ROTTEN TOMATOES: WB Picks Up the Troubled Gang of "Watchmen"

WB Picks Up the Troubled Gang of "Watchmen"

by Scott Weinberg | December 19, 2005

Once upon a time it was a property owned by Universal. Then Paramount got a hold of it. Now it seems that "Watchmen," as inspired by the works of Alan Moore, has been picked up via turnaround by the folks who run Warner Bros. Whether or not this movie will ever get made is really anyone's guess.

According to Variety, "Warner Bros. has picked up vigilante action project "The Watchmen" out of turnaround from Paramount.

Project, produced by Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin, has been without a home since spring. Paramount had been aiming for a summer shoot in London with Brit director Paul Greengrass attached but budgetary concerns stopped "The Watchmen" from moving into production.

"The Watchmen" was previously set up at Universal, where David Hayter signed a seven-figure deal in 2001 to adapt with an eye toward directing.

Warner's is seeking a new writer and director for "The Watchmen." Once those slots are set, Paramount will have the option to co-finance the project.

Story, set in the 1950s, launches with a seemingly ordinary man putting on superhero garb to track down criminals. He's joined by those similarly inclined until a law is passed forcing them out of crimefighting; years later, several of his crimefighting associates are mysteriously murdered.

"The Watchmen," written as a 12-part series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, achieved cult status in the comicbook world for its adult sensibility and post-modern view of superheroes."
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Films inspired by the works of Alan Moore include "From Hell" and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

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(1-10 of 10 posts) | Reply

FluxCapacitor writes:
on Dec 19 2005 05:14 AM

Hmm, let's see:
Aaronofsky was once attached to this.

He's just made The Fountain for WB.

He's really rather awesome.

Now WB have picked this up...

The way ahead looks pretty clear, right?

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elziard writes:
on Dec 19 2005 08:50 AM

warner bros seems to have done right for V for Vendetta. better than fox did for LXG.
i'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they can do right on this also.

aside from V, this is moore's best work and should be given the care it needs for a good translation to film.
if it takes another 5 years to make, then do it, as long as it is done right.

(Reply to this)

lovelykeira writes:
on Dec 19 2005 11:42 AM

I'm glad WB picked it up, now hopefully they just get it made without it falling apart.

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dylan21484nj writes:
on Dec 19 2005 01:07 PM

WB should handle all Vertigo properties from now on, since they're finally doing the comics justice. WB already owns all DC properties, and Vertigo belongs to DC, so it's only natural. besides, with Batman Begins being so awesome and V for Vendetta and Superman Returns looking great, you know WB is finally "getting it."

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t-joint writes:
on Dec 19 2005 05:58 PM

In reply to this comment (#829016)
[b]Justice?!?!?![/b]
How in God's, or any other deity you wish to invoke, name did WB do Hellblazer justice?!?!?!

Anyway, by them picking up Watchmen, it only means that it's now a fair bet that Kinewi Reeves is gonna be cast as Nite Owl.

...although I gotta admit Carrie Ann Moss would make a passable Silk Spectre. Hmmm...

Also, just in case we're not all on the same page here, Watchmen was not a Vertigo title. It came out almost 7 years before the Vertigo line debuted.

(Reply to this)

Flim Springfield writes:
on Dec 19 2005 11:05 PM

Watchman wasn't a Vertigo title, but Alan Moore is pretty much considered the creator of the Vertigo line with Swamp Thing, V, Watchmen, etc. So it's kind of an "unofficial" Vertigo title.

Hellbla-- er, Constantine was pretty bad though. But if they were set on an American lead, imagine how cool it might have been with Dennis Leary?

When will the studio execs listen to my telepathic transmissions???

(Reply to this)

Tyree writes:
on Dec 20 2005 06:47 PM

watchman is overrated-I'm not saying its bad, just overrated

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bacci40 writes:
on Dec 20 2005 08:49 PM

let this die....

watchmen cannot be made into a 2 hour movie

it is best suited for a mini series for hbo....but would be too expensive.

the two scripts written blew chunks.

let this be the best film never made.

(Reply to this)

t-joint writes:
on Dec 20 2005 10:49 PM

In reply to this comment (#829019)
[b]"Over-WHAT-ed"!?!?![/b]
(Jaw hits floor. Head shakes slowly from side to side. Glazed look in eyes...)

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Punishingwombat writes:
on Dec 21 2005 11:47 AM

[b]The poor Mr Moore[/b]
Hollywood needs to crapping all over Alan Moore's work. From Hell was shoddy, LXG sucked, and Moore himself cut all ties to DC because of the V for Vendetta film, which was origianlly called Alan Moore's V for Vendetta a la Frank Miller's Sin City, but Moore refused to have his name on it. If you dont beleive play around on google for 5 minutes and you will find the article. Watchmen may be a good film, but it will not be Alan Moore's Watchmen simply because no studio will release a five hour film and WB will most likely shoot for *shudder* PG-13. Heres an idea for Hollywood, come jup with your own goddamn superheroes and stop shitting on my favorites. the incredibles made up there own (although the borrowed heavily from real ones) and it was awesome

(Reply to this)