Watchmen

Watchmen is a 2009 American superhero film based on the 1986–1987 DC Comics limited series and co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons (co-creator and writer Alan Moore chose to remain uncredited). Directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay by David Hayter and Alex Tess, the film stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. A dark and dystopian deconstruction of the superhero genre, the film is set in an alternate history in 1985 at the height of the Cold War, where a group of mostly retired American superheroes investigate the murder of one of their own before uncovering a detail. and deadly conspiracies, when their moral constraints are challenged by the complex nature of the situation.
For nearly two decades, from October 1987 to October 2005, a live-action film adaptation of the Watchmen series was mired in development hell. Producers Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver began development on the project at 20th Century Fox, then moved it to Warner Bros. Pictures, the sister company of Watchmen publisher DC Comics, and hired director Terry Gilliam, who eventually left the production and considered the comic complex. In the 2000s, Gordon and Lloyd Levin collaborated with Universal Pictures, Revolution Studios and Paramount Pictures to produce the film. Directors David Hayter, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were attached to the project before it was canceled due to budget disputes. In October 2005, the project returned to Warner Bros., where Snyder was hired to direct. Paramount remains its international distributor, while Warner Bros. will distribute the film in the United States. However, Fox sued Warner Bros. for copyright infringement after failing to give Gordon a buy-out in 1991, which would have allowed him to develop the film at other studios. Fox and Warner Bros. settled it before the film’s release, with Fox receiving a share of the gross proceeds. Principal photography began in Vancouver, September 2007. As with his previous film 300 (2006), Snyder closely modeled his storyboards on the comics, but chose not to shoot all of Watchmen using green screen and instead opted for real sets.

Released

After its world premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square on February 23, 2009,[12] the film was released in both conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6, 2009. The film underperformed at the box office, grossing over $185.4 million worldwide against the production budget. between $130-138 million; However, the film later became a financial success in the home media market. Greg Silverman (former Warner Bros. executive) said that the film later became profitable.
The film received mixed to positive reviews from fans and critics; The style was praised, but Snyder was accused of making an action film that lacked the thematic depth and nuance of the comic. A DVD was released based on elements of the Watchmen universe, including an animated adaptation of the Tales of the Black Friar comic with stories voiced by Gerard Butler, and a fictional documentary titled Under the Hood, which details the film’s older generation of superheroes. back story A director’s cut with 24 minutes of additional footage was released in July 2009. The “Ultimate Cut” version incorporates the animated comic Tales of the Black Friar into the narrative as it did in the original graphic novel, lengthening the runtime to 3 hours and 35. minutes, and was released on November 3, 2009. The director’s cut received more than the theatrical release.

Details

In 1985, a man living in a Manhattan apartment is watching news about the rise of Cold War tensions and the reaction of five-term President Richard Nixon, when an unknown assailant attacks him and throws him on the street below. Over the opening credits, a montage reviews the rise of costumed crime-fighters from 1939 to 1977, culminating in public backlash and the passage of an anti-vigilante act.
Rorschach, a vigilante detective who works illegally, discovers that the dead man is Edward Blake, better known as “The Comedian”, a costumed hero who works for the government. Suspecting that other vigilantes may be under attack, Rorschach alerts members of his former team, the Watchmen. Rorschach’s former partner Dan Dreiberg believes he is paranoid but confides his concerns to Adrian Vidt, a crime-fighter turned businessman. Rorschach later meets Dr. Manhattan, a physicist whose accidental superpowers make him a national security asset, but Manhattan is preoccupied with energy research and ignores him.
At Blake’s funeral, Manhattan, Vidot, and Dreiberg each recalled the comedian’s pessimism about Watchmen’s mission in his later years. After the service, a lone mourner paid his respects. Rorschach tracks down and questions the mourner, former supervillain Edgar Jacobi. Jacoby said Blake had recently broken into her apartment while she was sleeping — tearful, unmasked and incoherent. Rorschach is amazed, but doubts that Jacoby would tell such an outlandish lie. During a press interview with Dr. Manhattan, an investigative reporter tells him that several of Manhattan’s contacts have been diagnosed with cancer, including his ex-girlfriend. As other reporters flock to Manhattan with questions, he exiles himself to Mars. Alone, Manhattan reflects on his existence and his regrets for becoming a weapon. In his absence, the Warsaw Pact nations took aggressive action and Nixon prepared for war.
Veidt survives an assassination attempt, suggesting that Rorschach’s “mask-killer” theory is correct. Dreiberg takes second-generation Manhattan vigilante and withdrawn friend Laurie Jupiter for protection. Rorschach’s investigation of the assassin leads him to Jacoby. While trying to question him again, Rorschach is framed for his murder, arrested and unmasked as a low-caste wanderer. In prison, Rorschach defends his warning to a psychiatrist, saying that he cannot ignore evil and those who cause it. Dreiberg and Jupiter, getting nostalgic for their crime-fighting days, dress up and break Rorschach out of prison. Manhattan teleports Jupiter to Mars while Dreiberg joins Rorschach in investigating Blake’s murder. Evidence points to Veidt as their mastermind; They find him in an Antarctic hideout, where he has just overseen the activation of Doctor Manhattan’s power reactors in New York City and elsewhere on the planet. On Mars, Jupiter tries to convince Manhattan that humanity is worth saving, and succeeds only when he learns that Jupiter is Blake’s illegitimate daughter, a fact so unlikely that it restores his respect for life.
Veidt admits to orchestrating the Manhattan exodus, staging the murders, framing Rorschach, and killing Blake who was spying on his activities. He also executes the final step of his plan: turning the world against Manhattan by rigging his reactor to explode, killing 15 million people. Manhattan returns to a devastated New York with Jupiter, piecing together what happened and teleporting to Veidt’s lair. After a brief struggle, Veidt shows him that the nations of the world have put aside their rivalries and focused on a common enemy. Realizing the logic of Veidt’s plan, the Watchmen agree to keep his secret, except for Rorschach, whom Manhattan reluctantly kills to preserve the new world peace. Manhattan permanently leaves for another galaxy when Dreiberg scorns Vidot’s moral sacrifice, and Jupiter finally comes to terms with his parents. A New York tabloid editor, fed up with not having a war to report on, asks a fellow reporter to retrieve something from a crank submissions box containing Rorschach’s journal.

Cast and characters

Production on Watchmen began in July 2007 with casting for famous names of the era to appear in the film—some that director Zack Snyder announced would give the film a “satirical quality” and “create that ’80s vibe.” Snyder said he wanted younger actors because of the many flashback scenes, and it was easier to age the actors with make-up rather than casting two actors in the same role. Snyder’s son appears as a young Rorschach, while the director himself appears as an American soldier in Vietnam. Actor Thomas was invited by Jane Snyder, but refused to work on the film due to being too busy.

Watchmen/The Crimebusters
Malin Ackerman as Lori Jupiter / Silk Specter II:
Ackerman described her character as the psychology and emotion of the film. The actress worked and trained to fight for the crime-fighter role. In previous attempts to make the film, Hilary Swank, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Connelly and Jessica Alba were considered for the part of Laurie.
Haley Guell as Young Laurie Jupiter
Billy Crudup as John Osterman / Dr. Manhattan:
The only member of the group with actual superpowers, Doctor Manhattan is virtually omnipotent and works for the US government. He is a scientist who suffered an accident in 1959, giving him superhuman powers. Crudup plays Osterman as a human in flashbacks and is replaced by a motion-capture CG version of himself for the post-crash scenes. During filming, Crudup acted opposite his co-stars, wearing a white suit covered in blue LEDs, so he would give off an otherworldly glow in real life, just as the computer-generated Manhattan does in the movie. Her body was modeled after fitness model and actor Greg Pleat. Crews then 3D-digitized Crews’ head and “Frankensteined it into Greg Plitt’s body.” Snyder chose not to electronically alter Crudup’s voice for Manhattan, explaining the character “instead he would try to be as relaxed as possible and make everyone as easy as possible. Having a robotic voice that I think would be off.” Keanu Reeves is also offered the role. Reeves was interested in the role but he ultimately passed.
Jarryd Heidrick as Young John Osterman
Matthew Goode as Adrian Vidt / Ozymandias:
A retired superhero who reveals his identity. At first Snyder wanted Jude Law (a big fan of the character) for the part, but said Goode was “big and tall and lean”, which helped bring “this beautiful ageless, German Superman” feel to the character. ] explained Goode’s backstory to portray Wiedt with a German accent in private and an American accent in public; Good explains that Vidt left his family’s wealth and traveled the world, becoming a self-made man because he was ashamed of his parents’ Nazi past, which in turn highlighted the American Dream theme and duality of character. Snyder said “She fit the bill… We had a hard time casting [the role], because we needed someone handsome, beautiful and sophisticated, and that’s a difficult combo.” Tom Cruise was also interested in the part. , and met Schneider.
Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach:
A 45-year-old masked vigilante who continues his extraterrestrial activities despite being outlawed. He takes his name from the Rorschach test, as the black-and-white patterns on his mask resemble its ink blots. Unlike the other lead actors, Haley read the comic as a young adult and was keen to pursue the role when he heard he had become a fan favorite. Rorschach wears a mask with ink stains: motion capture markers were placed on the contours of Haley’s blank mask to create his ever-changing expression for the animators. Haley has a black belt in Kenpo, but describes Rorschach’s attack patterns as sloppy and more aggressive due to the character’s boxing background. Rorschach is seen several times in the movie without his mask before he is captured, carrying a placard sign that declares, “The End is Nigh”, but it is not until the police unmask him that it becomes clear that it is Rorschach who is carrying the sign. Haley says that upon hearing about Rorschach’s casting, she actively sought the role. Her agent came up with the idea that they should tape a shoestring audition of Haley wearing her own “slightly cheesy Halloween” Rorschach costume. The audition was shot entirely in Haley’s living room and kitchen. The tape was then sent to the film production crew where Snyder viewed it. After watching the tape, Snyder cast Haley in the role of Rorschach, saying, “Very low-tech but great acting. There was clearly no other Rorschach.”
Eli Schneider as young Walter Kovacs
Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreiberg / Night Owl II:
A 40-year-old retired superhero with technical skills. Snyder cast Wilson after watching 2006’s Little Children, which also co-starred Haley. Wilson put on 25 pounds (11 kg) to play the overweight Dreyberg. He compared Dreiberg to a soldier who returns from war unable to adapt to society. During several attempts to adapt Watchmen as a film, Kevin Costner, Christopher Walken, and Richard Gere were each considered for the part. John Cusack, an avowed fan of the graphic novel, expressed great interest in playing the role.
The Minutemen
See also: List of Watchmen characters § Minuteman
Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre:
A retired superheroine, Laurie is the mother of Juspeczyk and the first Silk Spectre. Gugino’s character ages from 25 in the 1940s to 67 in the 1980s, and the then-37-year-old actress wears prosthetics to reflect the aging process. Gugino describes her character’s superhero outfit as “Betty Page meets Alberto Vargas.” In earlier attempts to make the film, Liv Tyler, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anne-Margret, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sigourney Weaver were considered for the part of Sally.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake / The Comedian:
A superhero and former member of the Minutemen who is commissioned by the US government as a black-ops expert. While reading the comic for the part, Morgan stopped when he saw that his character had been killed off within three pages. When her agent was told she didn’t want the part, she was told to keep reading and find out how important her character was. 29] Morgan found the role a challenge, explaining, “For some reason, reading the novel, you don’t hate this guy even though he does things that are unmentionable [like beating and sexually assaulting Jupiter]. […] ] My job is to do the translation, so as an audience you don’t make excuses to like him, but you don’t hate him like you should for doing what he does.”[39] Of his casting, Snyder said, “a man’s man in Hollywood. Hard to find. Exactly. And Jeffrey came in and was sad and quiet and grizzled, and I was like, ‘Okay, Jeffrey’s perfect!'”[31]
Stephen McHattie as Hollis Mason / Night Owl:
A retired former member and first Night Owl, Mason now owns and lives in an auto shop.
Clint Carlton as young Hollis Mason
Dan Payne as William Brady / Dollar Bill:
A deceased member, Brady was a bank-sponsored member of The Minutemen created for publicity purposes. He died during a bank robbery in 1947 when his cape got caught in the bank’s revolving door, allowing the robbers to shoot him at point-blank range.
Neil Matter as Byron Lewis / Mothman:
A former member, Lewis had a privileged upbringing and sought to help the less fortunate and fight oppression and corruption as a crime fighter. To this end, Lewis developed a suit with special wings that helped him glide. His mental stability eventually deteriorates after he is called before HUAC, leading to him being forcibly committed to a mental asylum.
Apollonia Vanova as Ursula Jundt / The Silhouette:
Dead. A gun-toting vigilante, inspired by the deaths of his parents and sister at the hands of the Nazis in their native Austria. Zandt was killed along with her lesbian lover in what is believed to be a hate crime.
Glenn Ennis as the Hooded Justice:
A dead ex-member, HJ was a violent vigilante trained in hand-to-hand combat.
Daryl Sheller as Nelson Gardner / Captain Metropolis:
A former Marine lieutenant, he was one of the more active members of the Minutemen, organizing its formation. He died in 1974 in a car accident that left him beheaded, although some consider it a suicide.
other characters
Matt Freire as Edgar Jacobi/Moloch:
A former supervillain. Moloch was jailed for a time in the 1970s. She is dying of cancer which she got from Adrian Vidt. Moloch was later killed by Veidt, who framed Rorschach.
Mike Carpenter as Young Moloch
Laura Mennell as Jenny Slater:
A scientist who was Osterman’s first girlfriend until he fell for Lori.
Danny Woodburn as Tom Ryan/Big Picture:
A jailed dwarf crime boss and old adversary of Night Owl and Rorschach. He seeks revenge while Rorschach is incarcerated in the same prison.
Robert Wisden as Richard Nixon
Frank Novak as Henry Kissinger
Gary Huston as John McLaughlin
Sean Allan and Gary Chuck as NORAD Generals
Michael Copsa as Paul Klein
Chris Gauthier as Seymour David
Cameo roles include Jay Brazeau as a news vendor, Mark Acheson as a grown man in Happy Harris, Leah Gibson as Silhouette’s girlfriend, Alessandro Giuliani as a Rockefeller military base technician, Sally Saffiotti as Annie Leibovitz, and Ted Cole as Dick Cavett.

Box Office

Watchmen was released at midnight on March 5, 2009, and grossed an estimated $4.6 million in initial screenings, nearly double the $300,000 earned by Snyder’s previous comic book adaptation. The film grossed $24,515,772 in 3,611 theaters on its first day, and went on to gross $55,214,334 in its opening weekend. At the time, it was the most number of screenings for an R-rated film, breaking the previous record held by The Matrix Reloaded. Watchmen’s opening weekend was the highest of any Alan Moore adaptation to date, and grossed more than the entire box office of From Hell, which ended its theatrical run with $31,602,566. Although the film finished with $55 million in its opening, while Snyder’s previous adaptation 300 earned $70 million in its opening weekend, Warner Bros.’ The head of distribution, Dan Fellman, said that the opening weekend success of the two films was not comparable because Watchmen’s runtime was 45 minutes longer than 300, allowing for fewer showings per night. Watchmen pulled in $5.4 million on 124 IMAX screens, the second-largest IMAX opening at the time.
After its first week at the box office, Watchmen saw a significant drop in attendance. By the end of its second weekend, the film had grossed $17,817,301, ranking second on that weekend’s box office chart. The 67.7% overall drop was the highest for a major comic book film during its release. Losing two-thirds of its audience in its opening weekend, the film finished second on the weekend of March 13–15, 2009. The film continued to drop nearly 60% in nearly every subsequent weekend, entering the top ten in its fifth weekend, and the top twenty in its seventh. Watchmen crossed the $100 million mark on its 21st day at the box office on March 26, and ended its theatrical run in the United States on May 28, grossing $107,509,799 in 84 days. The film earned a fifth of its final gross on its first day, and more than half by the end of its opening weekend.
Watchmen was the 31st-highest-grossing film of 2009, and the sixth-highest-grossing R-rated film of the year, behind The Hangover, Inglourious Basterds, District 9, Paranormal Activity, and It’s Complicated. At the North American box office, Watchmen currently sits in the bottom half of DC Comics’ forty-two films based on a comic book (just ahead of 1997’s Batman & Robin).
Watchmen earned $26.6 million in 45 territories overseas; Of this, the box office in Britain and France was approximately $4.6 million and $2.5 million, respectively. Watchmen took in an estimated $2.3 million in Russia, $2.3 million in Australia, $1.6 million in Italy, and $1.4 million in South Korea. The film grossed $77,873,014 in other territories, bringing its worldwide total to $185,382,813.

About

Directed by	Zack Snyder
Screenplay by	·         David Hayter ·         Alex Tse
Based on	Watchmen by Dave Gibbons
Produced by	·         Lawrence Gordon ·         Lloyd Levin ·         Deborah Snyder
Starring	·         Malin Åkerman ·         Billy Crudup ·         Matthew Goode ·         Carla Gugino ·         Jackie Earle Haley ·         Jeffrey Dean Morgan ·         Patrick Wilson
Cinematography	Larry Fong
Edited by	William Hoy
Music by	Tyler Bates
Production companies	·         Warner Bros. Pictures ·         Paramount Pictures ·         Legendary Pictures ·         DC Entertainment ·         Lawrence Gordon/Lloyd Levin Productions ·         Cruel and Unusual Films
Distributed by	·         Warner Bros. Pictures (North America)·         Paramount Pictures (International)
Release dates	·         February 23, 2009 (Odeon Leicester Square) ·         March 6, 2009 (United States)
Running time	163 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$130–150 million
Box office	$185.4 million

 

ScreenShots