Summary
Warner Bros. is set to release an animatedWatchmenfilm next month, but it’s possible the movie is bound to be a mistake. The project, which was first announced at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, features a dynamic voice cast. However, the feature has already been slammed for its poor animation style.
This marks the third attempt at aWatchmenproject from Warner Bros. followingZack Snyder’s divisive live-action take, as well as the limited series,Watchmen, that ran on HBO. The former was somewhat redeemed by itsdirector’s cut, while the latter was a sequel that takes place thirty-four years after the events of the original story. The series found a fair amount of success, but the animated film seems more than likely to be following in the footsteps of the live-action movie.
Is the Animated Watchmen Movie Necessary?
The animatedWatchmenfeature was announced last year, with little known regarding the project. At the time,Warner Bros. Animatedhadn’t even announced a writer or director for the project. In fact, that news, along with the cast list, wasn’t revealed until the first trailer for the movie was announced earlier this month.Watchmen Chapter Ifeatures an impressive cast that includes Matthew Rhys,Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Michael Cerveris and Troy Baker. It was directed by Brandon Vietti from a script by J. Michael Straczynski. The animated feature is said to have a great respect for the source material, with co-creator Dave Gibbons on board as a consulting producer. Straczynski recently took to social media to explain that he didn’t feel the need to attempt to improve the story, but instead, found a way to turn the original story into a movie. Unfortunately, despite the respect that appears to have gone into honoring the source material, the first trailer left many fans frustrated. The animated film has been described as cheap-looking and far from desirable. More so, the voice cast, despite being full of talented actors, feels incredibly lackluster.
With that said, it’s hard to imagine there’s a reason for the animated film. The live-action film is often viewed as a misfire, having earned just 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, though, it is hailed as being visually stunning with a stellar cast. More importantly, while the theatrical cut wasn’t as well-received, fans responded a lot better to the director’s cut of Snyder’s take onWatchmen. Despite the film’s issues, Warner Bros. sought to revisit the beloved comic book a decade later with 2019’sWatchmenseries. The sequel series was critically acclaimed and even earned animpressive amount of award nominations. Following the show’s success, it’s unclear why Warner Bros. sought to develop an animated feature that looks to be the start of a planned series of films. It seems unlikely the movie will be successful in the end.
Alan Moore Has Mixed Feelings Towards Warner Bros.
Alan Moore, who createdWatchmenalongside Gibbons, has a pretty bad relationship with DC Comics and Warner Bros. The legendary comic book writer has previously discussed how he was tricked into signing over the rights to his work by DC Comics. He even went so far as to request that his name is not attached to any adaptations of his work. The writer hasfamously expressed frustrationover adaptations of his work, including Snyder’s live-action take onWatchmenand the television series based on the comic. He even went so far as to demand that Damon Lindelof never try to contact him again after the showrunner tried to reach out prior to the release of the series. Given Moore’s distaste for the continued adaptations of his work, namelyWatchmen, it’s unclear why the studio thinks its worth revisiting the story yet again. Especially as Moore has noted his frustrations, stating he doesn’t feel any of the adaptations have captured whatWatchmentruly is - especially the television series.
While Gibbons seems excited to return to the world ofWatchmenwith the animated series, Moore’s continued hatred of theWatchmenadaptations should make the studio eager to look elsewhere. There are plenty of other titles to adapt, especially with Warner Bros. having access toDC Comicsas a whole. Why continue to revisitWatchmenwhen there have been more than enough adaptations? Moore is eager to see the studio - and Hollywood as a whole - move on from his work, so why doesn’t Warner Bros. honor the writer’s wishes instead of delivering a subpar adaptation?
Watchmen Chapter Iis set premiere on digital services for purchase on August 13th before hitting Blu-Ray on August 27th. Fans can look for the second installment,Watchman Chapter II, sometime later this year.
