Could the upcoming adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ iconic 1986 graphic novel Watchmen be the definitive version that fans have been waiting for?
Watchmen has long been one of those stories that has long been cast as ‘unfilmable’, even though plenty of filmmakers have tried.
Zack Snyder is the only filmmaker to date to get a Watchmen film out into the world and whilst it has its fans, his (mostly) faithful 2009 adaptation has its fair share of detractors too.
The most acclaimed version to date is Damon Lindelof’s small screen miniseries, which wisely didn’t try to emulate the original graphic novel, instead telling an impressive tale which extended the Watchmen mythos rather than trying to recreate the magic of Moore and Gibbons tale.
Enter Warner Bros’ upcoming animated version then, which is set to try and recreate Moore and Gibbons’ original tale. It is CG-rendered, rated R and is being described as a “faithful animated adaptation” of the work. The project was first revealed all the way back in 2017, then went quiet for a few years before resurfacing again at San Diego Comic Con last year.
The tale regards a group of retired superheroes in alternate 1980s timeline who for better or worse, changed the world. The story finds them having to reckon with those changes when somebody begins killing them off, one by one.
The first part is targeting an 13th August 2024 release on disc with the second part coming in 2025. Warner Bros has released a teaser to promote the upcoming release, which you can catch below. Here’s a full synopsis too, also below.
“Danger is on the horizon.” In an alternate 1985 America, costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. When one of his former comrades is murdered in his own apartment, the masked vigilante known as Rorschach uncovers a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his retired associates, only one of which has true powers (Dr. Manhattan), Rorschach glimpses a far-reaching conspiracy involving their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the world’s future.
More, as always, as we hear it.
