The Watchmen

[Brian in Mesa]

Warner Bros. Takes Hold of The Watchmen
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
December 19, 2005

Entertainment Weekly first reported that Warner Bros. was in talks to pick up The Watchmen after Paramount dropped the project. IGN Filmforce on Friday said it had confirmed that the movie was now at Warner Bros., but not with Paul Greengrass at the helm.

The Hollywood Reporter has followed-up and confirmed this as well:

"The Watchmen," the seminal DC Comics limited series created by Alan Moore and Gave Gibbons, has found a home at Warner Bros. Pictures. The project has landed at the studio with original producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin -- but not with screenwriter David Hayter and director Paul Greengrass, who were with the project when it was let go from Paramount in June.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Snyder in Talks to Direct Watchmen
Source: Ain't-It-Cool-News
March 25, 2006

Ain't-It-Cool-News reports that "Dawn of the Dead" and 300 director Zack Snyder is in talks with Warner Bros. to helm the big screen adaptation of Watchmen, produced by Lloyd Levin and Lawrence Gordon.

Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were previously attached to direct the project when it was at Paramount Pictures. The film was put into turnaround by Paramount in the summer of 2005 and picked up by Warners later that year. Warner Bros. is the third studio the movie has been at - Universal Pictures originally had the rights.

Watchmen, created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, was released as a 12-issue comic book in 1986 and is one of the most critically acclaimed series in the genre.

The comic is a crime-conspiracy story that provided the first realistic look at the behind-the-heroics lives of superhero archetypes.

 

[Pariah]

What are the odd that the studios stay away from the comib's tagline: "Who watches the Watchmen?"

Seems like it could come back to them if the movie flops.

 

[Pariah]

PS--I'm all geeked up for this.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Zack Snyder Gives Watchmen Update
Source: Empire Online
October 5, 2006

Empire Online caught up with 300 director Zack Snyder and got an update on potentially his next project, the big screen adaptation of Watchmen. Here's a few lines from the article:

"We're getting ready to turn a script that we like into this studio," says Snyder. "They're pretty excited about it…I think the script that Alex (Tse) has done for us is the closest to the graphic novel it's been [since development started], for better or for worse. I feel like Alex has done an awesome job. It's keeping all the things that are cool about the comic".

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Watchmen Cast Confirmed
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
July 26, 2007

Warner Bros. Pictures has confirmed the cast for Watchmen, 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 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, a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent.

Watchmen was created by Alan Moore 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.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

Another Hollywood lawsuit...

Fox Sues Warner Bros. Over Watchmen
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
February 12, 2008

20th Century Fox has initiated a legal battle against Warner Bros. over the rights to develop, produce and distribute a film based on the graphic novel Watchmen, says The Hollywood Reporter.

On Friday, the studio sued Warner Bros., claiming it holds the exclusive copyrights and contract rights to Watchmen.

Warner Bros. plans to release on March 6, 2009 a big-screen version of the popular graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. The film is directed by Zack Snyder (300) and stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer.

The trade says Fox seeks to enjoin Warner Bros. from going forward with the project, saying in the lawsuit that it seeks to "restrain (Warner Bros. Pictures) from taking actions that violate Fox's copyrights and which stand to forever impair Fox's rights to control the distribution and development of this unique work."

Fox claims that between 1986 and 1990, it acquired all movie rights to the 12-issue DC Comics series and screenplays by Charles McKeown and Sam Hamm. In 1991, Fox assigned some rights via a quitclaim to Largo International with the understanding that the studio held exclusive rights to distribute the first motion picture based on Watchmen, according to the lawsuit.

When Largo dismantled, the rights were transferred to producer Lawrence Gordon. Under a "turnaround agreement" between Fox and Gordon, the producer agreed to pay a buy-out price to Fox if he entered into any agreement with another studio or third party to develop or produce Watchmen, among other things.

Now, Fox claims that neither Gordon nor Warner Bros. has paid the buy-out price or advised the studio of any other conditions required under the agreement, including procedures necessary to acquire the rights to Watchmen from Fox.

 

[Suns_fan69]

Latest trailer up on Yahoo, playing in front of Quantum of Solace: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/watchmen.html?showVideo=1

 

[Dr. Jones]

Latest trailer up on Yahoo, playing in front of Quantum of Solace: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/watchmen.html?showVideo=1

WOW

 

[Shane]

This looks ********.

 

[Dr. Jones]

This looks ********.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

This looks ********.

Since you're not a comic book geek who has anticipated this film for more than two decades, I guess I can see why you'd think that. For many others - it's been a long time coming.

 

[Chaplin]

This looks ********.

What a thoughtful response. We expect no less.

 

[Shane]

What a thoughtful response. We expect no less.

It does. The trailer just looks terrible.

 

[Louis]

This looks ********.

+1

What's up with the narrator of the preview? It's like they spliced audio from Dark Knight because they thought Christain Bale's "dark" voice was neat.

The shot of the masked guys everybody is picking on (funny line in the preview) looks like a rogue collection of generic Justice League fans.

On a shelf of superhero toys you would have namebrand Batman, Catwoman, etc...then at the bottom in the 2fer section you'd have Kroger brand Watchmen.

 

[Mulli]

+1

What's up with the narrator of the preview? It's like they spliced audio from Dark Knight because they thought Christain Bale's "dark" voice was neat.

The shot of the masked guys everybody is picking on (funny line in the preview) looks like a rogue collection of generic Justice League fans.

On a shelf of superhero toys you would have namebrand Batman, Catwoman, etc...then at the bottom in the 2fer section you'd have Kroger brand Watchmen.

 

[Chaplin]

+1

What's up with the narrator of the preview? It's like they spliced audio from Dark Knight because they thought Christain Bale's "dark" voice was neat.

The shot of the masked guys everybody is picking on (funny line in the preview) looks like a rogue collection of generic Justice League fans.

On a shelf of superhero toys you would have namebrand Batman, Catwoman, etc...then at the bottom in the 2fer section you'd have Kroger brand Watchmen.

It is painfully obvious that you have no idea at all about the story. This is a fanboy movie. Plain and simple.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

It is painfully obvious that you have no idea at all about the story. This is a fanboy movie. Plain and simple.

That's the feeling I get as well.

While I haven't heard about The Watchmen before this, all my friends who are familar with the graphic novel are acting like 15 year-old boys at a strip club.

It does look interesting however.

 

[abomb]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggCOw0n9wDxs_38iFUILUUhd8gGAD959TNU00

Ruling could put 'Watchmen' in jeopardy

28 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that 20th Century Fox owns a copyright interest in "Watchmen," potentially jeopardizing the superhero movie's March release.

U.S. District Judge Gary Feess of Los Angeles disclosed the decision in a written order Wednesday, The New York Times and Variety reported.

"Watchmen," based on the popular graphic novel of the same name, was shot by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Fox sued to prevent its release and Feess had set a Jan. 20 trial, but reversed course in writing that Fox at least owns the right to distribute the film.

Fox claims it never fully relinquished its rights to the story from a deal made in the late 1980s. Warner spokesman Scott Rowe declined to comment on the latest ruling.

 

[Mulli]

Just when I saw a new preview that made me want to see this. Boo!

 

[Red Hawk]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggCOw0n9wDxs_38iFUILUUhd8gGAD959TNU00

Ruling could put 'Watchmen' in jeopardy

28 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that 20th Century Fox owns a copyright interest in "Watchmen," potentially jeopardizing the superhero movie's March release.

U.S. District Judge Gary Feess of Los Angeles disclosed the decision in a written order Wednesday, The New York Times and Variety reported.

"Watchmen," based on the popular graphic novel of the same name, was shot by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures. Fox sued to prevent its release and Feess had set a Jan. 20 trial, but reversed course in writing that Fox at least owns the right to distribute the film.

Fox claims it never fully relinquished its rights to the story from a deal made in the late 1980s. Warner spokesman Scott Rowe declined to comment on the latest ruling.

WOW. the legal system finally does something good and keeps this dreck from dispoiling society.

 

[Stout]

WOW. the legal system finally does something good and keeps this dreck from dispoiling society.

Yep boys and girls, let's get out our knee-length black boots and lock-step for joy over this. That's what our legal system's for...keeping movies from being made that some people might not like!

 

[Jersey Girl]

Bummer. I was starting to look forward to this one.

 

[Renz]

Watchmen reminds me of this:

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Chaplin]

WOW. the legal system finally does something good and keeps this dreck from dispoiling society.

Wow, takes some real cajones to pan a movie you haven't even seen and probably wouldn't see whether it was released or not.