Yesterday, CBR reported that Warner Bros. Animation would be adapting Alan Moore’s and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen into an animated movie. Originally published from 1986-1987 and later adapted into a 2.5-4 hour movie by Zack Snyder in 2009, news of this newest iteration of the series was revealed in an online survey distributed to members of Warner Bros. A-List Community program. The program, which is designed to gauge a selection of Warner Bros. fans’ reactions to upcoming studio projects, revealed the existence of the Watchmen animation in a survey distributed earlier this week.
The description, which characterizes the animated movie as “made-for-video,” is as follows:
A faithful adaptation of the Watchmen graphic novel executed in an animation style that mirrors the source material (Anticipated MPAA R rating).
In an alternate world where the mere presence of American superheroes changed history, the US won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president, and the cold war is in full effect, Watchmen begins as a murder-mystery, but soon unfolds into a planet-altering conspiracy. As the resolution comes to a head, the unlikely group of reunited heroes– Rorschach, Nite-Owl, Silk Spectre, Dr. Manhattan, and Ozymandias– have to test the limits of their convictions and ask themselves where the true line is between good and evil.
WB’s promise to animate Watchmen in a style that “mirrors the source material” puts this film in line with WB Animation’s recent adaptation of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns and Moore’s and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke, both of which closely hewed to the original comics artists’ styles.
It’s a little surprising that news of this new adapation of Watchmen has leaked to the general public so quickly as membership to Warner Bros. A-List Community program requires the signing of an non-disclosure agreement that reads as follows:
Warner Bros. A-List Community Non-Disclosure Agreement As a member of this community, you will be invited to participate in research studies. During these studies, some proprietary information or ideas may be disclosed. In consideration of your membership you agree to maintain the secrecy of any disclosures, concepts or ideas discussed or generated as a result of these studies and agree not to disclose such ideas to any third party. In addition, you agree that any ideas that are discussed and/or generated, as a result of your participation in this study will become the property of the community and its sponsor, Warner Bros. Entertainment. In addition, your personal information, opinions and feedback are maintained securely and are never divulged to any third party. You may choose to opt-out of this panel at any time.
While WB Animation must be shaking their heads right now…what do you think? Are you excited for this adaptation? Worried about how Watchmen could be adapted into a movie of any reasonable length? Personally I wish they had continued to pursue a television deal with HBO, as was reported back in 2015.
As long as they don’t go adding in unneeded extra scenes (The Killing Joke) then I think it is an excellent idea. It would need to be longer than most animated movies though.
I liked Watchmen in book form, but it was missing something….. Maybe music and moving pictures? Voices too! In fact, I love many comic stories, but why do they have to be comics?! I love everything about comics except the fact they are comics.
Thanks DC!
Anyone remember the motion comic?
They haven’t squeezed all the blood out of that stone yet? I don’t know what’s worse, the flagrant disregard for creator’s rights or DC saying, “yep, we’re totally out of ideas….”
Using a non-Dave Gibbons Watchmen illustration to start off this article? Has Watchmen been that diluted already?
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