Source: Variety

Warner Bros. has landed its Watchmen: Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson and Matthew Goode have gotten their hooks into Zack Snyder's adaptation of the iconic "Watchmen" comicbook.Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jackie Earle Haley and Malin Akerman have also landed key roles in the ensemble project, Snyder's follow-up to "300."

 

Helmer, who took on the project a year ago, will unveil the ensemble at Comic-Con, and rumors have been swirling about the casting for weeks. His presence is expected to set off a frenzy like that of last year, when he stoked enthusiasm for "300" at the confab.

 

Not to be outdone, the studio's homevid division has planned a big party celebrating the DVD launch of "300" at Comic-Con.

 

Legendary Pictures is co-financing the pic, being produced by Admin Gordon and Lloyd Levin with Deborah Snyder, and Snyder plans on using a similar greenscreen technique as he did with "300."

 

"Watchmen" has taken decades to get off the ground. Based on Alan Moore's 1980s comicbook series, the adaptation will be set in an alternate 1985 with plenty of Cold War overtones.

 

Crudup will play the fatalistic Dr. Manhattan, a role Keanu Reeves once eyed, while Wilson will portray Night Owl, a rich kid interested in birds.

 

Goode nabbed the part of the glamorous Ozymandias, a role once tagged for Jude Law, and Morgan has been cast as the Comedian, a Vietnam vet who's a member of the Minutemen. Haley and Akerman round out the cast as Rorschach, a vigilante, and Silk Spectre, the key femme role.

 

The adaptation has bounced from studio to studio for years, with Fox, Warner, Universal, Revolution and Paramount trying to make a go of it before Warner took it on a second time. Paul Greengrass, Darren Aronofsky and Terry Gilliam are among the directors who once eyed the project.

 

Admin Gordon and Lloyd Levin are producing with Deborah Snyder.

 

Crudup, who just won a Tony for "Coast to Utopia," is skedded to start production Aug. 1 on "Pretty Bird" with Paul Giamatti.

 

Wilson most recently starred in "Passengers" and is currently shooting "Lakeview Terrace." Goode most recently starred in "The Lookout" and is currently shooting "Brideshead Revisited." Haley, who rocketed back into prominence with "Little Children," has several projects in the works, including "Semi-Pro." Morgan, best known for his appearance in "Grey's Anatomy," will appear in "The Accidental Husband." Akerman next co-stars in the "Heartbreak Kid" redo and is known for recurring roles on "Entourage" and "The Comeback."

Thanks for the info. I hadn't heard much about the movie and didn't even know Zach Snyder had been given the reins. I think Greengass would have been great, and I can only imagine how someone like Aronofsky would've filmed Rorshach. Anyways, Snyder's got an amazing source material to work with and I'm looking forward to this film. That said, some of these casting choices are interesting.

 

I'm glad Dr. Manhattan is not in Keanu Reeves' hands. Even though, Keanu would have felt right at home with a character as emotionless as Dr. Manhattan. I've only seen Matthew Goode in Match Point, but I think Jude Law would have been a great choice for Ozymandias. I'm hoping Haley, who I'll always think of as Kelly Leak in Bad News Bears, can deliver with Rorshach because he's easily the most complex and interesting character in the story.

Interesting casting.The only one I am disappointed in as of right now based simply on photos and from Match Point is Mathew Goode. Ozymandias is such a key role, and to have somebody so young and...I don't know...wimpy looking? play Ozymandias just doesn't seem to fit.

 

You know who would have been a good fit I think, believe it or not? Tom Cruise. He could have pulled off that role and I remember reading that he was interested in it. Oh well. We'll see...

 

 

Love all the other choices though. Although Ian McShane would have been perfect as The Comic.

Interesting casting.The only one I am disappointed in as of right now based simply on photos and from Match Point is Mathew Goode. Ozymandias is such a key role, and to have somebody so young and...I don't know...wimpy looking? play Ozymandias just doesn't seem to fit.

 

You know who would have been a good fit I think, believe it or not? Tom Cruise. He could have pulled off that role and I remember reading that he was interested in it. Oh well. We'll see...

 

 

Love all the other choices though. Although Ian McShane would have been perfect as The Comic.

I never thought of that before. McShane does have a slight resemblance though. Would have liked that casting. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is not old enough for the role of The Comedian, imo.

 

Tom Cruise would have been a perfect Ozymandias.

 

Haley is a nother great choice for Rorshach. I'm glad he got the part.

 

Malin Akerman (rumored) and Patrick Wilson are too young to play Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II. Other than that, I think Patrick Wilson is a good choice for the part. I've only seen Malin in a couple episodes of Entourage as Sloane's drunk whore friend.

 

Not familiar with Cudrup.

Interesting casting.The only one I am disappointed in as of right now based simply on photos and from Match Point is Mathew Goode. Ozymandias is such a key role, and to have somebody so young and...I don't know...wimpy looking? play Ozymandias just doesn't seem to fit.

 

You know who would have been a good fit I think, believe it or not? Tom Cruise. He could have pulled off that role and I remember reading that he was interested in it. Oh well. We'll see...

 

 

Love all the other choices though. Although Ian McShane would have been perfect as The Comic.

 

 

Malin Akerman (rumored) and Patrick Wilson are too young to play Silk Spectre II and Nite Owl II. Other than that, I think Patrick Wilson is a good choice for the part. I've only seen Malin in a couple episodes of Entourage as the Sloane's drunk whore friend.

 

 

 

Malin Akerman is for sure too young looking to play Silk Spectre II. I have no idea how they are going to pull that one off. She has a decent look for it, but needs to be a few years older. Although wasn't she a little bit younger than everyone else? If I remember correctly she was like 15 or so when she started...

 

Patrick Wilson is a great choice for Nite Owl II though. He just needs to put on a few pounds but he has that nerdy/sheepish look going on. He is 34 years old, so I think he should be able to pull it off.

 

I am sure it will include a lot of flashbacks too, so with some makeup and a few pounds they will be able to make him look like a 40 something.

So I am watching Match Point right now on HBO, and thinking Mathew Goode might make a decent Ozymandias.

 

Still too young looking and way too skinny though. He has the pretty boy face/height and smarmy but still likable attitude down. He needs to start cycling on some 'roids and get a personal trainer and he could be ok.

Well, I'm going to go out and read the Watchmen comic.

 

Alan Moore is a really underrated genius as far as comic book writing. Watchmen and V for Vendetta alone are amazing, and he also contributed to some major comic franchises like Batman.

 

I'm looking forward to this, and maybe it's a good thing that the cast is relatively unknown. This will eliminate typecasting problems with better known actors, like the aformentioned Keanu Reeves.

I love how they just throw Haley in there like he got a some minor supporting role.

 

"Haley and Akerman round out the cast as Rorschach, a vigilante, and Silk Spectre, the key femme role."

 

Yikes.

I picked up my copy of Watchmen today.

Blasphemy this is being made. Best comic series ever written, but it's just not going to translate to the screen. That, and Moore has said more than once he wouldn't go along with it.

After reading the comic, I have to agree that this will be really difficult to translate to the screen. They would certainly have to leave out a lot of key parts because they don't fit well into a movie. I hope the film version doesn't have to be modified so much that it loses its greatness, but it could certainly happen.

 

The official website has a release date scheduled for March 9th, 2009. That seems pretty far away, considering that the major casting has already been completed.

Blasphemy this is being made. Best comic series ever written, but it's just not going to translate to the screen. That, and Moore has said more than once he wouldn't go along with it.

 

 

I really don't mind when great novels/comic books/stories/etc. are made into movies. Doesn't bother me. Even if the movie is horrible, what does it matter? Doesn't make the comic series any less great, it will still be a spectacular work of art, and who knows? Maybe they don't screw it up and we get something good.

 

V for Vendetta was decent.

I liked the idea of Ron Perlman as The Comedian. Too bad they couldn't get that deal done.

I liked the idea of Ron Perlman as The Comedian. Too bad they couldn't get that deal done.

Probably just an issue with the budget. I don't think Warner Bros. granted Snyder the budget he was asking for.

I'm assuming that's also why Tom Cruise and Jude Law aren't in the movie.

I'm assuming that's also why Tom Cruise and Jude Law aren't in the movie.

Yeah, although I'm grateful that Cruise wasn't cast. He might have ruined the movie. Jude Law could have worked.

I'm assuming that's also why Tom Cruise and Jude Law aren't in the movie.

Yeah, although I'm grateful that Cruise wasn't cast. He might have ruined the movie. Jude Law could have worked.

I've read on various message boards that Cruise would be a perfect Ozymandias. I would have a hard time arguing against that.

I'm assuming that's also why Tom Cruise and Jude Law aren't in the movie.

Yeah, although I'm grateful that Cruise wasn't cast. He might have ruined the movie. Jude Law could have worked.

I've read on various message boards that Cruise would be a perfect Ozymandias. I would have a hard time arguing against that.

 

Concur. He would fit that role perfectly. You would just have to make him taller.

I'm assuming that's also why Tom Cruise and Jude Law aren't in the movie.

Yeah, although I'm grateful that Cruise wasn't cast. He might have ruined the movie. Jude Law could have worked.

I've read on various message boards that Cruise would be a perfect Ozymandias. I would have a hard time arguing against that.

 

Concur. He would fit that role perfectly. You would just have to make him taller.

 

I lol'ed. :lol

 

Hey it worked fine for Bogart...

Who would Jude Law have played if they were both in the same film? Dr. Manhattan?

Carla Gugino has been cast as Sally Jupiter (AKA Silk Spectre I). I see where they are going with this now (flashbacks ala The Godfather Part II).

Carla Gugino has been cast as Sally Jupiter (AKA Silk Spectre I). I see where they are going with this now (flashbacks ala The Godfather Part II).

That's the only way you can really make this film...

Carla Gugino has been cast as Sally Jupiter (AKA Silk Spectre I). I see where they are going with this now (flashbacks ala The Godfather Part II).

Why doesn't she have a babe thread yet? I *still* have dreams about how hot she looked in Snake Eyes.

Carla Gugino has been cast as Sally Jupiter (AKA Silk Spectre I). I see where they are going with this now (flashbacks ala The Godfather Part II).

 

 

Wow I just looked at pics of her and she looks just like Sally Jupiter. Good stuff.

Well, here's your first look at Watchmen. The trailer below is AMAZING.

 

Watchmen Trailer