yoko Ono (song). ... Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born on August 13, 1926) is the current President of Cuba but on indefinite medical hiatus. ... “Einstein” redirects here. ... Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was a 20th century American painter. ... John Kennedy and JFK redirect here. ... First official White House portrait. ... Andrew Warhola (August 6, 1928 — February 22, 1987), better known as Andy Warhol, was an American artist who was a central figure in the movement known as Pop art. ... Mao redirects here. ... This article is about the television show host. ...

Development

In August 1986, producer Lawrence Gordon acquired film rights to Watchmen for 20th Century Fox. Producer Joel Silver was also working on the film.^[19] Fox asked author Alan Moore to write a screenplay based on his story.^[20] When Moore declined, the studio enlisted screenwriter Sam Hamm to pen the script. Hamm turned in his first draft on September 9, 1988. Hamm found the task of condensing Moore's 400-page, nine-panel-a-page strip into a 128-page script arduous. He took the liberty of re-writing Watchmen's complicated ending into a "more manageable" conclusion involving an assassination and a time paradox. Fox put the project into turnaround in 1991,^[20][21] giving part of the rights to Largo International. When Largo dismantled, producer Gordon agreed to pay-out Fox in order to set up the project with another studio.^[21] Lawrence Gordon (born March 25, 1936 in Yazoo City, Mississippi) is an American producer and motion picture executive. ... For other uses, see Watchman. ... Twentieth (20th) Century Fox Film Corporation (known from 1935 to 1985 as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation) is one of the six major American film studios. ... Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is a successful Hollywood film producer. ... For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ... Sam Hamm is an American screenwriter, perhaps best known for writing the screenplays for the Tim Burton Batman films. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... In film production, turnaround is the process where the rights to a project one studio has developed are sold to another studio in exchange for the cost of development. ...

Gordon and Silver set up the project at Warner Bros., where Terry Gilliam was attached to direct. Unsatisfied with how Hamm's script fleshed out the characters, Gilliam brought in long-time collaborator Charles McKeown to rewrite it. The second draft, which was credited to Gilliam, Warren Skaaren, and Hamm, used the character Rorschach's diary as a voice-over and restored scenes from the comic book that Hamm had removed.^[20] According to Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons, Silver wanted to cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dr. Manhattan.^[22] Filming was to take place at Pinewood Studios.^[23] Because both Gilliam and Silver's previous films, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Die Hard 2 respectively, went over budget, they were only able to raise $25 million for the film (a quarter of the necessary budget).^[20] Gilliam abandoned the project due to these funding problems, and also decided that Watchmen would have been unfilmable. "Reducing [the story] to a two or two-and-a-half hour film [...] seemed to me to take away the essence of what Watchmen is about," Gilliam said.^[24] After WB dropped the project, Gordon invited Gilliam back to helm the film independently. The director again declined, believing that the comic book would be better directed as a five-hour miniseries.^[25] “WB” redirects here. ... Terrence Vance Gilliam (born November 22, 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, animator, and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. ... Charles McKeown (b. ... Rorschach is a fictional character, a superhero featured in the acclaimed 1986 DC Comics series Watchmen. ... A voice-over is a narration that is played on top of a video segment, usually with the audio for that segment muted or lowered. ... Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German IPA: ; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, Golden Globe-winning actor, businessman and politician currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... Doctor Manhattan is a fictional superhero who is a central character in the classic comic book series, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. ... The gatehouse at Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. ... The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a 1988 film directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville (as the Baron), Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman, and Robin Williams. ... Die Hard 2, sometimes marketed under the title Die Hard 2: Die Harder, is a 1990 film, the second in the Die Hard series. ... A miniseries (sometimes mini-series), in a serial storytelling medium, is a production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. ...

In October 2001, Gordon and Universal Studios signed screenwriter David Hayter to write and direct Watchmen in a "seven-figure deal".^[26] Hayter stated his intent to begin filming in early 2002.^[27] In July 2002, Hayter completed his first draft.^[28] In May 2003, Hayter said he had Alan Moore's blessing on the film, despite Moore's disagreement with the project since its first incarnation.^[29] In July 2003, Watchmen producer Lloyd Levin announced the completion of Hayter's script, which Levin called "a great adaptation [...] that absolutely celebrates the book".^[30] Hayter and the producers left Universal due to creative differences,^[31] and in October 2003, Gordon and Levin expressed interest in setting up Watchmen at Revolution Studios. They had completed Hellboy at Revolution,^[32] and were intending to shoot in Prague.^[33] The project did not hold together at Revolution Studios and subsequently fell apart.^[34] A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... This article is about the American media conglomerate. ... David Bryan Hayter (born February 6, 1969 in Santa Monica, California), is an American voice actor, actor, and screenwriter. ... Revolution Studios was founded in 2000 by Joe Roth, a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and Twentieth Century Fox. ... Hellboy is an English supernatural action-thriller, directed by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. ... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ...

In July 2004, it was announced Paramount Pictures would produce Watchmen, and they attached Darren Aronofsky to direct Hayter's script. Producers Gordon and Levin remained attached, collaborating with Aronofsky's producing partner, Eric Watson.^[35] Simon Pegg was involved in negotiations to portray Rorschach.^[36] But Aronofsky left to focus on The Fountain. Paramount replaced him with Paul Greengrass and set up a target summer 2006 release date.^[37] To publicize the film, Paramount launched a now-defunct Watchmen teaser website that had a message board as well as computer wallpaper available to download.^[38] Graphic artist Tristan Schane drew designs of Dr. Manhattan for the film, which would have depicted him with visible intestines.^[39] In March 2005, Paramount's CEO, Donald De Line, was rumored to depart from the studio, endangering high-profile projects including Watchmen. Earlier that week, De Line was in London, urging a reduction in Watchmen's budget so the film could get the greenlight.^[40] As a result of the potential budget cut with the new CEO Brad Grey, Levin planned to move the project from Pinewood Studios (where it was going to be shot), hoping to curb the budget by filming outside the UK.^[41] Ultimately, Paramount placed Watchmen in turnaround.^[42] Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. ... Simon John Pegg (born 14 February 1970) is an English comedian, writer and film and television actor. ... The Fountain is a 2006 science fiction/fantasy film directed by Darren Aronofsky that follows three interwoven narratives that take place in the age of conquistadors, the modern-day period, and the far future. ... Paul Greengrass (b. ... A screenshot of Ubuntu 6. ... Chief Executive redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The gatehouse at Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. ...

In October 2005, Gordon and Levin were in talks with Warner Bros., originally the second studio to be attached to Watchmen.^[43] In December 2005, the producers were confirmed to have set up the project at Warner Bros., but Greengrass was no longer attached to the project. In addition, the film was marked an "open writing assignment", which meant David Hayter's script would be put aside.^[44] Despite this change, Hayter expressed his hope that his script would be used by Warner Bros. and that he would be attached to direct his "dream project".^[45] On February 8, 2008 (as filming was finishing), Fox launched a lawsuit against WB, as producer Lawrence Gordon never paid out the studio as he sought a new studio to develop the project.^[21] is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Production

Impressed with Zack Snyder's work on 300, an adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name, Warner Bros. approached him to direct an adaptation of Watchmen.^[47] On June 23, 2006, Warner Bros. announced that Zack Snyder would direct Watchmen with Alex Tse attached to write the script.^[48] For the new script, Tse drew "the best elements" from two of the project's previous drafts written by screenwriter David Hayter.^[49] The script did not keep the contemporary atmosphere that Hayter created, but instead returned to the original Cold War setting of the Watchmen comic.^[50] Warner Bros. was amenable to the 1980s setting, and the director also added a title montage sequence to introduce the audience to the events of alternate history United States in that time period.^[51] Zack Snyder (born March 1, 1966, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.) is an American film director. ... 300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. ... This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist and movie writer and director. ... 300 is a historically-inspired comic book limited series (later collected into a single hardcover volume) written and illustrated by Frank Miller with painted colors by Lynn Varley. ... “WB” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Watchman. ... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Zack Snyder (born March 1, 1966, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.) is an American film director. ... Alex Tse is a screenwriter. ... David Bryan Hayter (born February 6, 1969 in Santa Monica, California), is an American voice actor, actor, and screenwriter. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The 1980s is the current decade spanning from 1980 to 1989, also called The Eighties. The decade saw social, economic and general upheaval as wealth, production and western culture migrated to new industrializing economies. ... Alternate history (fiction) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Snyder said of his plans for filming Watchmen: "There are so many easter eggs in the frames (of the comic) so you want that level of detail in the movie itself."^[50] Similar to his approach to 300, Snyder used the comic book as a storyboard, travelling with a copy and annotating its pages.^[12] As well as the novel, Snyder cited Taxi Driver and Seven as visual influences.^[52][53] Snyder said his February 2007 revision of the script would require 2 1/2 hours of screen time.^[47] Snyder wanted a $150 million budget, but Warner Bros. prefer the budget remain under $100 million.^[54] A virtual Easter egg is a hidden message or feature in an object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, computer program, or video game. ... Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity. ... This article is about the 1976 American film. ... Se7en redirects here. ...

Nite Owl's costume design was modernized from the spandex of the comic to make him more intimidating.

In December 2006, comic book artists Adam Hughes and John Cassaday were confirmed to work on character and costume design for Watchmen.^[55] Costume tests were being done by March 2007. 300 associate producer Wesley Coller played Rorschach in a costume test, which Snyder inserted into an R-rated trailer for 300.^[12] Although he intended to stay faithful to the look of the characters in the comic, Snyder intended Nite Owl to look scarier, and wanted Ozymandias to possess authentic Egyptian attire and artifacts.^[12] Nite Owl and Silk Spectre changed most from the comic, as Snyder felt "audiences might not appreciate the naiveté of the original costumes. So, there has been some effort to give them a [...] modern look — and not modern in the sense of 2007, but modern in terms of the superhero aesthetic". Snyder also wanted the costumes to "comment directly on many of today’s modern masked vigilantes, who shall remain nameless".^[9] Set designers selected four Kansas City sculptors' works for use in the set of Dr. Manhattan's apartment after discovering their works on the Internet.^[56] Comic Book Artist is an American magazine primarily devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published between the 1960s and the present-day. ... I am Adam Hughes. ... John Cassaday is a comic book artist, best known for his work on Planetary with Warren Ellis, and Astonishing X-Men with Joss Whedon. ... Nite Owl is the name of a pair of fictional characters in the comic book series, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics. ... For other uses, see Ozymandias (disambiguation). ...

Snyder hoped to have principal photography take place from June—September 2007,^[57] but filming was delayed until September 17, 2007.^[58] The production settled in Vancouver, where a New York City backlot was built. Sets were used for apartments and offices,^[18] while sequences on Mars and Antarctica were shot against green screens.^[59] Filming ended on February 19, 2008.^[60] Sony Pictures Imageworks and Intelligent Creatures are among the visual effects companies working on the film.^[61] is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... The bluescreen setup. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 in film is expected to feature another battle of the sequels, as many properties release new installments, including: Rambo, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Lost Boys: The Tribe... Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. ... Intelligent Creatures is a visual effects post-production company specializing in feature films with a fully integrated 2D & 3D pipeline. ...

Composer Tyler Bates began scoring Watchmen in November 2007. He planned to visit the shoot for a week during each month, and view assembly cuts of scenes to begin rough composing.^[62] The film will use some of the songs mentioned in the comic.^[9] Tyler Bates is a music producer for films. ...

Moore and Gibbons' response

Previous developments

In an interview with Variety's Danny Graydon during Warner Bros.'s first possession of feature film rights for Watchmen, the graphic novel's writer Alan Moore adamantly opposed a film adaptation of his comic book, arguing, "You get people saying, 'Oh, yes, Watchmen is very cinematic,' when actually it's not. It's almost the exact opposite of cinematic." Moore said that Terry Gilliam, preparing to direct Watchmen for Warner Bros. at the time, had asked Moore how the writer would film it. Moore told Graydon about his response, "I had to tell him that, frankly, I didn't think it was filmable. I didn't design it to show off the similarities between cinema and comics, which are there, but in my opinion are fairly unremarkable. It was designed to show off the things that comics could do that cinema and literature couldn't."^[20] Variety is a daily newspaper for the entertainment industry. ... “WB” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Watchman. ... For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ... Terrence Vance Gilliam (born November 22, 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, animator, and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. ... “WB” redirects here. ...

Moore also told Entertainment Weekly in December 2001, "With a comic, you can take as much time as you want in absorbing that background detail, noticing little things that we might have planted there. You can also flip back a few pages relatively easily to see where a certain image connects with a line of dialogue from a few pages ago. But in a film, by the nature of the medium, you're being dragged through it at 24 frames per second."^[63] Moore had opposed the adaptation of Watchmen from the beginning, intending to give any resulting film royalties to Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons.^[22] According to Moore, David Hayter's script "was as close as [he] could imagine anyone getting to Watchmen." However, Moore added, "I shan't be going to see it. My book is a comic book. Not a movie, not a novel. A comic book. It's been made in a certain way, and designed to be read a certain way: in an armchair, nice and cozy next to a fire, with a steaming cup of coffee."^[22] Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ... David Bryan Hayter (born February 6, 1969 in Santa Monica, California), is an American voice actor, actor, and screenwriter. ...

In an early interview with Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker, Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons said that he thought the time had passed to make a Watchmen movie. At the time, Darren Aronofsky was expressing interest in directing the film under Paramount Pictures. Nevertheless, Gibbons said, "It was most likely to happen when Batman was a big success, but then that window was lost." Gibbons also told Neon, "In a way, I'm glad because it wouldn't have been up to the book."^[20] Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Batman is a 1989 Academy Award-winning superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. ... Neon was a British film magazine published monthly by Emap Consumer Media from December 1996 to February 1999. ...

Production

In November 2006, director Zack Snyder said that he hoped to speak to Moore before filming, though the writer had sworn off involvement with film or television productions after his disagreement with the V for Vendetta film adaptation.^[59] In a July 2007 interview, Moore said of Snyder's project, "If they go for some other novelty option like they did with V For Vendetta then I'm in for another year of excoriating them in every interview I do until they remove my name from it."^[64] Before shooting, Snyder said "[I] totally respect his wishes to not be involved in the movie."^[18] Dave Gibbons enjoyed the script by Alex Tse,^[1] and the illustrator also was impressed by Snyder's enthusiasm. Gibbons said, "I do think Zack has got the ability to make a really good movie, and I think Watchmen has the ability to be a really good movie, and hopefully the two things will come together... I'm basically supporting it."^[65] Gibbons gave Snyder some script advice which the director accepted.^[18] Zack Snyder (born March 1, 1966, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.) is an American film director. ... This article is about the film. ...

In January 2008, Alan Moore revealed that he had negotiated to have his name removed from Zack Snyder's film and to have all royalties go to Dave Gibbons. He said that Gibbons had asked him if he was interested in being updated about the film, but the writer declined. Moore said, "I won’t be watching it, obviously. I can at least remain neutral to it as long as they’re taking my name off of it and not playing these silly, ultimately futile games like they were doing last time, which worked out so well for them."^[66]

Marketing

DC Direct will release action figures based on the film in January 2009.^[67] Director Zack Snyder has also set up a YouTube contest petitioning Watchmen fans to create faux commercials of products made by the fictional Veidt Enterprises.^[68][69] DC Direct[1] is the exclusive collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. ...

DVD releases

Tales of the Black Freighter, a comic within the Watchmen comic, will be adapted as a direct-to-video anime, which will be released on March 11, 2009.^[70] It was originally included in the script,^[59] but was cut due to budget restrictions,^[58] as the segment would have added $20 million to the budget, as Snyder wanted to film it in a stylized manner reminiscent of 300.^[70] Snyder considered including the animated film in the final cut,^[9] but the film was already approaching a three hour running time.^[70] Gerard Butler, who starred in 300 voices the Captain in the film, having been promised a role in the film, which never materialized.^[71] For other uses, see Watchman. ... A film that is released direct-to-video (also straight-to-video) is one which has been released to the public on home video formats first rather than first being released in movie theaters. ... Animé redirects here. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2009 (MMIX) will be a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. ... Gerard James Butler (born November 13, 1969) is a Scottish actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of King Leonidas in 300 and The Phantom in the 2004 film version of The Phantom of the Opera. ...

The Tales of the Black Freighter DVD will also include Under the Hood, a documentary detailing the characters' backstories, which takes its cue from Hollis Mason's memoirs in the novel. The film will be released on DVD four months later, and Warner Bros. is also considering releasing an extended edition, with the animated film edited back into the main picture. In addition, a dozen short films (each around twenty minutes in length) will be released on the internet, using narration over the panels of the comic strip to familiarize newcomers to the story. These may also be released on DVD.^[70]

References