March 13th, 2007 -- Written by John Campea
A little glimpse of the Watchmen can be found in the DVD extended trailer for 300.
Zack Snyder, the director of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “300,” has been developing “Watchmen” at the studio since June, and during the recent press tour for the Spartan epic, he said he was aiming for a summer shoot for “Watchmen” — even though it has not been cast, or even greenlighted by the studio.Snyder’s enthusiasm for the project spilled out online late last week when a Snyder-created image of one of the “Watchmen” characters was discovered embedded in a “300″ DVD trailer distributed by marketing street teams and was posted all over the Web, causing a minor cacophony.
If you pause, and scroll the progress indicator to precisely 1:52 into the trailer (3:38 remaining in the below embedded feed), you will see Rorschach on a darkened street with a street lamp in the background. It is a single frame you wont see in the video feed.
Warning: This video does contain some adult content
Hopefully this sort of viral marketing will encourage the studios to green light this project so Snyder can get to work on Watchmen. With the sucess of 300, this is a perfect time to get Watchmen out.
300 set a lot of precedence that breaks the Hollywood mold. Watchmen needs that kind of support. In order to do this movie right, Snyder is calling for a $150million budget. Studios just dont have that much faith, and Paramount dropped the project in ‘05. Now we can see that not just mainstream comics can be adapted to movies, but that the Graphic Novel market is an untapped resource of quality stories and visual wonders.
Watchmen is a different kind of superhero story. Kind of a pulp hero story that revolves more around the characters and story than the “he can shoot fire from his ass” kind of wonderment. Sin City and 300 has proven that the movie going public is far more receptive to these kind of stories.
Now is the time to take movies up a notch. Give us Watchmen!
Posted in
i must say i never saw that trailer…but i did see the watchmen thing when i paused it….i never read the book, but i looked it up on wikipedia and it seems pretty cool..good luck to zack and someone give me a fuckin PREACHER movie!!!
peace…
No studio will make this movie for $150 million. Watchmen can’t make that money back plus marketing costs.
Hey Chris,
Mark Steven Johnson is developing Preacher as an HBO series.
I dont know if you would consider that good or bad news, but that’s the way it is.
P.S. – Go read Watchmen. Wiki doesnt do it justice.
per the story at hand,
I think it’s a done deal that Snyder is going to make Watchmen, they just have to come to terms on budget. I am so happy that Zach Snyder is the guy doing it too. From everything that I’ve seen him say or read in interviews concerning Watchmen, I really think he gets it. I think he get’s what will make a good Watchmen movie.
I’m not one of those people that think Watchmen can only be realized as an HBO series. I think a good film can be made from it, and I cant wait to see this movie.
Who watches the Watchmen? … Me, as soon as Snyder’s movie come out, that’s who.
“Watchmen can’t make that money back plus marketing costs”
I disagree.
Snyder is going after big people for this movie.
I think it has the potential to be a huge hit. Maybe these are just the ramblings of a fanboy, but Watchmen has a pretty broad base of people who are aware of it. Time magazine put it on it’s list of the 100 best novels since 1923. Add that to some bankable names and I think you have a hit on your hands.
It’s just my opinion, though…
“Watchmen can’t make that money back plus marketing costs”
Just like 300 can’t open with a 70 million weekend.
And so it begins. What do I mean? The hype!
Look at it this way, there are going to be many people (or a few) with the DVD who will put this trailer in slow motion and will F’n scream when they see a brief still of that one favorite “unfilmable” comic.
With that as a good start, just like Transformers, it is now or never. The hype could build in newspapers where a page will be colored black, have that iconic smiley-face, with red letters underneth saying “coming soon.”
Think about it this way, the comic book is famous. The studio could show support of how great they think the film is. Let fans offer their opinions on how they love the comic and how they thought it was impossible to film. That and maybe more could be enough to get attention and make this film the blockbuster we have all been waitng for (including Transformers)! I have read the comic, and I’m glad this was posted before I got the DVD, because walls would’ve been torn down to how surprised I would’ve been! Whew~!
Btw, it is a shame Alan Moore won’t be involved. The guy made this masterpiece, but I can understand that he doesn’t want to be involved in the Hollywood system.
Boy, would it be something if Watchmen won Best Picture…
there is a big difference kristina…..
if they make a 150 million watchmen film and with prints and advertising ultimately spend say 200 million on it i certainly wouldn’t want to be the exec who greenlit that…..that size film is a whole new league…….it would have to make over 500 million to break even…..
i think people are getting a little bit carried away with what the opening of 300 means…….sure it was much bigger than a lot of people picked (myself included) but people are acting like its the only film to have made money before…..the biggest march opening ever!!! 3rd biggest r rated opening ever!!!
every week we here some kind of claim about some films opening – biggest non sequel horror comedy thursday afternoon opening on a rainy day in april ever!!!!
i am not saying it is not outstanding..the execs at warners are probably still opening champagne right now but if you think that means they are willing to hand over 150 million to adapt a rather obscure comic and total creative freedomtomake it R rated…well I would be very very surprised if that happens….
the relatively cheapness of a 60 million budget also meant they let him get away with a hell of a lot more – if they gave him 150 million the creative freedom is going to shrink big time…..
if this 300 opening turns into a 500 million + gross then warners may feel a lot more inclined but i just cannot see them handing over the sized budget along with creative freedom and accepting an R rating…..yes 300 was R but it did not cost 150 million
i don’t believe anything is unfilmable either….you can film anything – its whether you can make it good … thats the big question…..watchmen is a very deep complex piece of work that requires more than a bunch of strong visuals..i know a lot of you are talking about underlying themes etc etc in 300 but i think you are seeing depth where there is none…it is not a deep movie at all…..i want to see what he does with it…..
Maybe it’s because I was never any good at math but I’ll never understand how someone can say that if a movie cost 150 million to make then add another 50 for prints and marketing, making it an even 200 mil, it has to clear 500 million box office to “break even”.
I would glad to admit I was just ignorant of the facts if someone could explain this mathematical anomaly to me.
Beacuse, silly me, I thought that if a movie made back what it cost to make that means it broke even. I was unaware that it would have to make 300 million more than it cost to make in order for it to break even.
If you think about it, that theory kind of negates the use of the word even.
Like I said, I’d be glad to admit my ignorance if someone could adequetly explain this to me.
Maybe it has to do with an actor’s or director’s or whoever’s back end deals… I just dont get it.
I have to admit, as a guy who would rather see Watchmen as a mini series on HBO, that shot of Rorshach gave me chills. I wonder if they’ll make it a 3 hour epic though? Watchmen is a LOT of story to squeeze into two hours.
I know it’s off topic but I just had to say something about a bit of news that has made me very happy.
Per Empire,
Brandon Routh says it is unlikely that Singer and Co will use Zod as the baddie.
It’s time to rejoice because now we know that the Superman Returns sequel will not be a complete and utter remake of Superman 2 the way S.R. was a complete and utter remake of Superman the movie.
If it gets deleted, then it gets deleted.
I just had to say it because I was so happy.
mark steven parker is that the bastard who fucked up daredevil? if it is then its bad news….preacher is a fantastic book and a series is a wise way to go, but……if done bad it will be HORRIBLE…..
anyway alfie i think 300 is gonna continue its reign….opening this weekend is what? the preminition with sandra bullock….come on…with spring break coming up 300 is gonna be number 1 again…..it came out the perfect time because of the lack of competition….
jay, i’ll try to pick up the watchmen….how much do you think it will cost for a trade paperback?
peace…
I think it’s 14.99 at Barnes and Noble.
Dont hold me to it, but I think that’s right.
I’m a big fan of the Preacher series also.
If Snyder does get to make this they should break the story up into several movies like Kill Bill.
I think this is good news, but most any comic book movie news to me is good. ;p I’m just as much a comic book movie junky as Campea. I’ve never read Watchman, but I know it’s a good series cuz I’ve yet to hear anyone put it down. I think I’m finaly going to go pick up a copy this weekend though, with so much hype around the movie again.
Ever since I’ve seen 300, Zack Snyder is now one of my fav directors. I have no dought he can pull off Watchman and I’m so glad he wants to do it and has a real passion for it. Just as much passion as he did for making 300 and making it right. But I too have my doughts some that he’ll get a 150mil budget for it souly cuz Watchman isn’t anywhere near as popular as say Superman or Spider-man. It’s more of an under ground thing cuz it’s mostly only known among die hard comic book fans.
Everything else though I’d say would be in Snyder’s favor. He’s proven himself very much with 300 and 300 has proven allot about R rated films based on graphic novels that only die hard comic fans know about and love can make a killing as the box office. BUT, 300 also carries the name Frank Miller. Who’s name carries allot of weight now a days (finaly) who is quckly becoming well known the world over. About as much as Todd Mcfarlane, Jim Lee, or even Stan Lee himself. Where Alan Moore does not.
I do want this movie to get made, from what I’ve heard I think it diserves it. And with or with out a budget as high as 150 million, I hope Snyder will do it. With him behind it, I can’t wait so see this movie.
jay…about the box office stuff…..the general rule of thumb they say is for a film to start turning a profit it has to make around about 2 and a half times its budget…..there is a lot of people waiting to get their piece of the pie……by the time the theatre owners taking there bit….foreign distributors…producers, actors directors with percentage deals etc etc the studios are almost last on the list….
with dvd now maybe a film only has to make double..perhaps the profit point has come down but they have to be careful as dvd sales have levelled off big time as well….
it certainly varies from film to film obviously depending on whatever deals have been struck etc etc but two and half times the budget is the average…
thats for studio films…I am sure indies have different scales and deals….
don’t get me wrong i would love for someone to greenlight a 150 million version of watchmen…I am just skeptical….
see the studios are very silly…i bet as happy as they are about 300 success there will be a part of them thinking “wow..imagine how much it would have made had it have been pg13″
thats how they think….they won’t be thinking “awesome R rated films can make tons”…they will be thinking lets get snyder to do it again only with a pg13….
they’re idiots….
again…I don’t give a fuck what the rating is just make it good..if it comes out r so be it..if it comes out pg13 so be it……but don’t make a film around a rating – make it around quality….obviously some films you want to be R like 300 or say hostel part 2….. but you know what I mean – like this transformers R nonsense…who gives a fuck if transformers is R rated really……unless it means we see robots fucking ripping people in half like bishop at the end of aliens then I don’t really give a fuck…just make it good….which it won’t be…nor will it be anything close to an R rated film..think about R filsm you have seen and tell me how you seriously believe that the robots fighting in this thing could be R rated??
off topic…sorry…..just drunk and rambling
I have zero confidence whatsoever in this movie. That being said, here’s how they should cast it:
Ozymandias: Leonardo DiCaprio
Rorscach: Kurt Russell
Owl Man: Jeff Daniels
Dr. Manhattan: Tom Hanks
The Comedian: Russel Crowe
Ms. Jupiter: Kate Winslet
Bookstore Vendor: Paul Giamatti
If they got that cast, I would have faith in this. Otherwise, there is no way the book can be a movie. The reason the book works is because we are used to costumes in comic books, and the rest feels like its icing on the cake. In a movie, it works the other way around unfortunately, and if you begin to fiddle with the structure it comes apart at the seams.
Does anyone know if Alex Tse is still on deck for the screenplay? Last I heard he was but who knows what the latest incarnation will be. It will be interesting to see Gerard Butler as “The Comedian”. I couldn’t picture that at first but the more I consider the more I can see that scar ripping down his face under a leather fetish mask.
While I am super hyped to see a movie come out of this, I will not be disappointed if it doesn’t get made, as I can always reread it. It is a beautiful story that cannot be tainted by any Hollywood Rape Job.
The greater issues are:
Heroes is about to rip off the Major Plot Point that made Watchmen so powerful. Will that take away the dramatic tension for people who, at that time, will have “been there, done that”
Keeping it “R”eal. Zack Snyder has gone on record insisting the movie will maintain an “R” rating. I’ll believe it when I see it. I love his work so far but we’ll see what happens.
See…
This is what I meant by “adequetly explain”.
What does “rule of thumb” mean? I’m not stupid… I know what it “means”, but my question is where did this “rule” come from? I’m not saying you’re wrong, because I cant prove it one way or another, but I just have trouble with it. It does make sense in a way because I know there are a lot of people waiting to get their piece of the pie, but I guess I’d assumed that most of that was included in the budget. You’re probably right, but it still seems really excessive.
I’m just rambling myself.
Oh, and I agree with you on your R-rated vs quality movie theory, but I think that an R rating would allow Snyder to pursue more of the elements of the book and show them in the graphic detail that they require. That’s all I’m saying. A PG-13 Watchmen would have to toned down a lot. I’m not saying “R” equals quality, but “R” would equal a movie closer in tone, theme and detail to the book. It would be hard to tell Rorshach portion of the story under a PG-13 rating. It could be done, I guess, but it would be like the Disney version of Rorshach. And nobody wants that.
Hey Bishop,
As far as I know Alex Tse is still writing it. The last interview I read with Zach Snyder, which I believe was just last week, he said that he and Alex were still getting it done.
Henrik,
Tom Hanks as Dr Manhattan…? Really…?
Isn’t the script written by David Hayter?
they said hayter wrote an original script a while ago and alan said it was the best possible script for a film adaptation of the watchmen….by the way hayter is the voice actor for snake in metal gear solid…thought that was cool…
peace…
I think Henrik almost nailed the cast. Giamatti as the Newstand guy – brilliant. But Hanks as Dr. Manhattan? Interesting choice.
I’d rather see Jeff Goldblum as Nite Owl. He’s neurotic enough.
Kurt Russell is a great choice for Rorschach.
And you’d need someone older for Ms. Jupiter – Kate Winslet is still too young. I can’t think of anyone though, I’m drawing a blank.
I can’t remember his name, but there’s this actor with REALLY blonde hair and ice blue eyes – he was the villain in The Rock’s version of Walking Tall – I think he’d make a great Ozymandias. He’s got the cold look of a hero with a dark side.
And last, but not least – Russell Crow would make a good choice, I think.
Neal McDonough id who you’re thinking about… and I agree.
I mean the daughter Jupiter. Juspeczuk or whatever. She’s 25-30ish in the book.
the budget is literally that. that is what they spend on the film. the amount we here is the production budget..it very rarely includes the promo budget…..studios rarely announce the promotional budget -generally the trades who know a lot more about this stuff then i will take an educated gues…..the reason we don’t hear the exact promo budget is because the studios don’t want to get bombarded by producers and film makers asking why so and so film is having more money spent on it promo wise then there film……
I have read lots of books about studio corruption and dodgy producers etc etc and al of the books when talking about profit margins have said the same thing … it is just an average and it can vary but for a studio film to turn a profit two and a half times its budget is the way to go…
so say a film makes 100 million at the boxoffice but cost 100 million to make…the studio didn’t break even….they don’t get every penny….they get a cut ansd theatre owners get their cut..then from the studio cut they have to dish out other things like points etc etc if tom cruise is promised 15 percent of the gross..that means he gets 15% from the first dollar through the door before the studio have made profit…..but he would normally take that over getting paid up front and it worked out much better for him – it worked for the studios at first too.
the opening weekend is where the studio get the biggest cut of the box office….thats why the opeing weekend has become so important to studios….I am not sure of the exact fuigures but it goes something like for the first week the stuio gets 80% of tickets and theatres take 20..then the following week it changes…the studio takes 60 the theatres 40…then the week after it changes again…bu the 5 or 6 week the studios are getting like 25% or something like that….I am not one hundred percent correct on the figures there but it does run in that manner…so obviously the theatre owners preferred theold days where mobvies ran for months and months as they got more money in thelong run..studios noe lobve this in and out..they get all their money then chuck out the dvd which totally spoils any chance of theatres having films for ages…
dvd has been a huge saving grace for studios…..
basically by the time a film has run its course the studio has hadtoshare the moeny with so many other people and factors that they need to to make 2 and a halftimes its budget…..
OK,
I understand a little better now.
Thanks for the info, brother
Like I said,
I have no problem being wrong, I just wanted it explained to me why I was wrong. Or should I say uninformed.
About the Tom Hanks thing… Dr. Manhattan is an absolutely ridiculous character, so for him to have any chance of working in a movie, you’d need to best actor alive. Hence, Tom Hanks as Dr. Manhattan.
jesus I am the worst typist in the world
You’re close…
but I think Bigsampson and his fondness for caps has you beat by a small margin.
and Henrik,
I just wanted to say that I think the rest of your list was cool, but Hanks as Dr Manhattan just threw me for a loop. I see your reasoning but the thought of Tom Hanks naked and blue just doesnt scream “Dr Manhattan” to me.
I could be wrong… but it just seems a little hard to swallow.