Some good news before the weekend for all of you comic-book geek readers. (Of my 13 readers I'd say at least half of you have some interest in comics.) Anyway, Aintitcool.com is reporting that Zack Snyder is in very early negotiations to direct Watchmen. Snyder's the guy that brought us the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake that, I thought, was one of the top ten films of that year. Right now he's working on the adapation of another graphic novel, Frank Miller's The 300, (slated for release in 2007) which relates the story of 300 Spartan soldiers who, outnumberd 100,000 to one, staved off an attack from the Persians. It's going to be good. I remember when I first saw Dawn of the Dead, I thought to myself, whimsically, of course, "If I ever wanted someone to direct a script or an adapation of mine, I think I'd want it to be this guy." Snyder's a solid storyteller with a great visual sense. He never made a misstep in that film. So, far from making me feel anxious as to the kind of job he'd do with hallowed material like Watchmen, (as I would be if Warner Bros. were talking to say, Brett Ratner or McG), I'm as excited to see what he'd do with the material as I would be if they were talking to Peter Jackson or Jim Cameron or Steven Spielberg. Anyway, here's hoping they make a deal soon so we can see this thing hit theaters before the end of the decade. All right, folks. Have an awesome weekend.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Film Adapation of Watchmen Update: Still in Limbo, But This Time With a Great Director
Some good news before the weekend for all of you comic-book geek readers. (Of my 13 readers I'd say at least half of you have some interest in comics.) Anyway, Aintitcool.com is reporting that Zack Snyder is in very early negotiations to direct Watchmen. Snyder's the guy that brought us the 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake that, I thought, was one of the top ten films of that year. Right now he's working on the adapation of another graphic novel, Frank Miller's The 300, (slated for release in 2007) which relates the story of 300 Spartan soldiers who, outnumberd 100,000 to one, staved off an attack from the Persians. It's going to be good. I remember when I first saw Dawn of the Dead, I thought to myself, whimsically, of course, "If I ever wanted someone to direct a script or an adapation of mine, I think I'd want it to be this guy." Snyder's a solid storyteller with a great visual sense. He never made a misstep in that film. So, far from making me feel anxious as to the kind of job he'd do with hallowed material like Watchmen, (as I would be if Warner Bros. were talking to say, Brett Ratner or McG), I'm as excited to see what he'd do with the material as I would be if they were talking to Peter Jackson or Jim Cameron or Steven Spielberg. Anyway, here's hoping they make a deal soon so we can see this thing hit theaters before the end of the decade. All right, folks. Have an awesome weekend.
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8 comments:
That's great news. If I have but one request for the movie of Watchmen, it's to cut down the damn dialogue.
As for McG... it occurs to me that I'd want him to direct something I'd written if I just knew that what I'd written was kind of a mess. Because he makes big pretty messes. I hold no grudge against McG.
As for Rat... ehhhh... good for him.
No. Way. In. Hell.
Watchmen is unadaptable. Look at the drawing you have up for god's sake. How can you put real people in those suits and not have it look cheesy? If you go the black leather X-Men route, why even f'ing bother? It defeats the purpose.
I'm concerned poor Alan Moore may just blow his brains out. Can't we leave this sweet, cantankerous man alone?
BOC.
Damn, I was all ready to write how a WATCHMEN movie could be interesting, but how do they handle all that exposition at the end, and here Craig is beating me to the nerdverbial punch. And then I was going to talk about the costumes, but BOC steps on my balls.
So, the only thing I'm left with is this: how do you make that girl not such a whore? And what about that whole pirate thing?
I can just see how things could go real bad real quickly with this one. And, honestly, do we really even need a movie of this??? Ya know? Does anyone expect it could be BETTER than the comic?
Now a movie of THE GLASS MACHETE on the other hand...I don't even know where to start in describing its potential awesomeness. Isn't that right, Crane?
Exactly, Harwell. These are the same people who took the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and gave us....
LXG. Seriously, LXG? Why don't we subtitle it "Our MBA's Don't Allow Us To Understand Our Source Material But We Like Things With Built-In Audiences That We Think Will Show Up For A Movie We Have Made Sure Will Piss Them Off."
Christ, I wouldn't trust Watchmen with Kubrick and I can't tell you how hard it was for me to type that.
Oh, FYI, Crane went to a fancy place Sat. against my will (it's called Chocolat. Need I say more?) but Blinky was there.
Seriously. He was only missing the 4 on the head.
I kept looking at him and repeating different versions of the catchphrase and giggling at your superhero drinking fruity cocktails.
oh, blinky when will you ever learn?
(sigh)
BOC
I'm seeing:
Dennis Farina as The Comedian
Billy Zane as Dr. Manhattan
David Caruso as Rorschach
Judge Reinhold as Nite Owl 2
Shirley MacLaine as Silk Spectre 1
Dana Delany as Silk Spectre 2
Dennis Quaid as Ozymandias
And, I'm seeing:
Wilford Brimley as The Comedian
Jack Noseworthy as Dr. Manhattan
Chris Burke as Rorschach
James Garner as Nite Owl 2
Martha Plimpton as Silk Spectre 1
Angela Lansbury as Silk Spectre 2
Pete Postlethwaite as Ozymandias
Who's with me?
no one. obviously.
Dennis Farina as the Comedian, brilliant. I like Shirley Maclaine as the original Silk Spectre (what a terrible name for a superhero), Caruso as Rorschach, also brilliant. Billy Zane as Dr. Manhattan? No way. Jeff Goldblum. Also, ixnay on Dennis Quaid as Ozymandius. Alec Baldwin as Nite Owl, (aging, getting pudgy), and Brad Pitt as Ozymandius. He looks the part, I don't know if he'd pull of the necessary gravitas.
As for pulling off a film adaptation of Watchmen, I would totally say that it is unfilmable. It could never work and they could only ruin it. But then along came Spider Man. V for Vendetta. Lord of the Rings. These films proved to me that, generally, you can adapt anything, but more specifically, you can film garishly-colored costumed superheroes, you can adapt Alan Moore material brilliantly if it's in the hands of the right guy, and LOTR proved challenging source material can be filmed in the hands of the right guy. Before I saw Fellowship, I would have said Lord of the Rings would be about unadaptable. Jackson made it work. I think that Watchmen has a 50/50 shot at being a great movie or a hideous bomb. All depends on the guy directing it.
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