Over the weekend at the San Diego Comic Con the official cast of The Watchmen movie was revealed. The film will be directed by Zach Snyder (300) and is an adaptation of the DC graphic novel mini series ('86-'87) of the same name (co-created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons).
For those not aware The Watchmen comic details an alternative United States (in 1985) that is on brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. A masked super hero is murdered and sets off a chain of events that leads to a epic conspiracy involving the super hero community--and it doesn't involve the regulars of the DC universe...the characters are unique to the Watchmen universe--although they were based on the Charlatan comic book line of years past. The Watchmen is the Sgt. Peppers.../Citizen Kane...of the comic book world. And it is hard to argue against it not being the best of the best. It was and remains groundbreaking to this very day.
Here's the cast:
Billy Crudup, Dr. Manhattan
Malin Akerman, Silk Spectre
Matthew Goode, Ozymandias
Jackie Earle Haley, Rorschach
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Comedian
Patrick Wilson, Nite Owl
My initial thought is that this is good casting. Honestly I'm only familiar with Crudup, Haley, and Wilson but I think that is a good thing inasmuch as it rightfully implies that they were looking for the right actor to play the part and not just a big name. Haley--coming off his haunting performance in Little Children--will be perfect for the part of Rorschach. I've always liked Crudup so I'm not concerned about that.
Adapting the 12 issue mini-series is going to be quite a challenge. Fan boys are all about Snyder so let's hope he delivers a product that not only lives up to the hype but remains faithful to the source material. I thought 300 was a pretty good movie but I don't think "it's the greatest thing every." But I remain optimistic that Snyder can pull it off. It seems that Warner Bros. is giving him the freedom and support that it will take to make the Watchmen movie as relavant as the comic book.
(The photos is the official movie poster from the comic-con).
3 comments:
sound's like it's time to reread The Watchmen. i just helped a friend find a copy the other day.
i don't know any of the actors, which is actually exciting. i think that was one of the major flaws w/League of Extraordinary Gentlemen... they focused too much on big names and not enough on the story. in fact, it was a really terrible movie.
v for vendetta didn't suffer for having big names, though alan moore hated it (for other reasons). from hell was okay, but heather grahame was horrible. surely they could have got some british woman to play the part. wonder how Moore feels about the watchmen.
I'm sure he (Moore) won't like it. I think he dislikes more things than Andy.:)
word!
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