Thursday, July 2

• Vanessa Hudgens to Get Tough in Sucker Punch

  

  Vanessa Hudgens isn't famous for playing action roles but that's about to change in her next project, Zack Snyder's all-female action movie Sucker Punch. The director told MTV that even he was nervous about bringing in the High School Musical star.

  I wasn't sure at first – [the casting people] were like "Oh, Vanessa's coming" and I was "Oh, okay – that sounds cool" but I didn't know what to think. Then I saw the tape and I literally went "Wow, she's good." She's really good.

  While Hudgens' role is not the main part (that role went to Emily Browning when Amanda Seyfried was forced to drop out), Snyder sees the smaller role as a plus for Hudgens:

  She has a big part, but she's not the center of the movie. It'll allow her to stretch herself and do whatever she wants, and not be too exposed by the movie – but also, on the other hand, do things that people have never seen her do.

  What "things" will audiences get to see Hudgens do?

  You're going to see her shooting machine guns, fighting, beating the s**t out of people. It's funny – we sat her down for her physical evaluation, and she was really athletic. She's a dancer, so all the [fight] choreography is gonna be fun for her.

  The fight choreography is being handled by Damon Caro, who worked on The Bourne Supremacy, and Snyder says the fights have "that [Bourne] vibe." Snyder promises the movie will be "hardcore," even if the rating won't. Snyder insists a PG-13 rating is possible:

  If you can make Taken PG-13, you can make this movie PG-13. That's what I believe. Because it's more fantastic. No one really dies in the movie.

  Production on Sucker Punch starts soon, with an opening date of March 25, 2011.

  
  

  Posted 07/02/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Amanda Seyfried | Emily Browning | Zack Snyder | Vanessa Hudgens | Suckerpunch | High School Musical | The Bourne Supremacy

Friday, June 26

• Zack Snyder Ready for More 300

  During a recent Warner Bros. press meeting to debut the upcoming Blu-ray releases of Watchmen and 300, the director of both of those movies, Zack Snyder, let slip that he is eagerly anticipating the completion of comic-book visionary Frank Miller's graphic-novel sequel to 300 so that he can start thinking about a movie sequel.

  [Frank is] drawing away and seems to be knee-deep in it. I think he's going to head back to Greece again and do another reconnaissance.

  It's more than likely that Snyder will have a much larger budget to play with, since his adaptation of Miller's comic masterpiece was a critical and financial success with only a modest budget, but Snyder said that he wants to go with the same aesthetic.

  I think we would use the same technology.... Just from what [Frank] told me, it would be bigger as far as landscape and terrain.

  
  

  Posted 06/26/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Zack Snyder | 300 | Watchmen

Thursday, June 25

• Watchmen Director's Cut Will (Still) Arrive Theaters This July

  Back before its March 6 opening, Watchmen was poised to be a sure-fire hit and the next big thing. Tales of the Black Freighter, an animated version of the pirate comics within the original, was set for release weeks after the opening. A Director's Cut version was also promised a theatrical release.

  Then the movie opened, and for those who have been living underground, Watchmen didn't do as well as hoped. The lack of mega-blockbuster success hasn't stopped the Director's Cut from reaching theaters, though. At least, not for one weekend.

  Collider reports that director Zack Snyder has announced that for one weekend, "the weekend before Comic-Con in Los Angeles, Dallas, Minneapolis, and New York," to be exact, the Watchmen Director's Cut will play. It's not exactly a worldwide release, but it will have its own poster!

  
  

  Posted 06/25/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter & Under the Hood | Suckerpunch | Watchmen

Wednesday, June 10

• James Cameron Joins Heavy Metal Sequel

  Last time we heard about the upcoming Heavy Metal sequel, directors Zack Snyder, Gore Verbinski, and David Fincher were added to the list of directors collaborating on the animated anthology, and now it looks like James Cameron will also direct a segment as well.

  FilmSchoolRejects spoke with Kevin Eastman, co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and editor-in-chief and owner of Heavy Metal Magazine, who offered this update:

  I've got breaking news that Fincher and James Cameron are going to be Co-Executive Producers on [Heavy Metal]. Fincher will direct one. Cameron will direct one. Zack Snyder is going to direct one and Gore Verbinski is going to. Mark Osborne and Jack Black from Tenacious D are going to do a comedy segment for the film. Three other directors have agreed but we haven't signed them, but they're equally as jaw-dropping. So we're on cloud nine to be working with such an amazing amount of talent.

  It is a pretty impressive list. And while "Co-Executive Producer" is not the most involved of movie jobs, Cameron and Fincher are clearly giving Heavy Metal all the support they can.

  
  

  Posted 06/10/2009 by Ryan

  Related: David Fincher | Gore Verbinski | Jack Black | James Cameron | Kevin Eastman | Mark Osborne | Zack Snyder | Heavy Metal | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Monday, May 11

• Green Lantern, Sucker Punch Get New Release Dates

  Warner Bros. has decided to delay two upcoming movies, moving possible superhero franchise Green Lantern to June 17, 2011, while Zack Snyder's Watchmen follow-up, Sucker Punch, has been moved from October 2010 to March 25, 2011. The change for Sucker Punch may have come from the recent cast changes, but Green Lantern is now poised to compete with Marvel's big summer, opening a month after Thor and Spider-Man 4, but a month before First Avenger: Captain America.

  Clearly, Warner Bros. is feeling confident about Green Lantern, and perhaps they wanted to give director Martin Campbell more time to cast the lead role. With rumors of Bradley Cooper surfacing, Latino Review reports that Shawn Roberts has "auditioned several times" for the part. Roberts just wrapped Campbell's Edge of Darkness, but it may be long-rumored choice Sam Worthington, who has not only Terminator Salvation and Avatar opening this year, but Clash of the Titans in 2010, that Campbell may be holding out for. Worthington told Moviehole:

  I've been talking to Martin Campbell about [Green Lantern]. It's one of those things where they're still doing the script. I said, "Give me a script. Let me have a look at it." I like Martin a lot. I met him on the Bond stuff, and I like his work, but the second step is, "Is it a movie that I'd go and see?"

  Moving Green Lantern to 2011 sure gives Worthington some time to think about it.

  
  

  Posted 05/11/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Bradley Cooper | Shawn Roberts | Martin Campbell | Sam Worthington | Zack Snyder | Clash of the Titans | Thor | First Avenger: Captain America | Avatar | Green Lantern | Suckerpunch | Watchmen | Spider-Man 4

Wednesday, April 22

• Another Heavy Metal in the Works

  

  The animated anthology continues! This time directors David Fincher, Gore Verbinski, and Zack Snyder will contribute to the movie. Snyder told MTV the movie was "coasting" and has his story picked out, though he wouldn't elaborate on what it will be:

  [Fincher, Verbinski and I] talked about certain segments, it’s nothing that you would know from the magazine. It's a special little one-off thing but it's pretty cool, that's all I can really say about it.

  Halloween: H2 director Rob Zombie has also been approached to direct a segment that "could fuse his story with his music."

  
  

  Posted 04/22/2009 by Ryan

  Related: David Fincher | Gore Verbinski | Rob Zombie | Zack Snyder | Heavy Metal | Heavy Metal 2000

• Sucker Punch Cast Changes

  When the original cast of ZackSnyder's Watchmen follow-up Sucker Punch was announced it looked like a powerhouse cast of young starlets, from indie darlings Evan Rachel Wood and Abbie Cornish, to teenage movie stars Emma Stone and Vanessa Hudgens, all surrounding lead Amanda Seyfried, who was fresh from the box office success of Mamma Mia. Then things changed. First Seyfried departed and was replaced by The Uninvited's Emily Browning, and now Stone and Wood have left due to "scheduling conflicts" and have been replaced by Dragonball Evolution's Jamie Chung and Jena Malone (Pride & Prejudice). Still a talented cast, just not quite the same box office cache.

  Malone will play Cornish's younger sister, while Chung will play a big-hearted country girl. Both characters will still be inmates in a mental institution in the 1950's in what is described as a "all-female action fantasy."

  Sucker Punch opens October 8, 2010.

  
  

  Posted 04/22/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Amanda Seyfried | Jena Malone | Evan Rachel Wood | Emily Browning | Zack Snyder | Abbie Cornish | Emma Stone | Jamie Chung | Mamma Mia! | The Uninvited | Watchmen | Suckerpunch

Saturday, April 4

• Watchmen's Rorschach to Play Freddy Krueger

  

  Freddy Krueger, the fingers-tipped-with-razors, sweater-wearing, nasty-complexioned psycho killer from Wes Craven’s fright-fest franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street, is returning in a new series of films, courtesy of New Line Cinema. In the new films, the classic movie monster will be played by Jackie Earle Hayley, who powerfully portrayed Rorschach, super-powered vigilante of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen (2009).

  In the original film from 1984, Krueger stalked and killed teenagers in their dreams, killing them in the real world. Krueger has appeared in six Nightmare sequels and in Freddy vs. Jason, the 1993 crossover film with Jason Voorhees, the villain of the Friday the 13th franchise. According to Box Office Mojo, the Nightmare franchise is the third-highest grossing horror franchise in film history, with a lifetime gross of $307,420,075.

  Samuel Bayer is directing from a script by Wesley Strick. Shooting is expected to begin in Chicago in May.

  
  
  Next Showing: A Nightmare on Elm Street is scheduled for an April 16, 2010 release

  Posted 04/04/2009 by BrentJS

  Related: Jackie Earle Haley | Zack Snyder | Nightmare on Elm Street | A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Wes Craven's New Nightmare | A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors | A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child | Nightmare on Elm Street 6 | Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy's Dead | Watchmen | A Nightmare on Elm Street

Wednesday, April 1

• Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch Finds a New Babyface

  A week ago, Amanda Seyfried was forced to drop out of Suckerpunch, Zack Snyder's follow-up to Watchmen, due to her commitment to HBO's Big Love. Emily Browning (The Uninvited) has taken over the role of Babyface, the focal point of the surreal and violent prison movie.

  Browning will join a cast of young Hollywood starlets that includes Vanessa Hudgens, Emma Stone, Evan Rachel Wood, and fellow Aussie Abbie Cornish when filming commences in September.

  
  

  Posted 04/01/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Amanda Seyfried | Evan Rachel Wood | Emily Browning | Zack Snyder | Abbie Cornish | Emma Stone | Vanessa Hudgens | Watchmen | Suckerpunch | The Uninvited

Tuesday, March 24

• Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch Loses Its Leading Lady

  Zack Snyder's post-Watchmen project Suckerpunch, touted as "Alice in Wonderland with guns," has lost its lead star. The Mamma Mia! and Big Love actress Amanda Seyfried was already cast in the lead role of Babyface, but had to drop out due to her commitment to HBO.

  Entertainment Weekly reports that HBO would not let Seyfried take part in the violent prison movie since Big Love will be in the middle of shooting its fourth season when Snyder and Co. start to shoot Suckerpunch.

  No replacement for Seyfried has been named.

  
  

  Posted 03/24/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Amanda Seyfried | Zack Snyder | Suckerpunch

Wednesday, March 11

• What's Next For Zack Snyder?

  When Warner Bros. announced the release date of Zack Snyder's next project Suckerpunch, the all-girl action movie Snyder will direct from a script he co-wrote that's "crazier than anything" he's ever done, a question was raised: what is Suckerpunch?

  THR reports Suckerpunch is about a girl named Babyface who is institutionalized by her stepfather and retreats to a fantasy world to escape where she starts planning her escape. Snyder describes the movie as "Alice in Wonderland with machine guns."

  Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia) is set to play Babyface, with Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical), Abbie Cornish (A Good Year), Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler) and Emma Stone (Superbad) possibly joining Seyfried as fellow inmates.

  Once Suckerpunch opens on October 8, 2010, Snyder will then re-team with Watchmen co-screenwriter Alex Tse for an adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story collection The Illustrated Man. At the Watchmen premiere, Tse told us that he's already written a few drafts that Snyder was pleased with.

  
  
  Next Showing: Suckerpunch opens October 8, 2010

  Posted 03/11/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Alex Tse | Zack Snyder | Suckerpunch | Watchmen

Friday, March 6

• Watchmen Review

  Watchmen opens today and is already opinions are flooding the world wide web over Zack Snyder's adaptation of Alan Moore's classic graphic novel. One conservative columnist was appalled by Watchmen, saying, "I haven't seen a more violent, depraved movie in years. There were so many disgusting, morbid, grisly scenes and acts of killing, I had to start writing them down."

  If that's not enough to get you into the theater, check out our review.

  
  

  Posted 03/06/2009 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Alan Moore | Watchmen

Monday, March 2

• Interview with Watchmen Artist Dave Gibbons

  Writer Alan Moore has been very vocal about not ever wanting to see Watchmen made. However, his partner in the venture, comic artist Dave Gibbons, has played an active role in bringing the comic series to the big screen. He served as an adviser to director Zack Snyder and even visited the set. In a recent interview, he told us:

  I was tremendously thrilled and energized by all of it -- to actually see these things that I just draw become solid and real. It's 3-D and tangible. You can smell the cigar smoke and everything. I actually felt like I was kind of -- I don't try to be religious about it but -- some kind of prophet that came down and looked at what the mortals were doing and blessed them. You know, "You have done well, my children." I was pleased to be able to do that because, really from the very beginning of meeting Zack and hearing what he had to say about it, I had a very strong gut feeling that it was going to be done properly. Everyone on the set had a copy of the graphic novel and was referring to it. Zack's storyboards have whole chunks of the graphic novel in them.

  For more on his impressions of the Watchmen movie, see our interview with Dave Gibbons.

  
  

  Posted 03/02/2009 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Alan Moore | Watchmen

Wednesday, February 25

• Warner Brothers Sets Release Dates for Green Lantern, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and More

  ERCBoxOffice reports that Warner Bros. has announced official release dates for several movies, including the DC Comic adaptation of Green Lantern, which just recently nabbed director Martin Campbell, and will arrive December 17, 2010, months after First Avenger: Captain America and Thor have hit theaters. So instead of competing with Marvel's comic book movies of the summer, Green Lantern will attempt to capitalize on the success or failures of Marvel's Avengers movies.

  Not that Warner Bros. isn't trying to compete with Marvel's Avengers movies, just not with Green Lantern. Instead, Christopher Nolan's Inception will go head-to-head with Thor on July 16, 2010, with Josh Brolin as DC's gun-for-hire Jonah Hex following less than a month later on August 6. The Avengers will also get some competition from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II when they both open on July 15, 2011.

  With Green Lantern set as Warner's December blockbuster or 2010, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes is set for this year, bumped to December 25 rather than the original release date of November 13.

  Other notable movies include The Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier's Clash of the Titans which will fight for box office dominance on March 26, 2010, while Zack Snyder's Watchmen follow-up, Sucker Punch, an action movie with an "all-girl" cast that Snyder describes as "crazier than anything" he's ever done, opens with a "definite" R rating on October 8, 2010.

  
  

  Posted 02/25/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Guy Ritchie | Christopher Nolan | Josh Brolin | Louis Leterrier | Martin Campbell | Zack Snyder | Green Lantern | Jonah Hex | First Avenger: Captain America | The Incredible Hulk | Watchmen | Clash of the Titans | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | Thor | The Avengers | Sherlock Holmes

Tuesday, February 24

• Watchmen: Rorschach's Video Journal

  Everybody knows that favorite Watchman Rorschach kept a detailed journal of his strange daily exploits. Well, here's his video journal, as introduced by director Zack Snyder.

  Already getting rave reviews for his portrayal of Rorschach, former child actor Jackie Earle Haley, plays the somewhat psychotic costumed adventurer whose mask is a moving mass of material reminescent of an inkblot test.

  
  

  Posted 02/24/2009 by reelz

  Related: Jackie Earle Haley | Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Sunday, February 22

• Jeffrey Dean Morgan Becomes a Loser

  When Watchmen opens March 6, Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be far from done playing comic book characters. The Hollywood Reporter says Morgan, who plays The Comedian in Watchmen, will play the leader of a special forces unit that seeks revenge on the CIA after being betrayed and left for dead in the movie adaptation of the Vertigo/DC comic book The Losers. James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) and Peter Berg (Hancock) wrote the script, with Berg being one of 4 directors attached to the project at some point. McG and Tim Story were also slated to direct, though the directing duties are now in the hands of Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard). (Stomp the Yard? Should audiences expect some street dancing in The Losers?)

  While Morgan may have a lock on playing tough, government agent characters with both Watchmen and The Losers, he may have to find a new kind of role. Morgan is yet another cast member to deny a Watchmen sequel will ever happen. Morgan told Moviehole:

  We are all signed for sequels, but, ya know, there'd be no Rorschach, there'd be no Comedian -- it'd be sorta useless. It'd have to be a prequel. But I'd say unless Alan Moore says he's gonna write something, we'll never see 'Watchmen 2.' There may be someone sitting in a room somewhere at Warner Bros waiting to see if this does OK, and ready to pitch another -- but I doubt Zack [Syder] would do another, and without him, I wouldn't go back, and I can't imagine any of the other actors would want to either.

  The whole cast "signed for sequels?" Snyder has already said no to a sequel, and co-star Malin Akerman downplayed another Watchmen, but if Watchmen is successful, who can say?

  
  

  Posted 02/22/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Malin Akerman | McG | Peter Berg | Tim Story | Sylvain White | James Vanderbilt | Zack Snyder | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Watchmen

• Watchmen Director's Cut in Theaters This July

  

  After a MTV taping, Watchmen director Zack Snyder told the audience some great news: "The director's cut is 3 hours and 10 minutes and comes out [theatrically] in July." This marks the third version of Watchmen, with the theatrical version (running at a paltry 2 hours and 37 minutes) and a Snyder-dubbed "Crazy Ultimate Freaky Edition" DVD of Watchmen.

  Announced last December, the "CUFE" DVD will be released this fall and will include the Tales of the Black Freighter animated footage, the death of original Nite Owl Hollis Mason, more dialogue from the newsstand Bernies and Dr. Manhattan on Mars and boasts a 3 hour and 40 minute running time, an extra 30 minutes from the director's cut.

  None of the ever-expanding versions of Watchmen will include the original, graphic novel ending, though, Snyder says, the alternative would have been even worse:

  When I originally got the script, Adrian [superhero Ozymandias] died at the end. That was the biggest fight for me.

  For fanboys who know the graphic novel, that ending would have been sacrilege. However, if fans are still upset about the ending, Snyder says:

  The reason why the squid was taken out of the movie was so there'd be more Rorschach, and a little more Manhattan.

  Can fanboys live with that? They'll have to try. Until a longer version possibly emerges with a new ending.

  
  

  Posted 02/22/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Wednesday, February 18

• 5 Watchmen Clips from Around the Web

  Four select sites around the Internet have been given exclusive clips of the Watchmen movie. All scenes feature Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson) alongside other costumed adventurers doing their vigilante thing.

  CLIP 1 - Nite Owl and the Comedian Doing Crowd Control.

  CLIP 2 - Nite Owl and Silk Spectre Save Citizens from Fire.

  CLIP 3 - Nite Owl and Rorschach Share a Moment of Guy Love.

  CLIP 4 - Nite Owl Warns Ozymandias About Rorschach's Conspiracy Theory.

  And as if that weren't awesome enough, here is the 6th Watchmen commercial that aired last night...

  
  

  Posted 02/18/2009 by Jim

  Related: Patrick Wilson | Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Friday, February 6

• Another "No" to Watchmen Sequel

  Watchmen director Zack Snyder has already gone on record saying he would not be into making a sequel to his upcoming movie adaptation of Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel, and he's not the only one involved with the movie who feels the same way. Malin Akerman, who plays the second Silk Spectre in the movie, is also downplaying a possible sequel.

  "I would be curious to see what [a sequel] would look like," Akerman told MTV, "But I don't really know how [a sequel] would ever be possible. Because Watchmen is Watchmen, and we covered pretty much the whole novel."

  However, this is Hollywood, and if Watchmen dominates at the box office, it would seem likely for some kind of sequel or prequel or any -quel for that matter, to be made. Akerman disagrees. "I'm not sure if there are talks of it. If no one wants to watch it, then why do it?"

  On March 6, Akerman will see how much audiences want to watch the Watchmen.

  
  

  Posted 02/06/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Malin Akerman | Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Wednesday, February 4

• Watchmen News Clip: The Keene Act

  Watchmen website TheNewFrontiersman.com has provided us with yet another fake news clip reporting about the alternate political world of The Watchmen.

  In the comics, The Keene Act made vigilantism illegal, and forced all costumed adventurers to either reveal their secret identities, or work exclusively for the American government. Other rules:

  * No masks
  * No capes
  * No gadgets or experimental weapons
  * No dangerous unlicensed vehicles

  
  

  Posted 02/04/2009 by Jim

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

• Zack Snyder Talks Watchmen and 300 Sequel

  With the Watchmen settlement finally settled, director Zack Snyder is pretty relieved. "[It's] a big relief to me. I'm glad that cooler heads prevailed and the fans are not going to have to resort to any criminal acts," he told Entertainment Weekly. However, he's not so glad that's he's ready to make a sequel, he told The New York Times:
  
  
  
  
  

  Listen, they own the rights. If they wanted to go and hire some guy to make them a sequel to 'Watchmen,' I don't know that they would get any of those actors to do it, and I know that I wouldn't have anything to do with it. But they own it. They can do whatever they want. They can make a movie -- I've spoiled it, I think, a little bit. Do you leave that film going, 'Man, I wonder what the next chapter is?' [laughs]

  Snyder went on to talk about the 300 sequel rumors as well:

  Just like this '300' sequel that we talked about. I said to them, here's the thing, this is the way I would do it. The way I would do it is if Frank drew a graphic novel, it came out in the marketplace and people said, 'That's pretty cool.' And I read it and said, 'You know what, Frank, that's pretty cool. Maybe we'll make this into a movie.' That is the only version -- the studio wants it to be, sit with Frank, come up with an idea, write a screenplay, maybe he'll do a graphic novel based on the screenplay. I'm like, 'Yeah, I want nothing to do with that.' I have no interest in that. They would never say that about a real novelist, but they would about a comic book. In the end, all I would hope is that geek culture, this movie gives geek culture a little bit of cred.

  For more Snyder updates, visit his newly unveiled website.

  
  

  Posted 02/04/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

• New Posters and DVD for Watchmen

  Mere days after the "final" theatrical poster hit the web, another new poster was revealed by MTV, this time being the poster for the Watchmen IMAX release. Not a bad poster, but why not use this poster from the Watchmen: Art of the Film book that comes out February 10? (It's better!)

  With Watchmen still opening on March 6, it will only be three weeks for fans to enjoy their first Watchmen DVD. Wired's Underwire Blog reports that the DVD of Tales of the Black Freighter will be released on March 26, which will include the animated subplot of Watchmen's comic-within-a-comic of the same name. The DVD will also include Under the Hood, a filmed version of the Watchmen comic's fictional autobiography of the original Nite Owl, Hollis Mason.

  For those not interested in spoilers, Tales of the Black Freighter will reportedly be included in a longer, "epic" version of Watchmen which, according to director Zack Snyder, "will come out after the movie's theatrical release."

  
  

  Posted 02/04/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, January 29

• Watchmen Motion Comic Coming March 3rd

  A Watchmen movie tie-in DVD is planned for parallel release with the movie. Watch the graphic novel come to life page by page in the Watchmen Motion Comic available on DVD & Blu-ray three days before the movie hits theaters.

  There are also plans for a post-movie release with the animated Tales of the Black Freighter on March 10th, which supposedly includes a supplemental Under The Hood documentary, both of which were side-stories sandwiched within the graphic novel.

  Exclusive to the Watchmen Motion Comic Blu-ray will be the prison break scene where Nite Owl & The Silk Spectre break Rorschach out of prison.

  
  

  Posted 01/29/2009 by Jim

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, January 22

• Dr. Manhattan Featured in Fake Watchmen News Broadcast

  It's always fun to see how they market unique movies -- especially online. Warner Bros. set a high bar last year, thrilling fans and creating buzz with an intense viral campaign for The Dark Knight. And it looks like they are set to do it all over again with Watchmen. The latest effort, from TheNewFrontiersman.net, looks like an old newcast from the 1970s reporting about the birth of Dr. Manhattan.

  Get ready: The Superman exists, and he's American!

  
  

  Posted 01/22/2009 by Jim

  Related: Zack Snyder | The Dark Knight | Watchmen

Tuesday, January 13

• Watchmen TV Spot Promises a New Kind of Comic Book Movie

  The newest commercial for Watchmen claims, "You've never seen superheroes like this." Let's just hope that the legal dispute between Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox will get settled, or we might not get to see it at all.

  Watch the TV spot below, and stay tuned to ReelzChannel.com for the resolution of the Watchmen legal battle that is supposed to take place this week.

  
  

  Posted 01/13/2009 by Jim

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Friday, January 9

• A Watchmen Settlement May be Near

  It's been a busy day on the Watchmen legal front. Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Gary Feess was to decide whether he would hear arguments from Fox and Warner Brothers attorneys, who are in a dispute over distribution rights to the Zach Snyder-directed comic book movie, on Monday, January 12 instead of January 20. Hours later, Feess is delaying that decision to allow the attorneys to continue their "productive" talks.

  Earlier in the week, attorneys for both Fox and Warner Brothers agreed to let Feess settle the dispute and decide whether Fox had a right to block the release date of the movie in hopes of avoiding a long trail.

  The producers of Watchmen are clearly angry over the legal matter and want things resolved quickly to avoid a delay on the March 6 release date. One producer, Lloyd Levin, even wrote an open letter that offered his perspective on the matter: "Both Fox and Warner Brothers were offered the chance to make Watchmen. They were submitted the same package, at the same time. The response we got from Fox was a flat 'pass.' That's it. Conversely, Warner Brothers called us after having read the script and said they were interested in the movie. Did anyone at Fox ask to meet on the movie? No. Did anyone at Fox express any interest in the movie? No. Express even the slightest interest in the movie? Or the graphic novel? No." Levin closes the letter by saying that Fox "should stand down" from its claim.

  The studio attorneys have the weekend to finish their settlement talks and hopefully will end the dispute. Otherwise, Feess will use Monday to rule on having an earlier hearing or keeping the previous January 20 date.

  
  

  Posted 01/09/2009 by Ryan

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

• New Watchmen Site Launched Plus New Pics

  Lots of stuff happening on the Watchmen front this week:

  First off, a new website has cropped up at TheNewFrontiersman.net. If you don't get the reference of that particular domain name, it's the conspiracy theory magazine that Rorschach buys daily at the newsstand. So, you can bet this site will be used to distribute movie info of a more interesting type.

  There are also three new images showing The Comedian, Nite Owl and The Silk Spectre II, and Moloch.

  And finally, if you missed them, you've gotta check out the new video that came out this week. The Minutemen Featurette and Japanese Trailer are jam-packed with new footage, the latter with more Nixon than Frost/Nixon. Check out the new bits and let us know what you think.

  
  

  Posted 01/09/2009 by Jim

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Wednesday, January 7

• New Watchmen Featurette about The Minutemen

  Thanks to Empire Online, a new video has appeared showcasing The Minutemen of the Watchmen movie.

  While none of them have actual super powers, The Minutemen were the first generation of costumed adventurers that started the masked vigilante movement in the alternate world where Watchmen takes place.

  
  

  Posted 01/07/2009 by Jim

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Monday, January 5

• Watchmen Director Wants The Dark Knight Returns

  Zack Snyder, the director of 300 and the soon-to-be-released Watchmen movie, wants to adapt yet another Frank Miller graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns" into a feature film.

  Snyder told iFMagazine that he has asked studio Warner Bros. about creating a big-screen adaptation of the classic comic, which focuses on an aged Batman/Bruce Wayne who comes out of retirement to defend Gotham from a gang of hooligans terrorizing the city. Of course, his reemergence sparks similar rebirths of his gallery of rogues, and all hell breaks loose -- including an armored battle with Superman.

  "I said I'm interested in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns," he commented. "That's really my favourite comic book."

  The director admitted that his chances of making the movie are slim saying, "The studio has this massive franchise and I don't think they'll let me make a Batman movie where he's 50 years old and Ronald Reagan is President."

  
  

  Posted 01/05/2009 by Jim

  Related: Frank Miller | Zack Snyder | Watchmen | 300

Wednesday, December 31

• Lots of New Footage from Latest Watchmen Featurette

  Director Zack Snyder waxes philosophical about costumed adventuring in this newest behind-the-scenes featurette -- which is packed full of brand spanking new bits we’ve not seen before!

  
  
  Next Showing: Watchmen currently in legal limbo

  Posted 12/31/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, December 18

• Relive the Pre-Keane Act Glory Days in Watchmen Prequel Game

  Last Sunday's Spike TV 2008 Video Game Awards featured the unveiling of a new trailer for Watchmen: The End Is Nigh, an online game set to debut around the time Zack Snyder's long-awaited feature film arrives in theaters next March. Dubbed a "prequel" to its big screen companion, End Is Nigh will give players the opportunity to brutalize criminals as either Rorschach or Nite Owl in Watchmen's 1970s pre-Keane Act setting.

  Watchmen: The End Is Nigh will be available for download at XBLA, PSN, Steam, and Direct2Drive next March.

  
  
  Next Showing: Watchmen opens March 6, 2009.

  Posted 12/18/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Wednesday, December 3

• Watchmen Update: Shorter, Then Longer

  Sci Fi Wire reports that the theatrical version of Watchmen is getting shorter. Producer Deborah Snyder (wife of Watchmen director Zack Snyder) confirmed that the movie has gone from 2 hours 43 minutes down to 2 hours and 35 minutes, pending approval of the studio.

  But that doesn't mean it will be the only version. A director's cut is planned as well. "It has even more than the theatrical version, as far as the detail that gets even closer to the graphic novel," says Zack Snyder.

  How detailed? Snyder is also shooting an animated version of the Black Freighter, the comic-within-a-comic from the graphic novel, that will be released onto DVD when Watchmen enters theaters. Snyder's plan is to weave the Black Freighter material into the movie making a "huge epic version of 'Watchmen,' which will probably come out after the movie's theatrical release" that Snyder reveals will run "about 3 hours and 40 minutes." Who watches the Watchmen? Someone with a lot of time on their hands.

  
  

  Posted 12/03/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Friday, November 14

• Rorschach Speaks in Most Revealing Watchmen Trailer Yet

  Unlike earlier Watchmen trailers, which seemed geared toward reassuring fans of Alan Moore's graphic novel that Zack Snyder's adaptation would indeed be faithful to the source material, the latest version appears to target more mainstream movie fans, showcasing the flick's action sequences and shedding more light on its story. Rorschach's narration (voiced nicely by Jackie Earle Haley) neatly frames Watchmen's story as a murder mystery set against the backdrop of impending nuclear holocaust.

  Perhaps most notable are the complete absence of any period touches -- the uninitiated viewer could reasonably assume it takes place in modern times and not the mid-'80s -- and the fact that two of the characters refer to "The Watchmen" as a group, something Moore's graphic novel never did (Snyder offers his explanation for the latter decision over at CHUD):

  
  

  Posted 11/14/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Friday, October 10

• New Watchmen Footage Raises New Questions

  When director Zack Snyder recently unveiled almost 30 minutes of dazzling new footage from Watchmen to select members of the press, the lucky journalists in attendance received the most revealing look yet at the long-awaited adaptation of Alan Moore's legendary graphic novel. The footage, while certainly impressive, raises new questions about whether Snyder's two-hour and 43-minute epic will be able to satisfy both mainstream movie audiences and hardcore Watchmen fans. Check out our thoughts on the subject.

  
  
  Next Showing: Watchmen opens March 6, 2009

  Posted 10/10/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, October 2

• Snyder Spills Watchmen DVD Details, Nixes Sequel/Prequel

  Earlier today Warner Bros. held a special press event showcasing footage from Watchmen, their much-anticipated big screen adaptation of Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel.

  During a brief Q&A following the screening, director Zack Snyder relayed a few interesting details about his plans for the Watchmen DVD. In addition to a 20-minute animated version of The Black Freighter, the graphic novel's story-within-a-story, the DVD will include a featurette entitled "Under the Hood," inspired by Watchmen character Hollis Mason's tell-all of the same name. Snyder described "Under the Hood" as "basically a mock-documentary that's being made in 1985 as an anniversary show of when the book was actually released, so it's almost like a '60 Minutes' expose where it's '85, but they're looking back to '72, I think it is."

  Snyder also laughed off the possibility that Watchmen could be made into a franchise, a la Spider-Man or Batman. "Uhh, no. That's impossible," he declared. "That's just crazy talk...There's no chance of a sequel or a prequel or Watchmen Babies or anything."

  Snyder is still hard at work putting the finishing touches on Watchmen, which he's managed to whittle down to a (reasonably) svelte 2:43 running time. Be sure to check back soon for a more in-depth re-cap of today's event, including more snippets from Snyder's Q&A and a detailed rundown of the new footage...

  
  

  Posted 10/02/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Monday, August 25

• Kevin Smith Loves Watchmen...with Profane Vagueness

  When Watchmen, Zack Snyder's $100-million translation of the classic Alan Moore graphic novel finally comes out in March, it will get the usual 100-word capsule reviews in all the best glossy magazines. In other words, people will still be interested in it, but not that interested. Because then it will be a movie playing in theaters, instead of an object of endless, abstract speculation. In its current incarnation, of course, it's eminently more fascinating. Thus, Entertainment Weekly devotes 624 words to Kevin Smith's reaction to an early screening of the movie -- never mind the fact that Kevin Smith doesn't actually say anything about Watchmen that the long-dead thumb of Gene Siskel couldn't have said, too, in a much more eloquent and witty fashion.

  
  

  Posted 08/25/2008 by reelz

  Related: ReelzChannel Movie News | Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Tuesday, July 29

• Zack Snyder Dishes on Watchmen at Comic-Con

  

  Watchmen director Zack Snyder was on hand at Comic-Con to show off the Owl Ship, which is featured in the movie, and to discuss the film. Snyder talks about what it was like to take on such a beloved graphic novel adaptation, and the steps that were needed to ensure the movie's faithfulness to the book.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  Next Showing: Watchmen opens March 6, 2009

  Posted 07/29/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, July 17

• The Watchmen Trailer Arrives

  It's been quite a week for major movie trailers. Earlier this week, McG gave us a tantalizing glimpse of Terminator Salvation. Now, 300 director Zack Snyder has upped the ante with the debut of a full-length trailer for Watchmen, his much anticipated adaptation of Alan Moore's classic graphic novel. This ain't no teaser, mind you -- it's a two-minute-long, fanboy-reassuring sequence of memorable moments seemingly ripped straight from the pages of the comic book (albeit with some modern stylistic touches). All the major characters are featured -- even Dr. Manhattan in all of his naked blue glory. Check it out over at Empireonline.com.

  Notably, the trailer refers to Watchmen as "The most celebrated graphic novel of all time." Methinks Frank Miller might respectfully disagree.

  UPDATE: Warner Bros. has informed us that an even snazzier HD version of the Watchmen trailer is available over at Apple.com.

  
  

  Posted 07/17/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, March 6

• Watchmen characters unveiled

  A subject of much speculation since 300 director Zack Snyder first began production on Watchmen has been the look of the "costumed heroes" of the long-awaited comic adaptation.. Snyder repeatedly pledged he would remain loyal to Alan Moore's source material, down to the most minute details. But anyone who's read the graphic novel knows that the heroes' outfits aren't the most cinematic and could end up looking ridiculous on the big screen (think Adam West's campy Batman versus Christian Bale's badass Batman).

  Well, we finally have some answers courtesy of Watchmen's official site. Snyder released images of his characters (sans CGI-dependent Dr. Manhattan) and they look quite impressive. Most encouraging is Nite Owl, who had by far the lamest-looking outfit in the comic. (Click the thumbnail on the upper left to view all five of the images.)

  Source: Warner Bros. via JoBlo.com

  
  

  Posted 03/06/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Wednesday, February 20

• Watchmen wraps, releases new image

  Watchmen director Zack Snyder left a note on the film's official site yesterday, declaring "It's a wrap!" and thanking his cast and crew for all their hard work. As a special thank-you to fans, he also posted a cool new image from the production (click on the pic to the left for the full-sized version) featuring Watchmen anti-hero Rorschach (played by Jackie Earle Haley) lighting some poor schlub on fire.

  With principal photography finished, Snyder heads into the editing room for Watchmen's lengthy post-production phase, where he'll begin the complex process of adding artificial abs to each and every actor. Good luck, Zack!

  Source: Warner Bros. via JoBlo.com

  
  

  Posted 02/20/2008 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen | 300

Wednesday, November 14

• Max Headroom joins Watchmen cast

  MTV Movies is reporting that Max Headroom -- or, to be more precise, the guy who played Max Headroom -- has joined the cast of Zack Snyder's hotly anticipated comic book flick Watchmen. Turns out that Matt Frewer, the man who created the infamous '80s computer-animated icon, is quite the prolific character actor, with dozens of movie credits to his name. According to MTV, Frewer will be playing Moloch, a retired supervillain whose brutal murder helps form the core of Watchmen's mystery.

  While it's a nice step for Frewer, he still has quite a long way to go to make up for creating what is by far the most irritating thing to come out of the '80s. Even Cindy Lauper, New Coke and the "Where's the beef?" grandma wanted Max Headroom dead.

  
  

  Posted 11/14/2007 by reelz

  Related: Matt Frewer | Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, August 30

• Snyder, Tse reteam for Illustrated Man

  Evidently, gearing up for Watchmen just isn't enough for Zack Snyder and screenwriter Alex Tse.

  The men are teaming up again to write (Tse) and direct (Snyder) a remake of the 1969 Rod Steiger sci-fi flick, The Illustrated Man. For you real sci-fi geeks out there, you will remember that The Illustrated Man was originally a collectinon of Ray Bradbury short stories about a man with moving, future-telling tattoos--and a good one, at that.

  Anyone else have to read "The Veldt"?

  Source: Variety.

  
  
  

  Zack Snyder dishes on Watchmen

  ReelzChannel.com exclusive

  Posted 08/30/2007 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | The Illustrated Man

Wednesday, August 8

• Gugino Goes Jupiter for Watchmen

  The Hollywood Reporter announced that Carla Gugino, the sexy mom from Spy Kids and sexpot from Sin City, has been cast in Zack Snyder's highly anticipated adaptation of Alan Moore's Watchmen. The actress will portray Sally Jupiter, a costumed member of the Minutemen within the Watchmen world and a former burlesque dancer.

  ReelzChannel brought you the initial casting news for Watchmen a few weeks back. As of yet, the casting announcements have been met with a very warm reception  from the often-critical fanboy community.

  Watchmen shoots this fall in Vancouver.

  
  
  

  Tom Leupp talks to Zack Snyder

  Snyder dishes in Watchmen movie Exclusive interview!

  Posted 08/08/2007 by reelz

  Related: Carla Gugino | Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Friday, July 27

• Will Watchmen be Watchable?

  Are you ready for a talky, three-hour deconstruction of the 20th century superhero archetype? That's what Zack Snyder's next project, Watchmen, could end up being if the 300 director stay as faithful to Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel as many fans (myself included) hope. 

  On the eve of Snyder's much-anticipated appearance at the 2007 Comic-Con, we looked at the challenges he'll face bringing Watchmen's complex story to the big screen.

  Click here to read the article. And be sure to check back later for highlights from Snyder's Comic-Con panel.

  
  

  Posted 07/27/2007 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Wednesday, July 25

• Watchmen Casting: Wilson is definite, and much more

  It's official, the cast for Watchmen has been put into place. Directed by Zack Snyder, Watchmen will be an adaptation of the DC Comics series about the costumed vigilante, Rorschach.

  As we reported earlier, Patrick Wilson has indeed been cast as Nite-Owl. Joining him will be Jackie Earle Haley, who actually joined Wilson in last year's Little Children. This time around, Haley will be playing Rorschach, and not the creepy child molester next door.

  Also added to the cast: Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Stage Beauty) as Dr. Manhattan, Matthew Goode (The Lookout, Match Point) as Ozymandias, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy) as the Comedian, and Malin Akerman (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) as the Silk Spectre.

  Keep checking ReelzChannel.com for any more Watchmen updates that come up during this weekend's Comic-Con!

  Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  
  

  Posted 07/25/2007 by reelz

  Related: Billy Crudup | Patrick Wilson | Matthew Goode | Malin Akerman | Jackie Earle Haley | Zack Snyder | Jeffrey Dean Morgan | Watchmen

Friday, June 29

• New Watchmen Site?

  A few lucky movie fans found a mysterious message in their email boxes this evening. Sent from someone named "Rorschach" and containing "Who Watches the Watchmen?" in the subject line, the message contained the following brief, cryptic message:

   

   

  new website.
  
  movie being made about masks.
  
  alan moore - 'watchmen'.
  
  http://www.rorschachsjournal.com
  
  more news soon.
  
  .?R.

  Fans of the Watchmen comic will instantly recognize the style of prose as eerily similar to that of the Rorschach character.

  The link leads to a site containing a symbol resembling two lower-case r's. Hovering the mouse over the symbol reveals the email address rorschach@rorschachsjournal.com.

  But that's not all. Click on the mouse and highlight the entire site and you'll see a sentence below the symbol written in Morse code. Upon translation, the sentence reads: "Stood in street. Watched it burn."

  In the comic, Rorschach utters those phrases after brutally killing a man suspected of a particularly heinous crime. At that precise moment, he discards his ordinary identity and becomes Rorschach completely.

  Director Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead) is currently in the midst of pre-production on the highly-anticipated Watchmen movie, with principal photography set to begin in September.

  Clever viral marketing technique? Elaborate practical joke?  We'll keep you posted.

  
  
  

  Zack Snyder interview

  Snyder dishes in Watchmen movie exclusive interview!

  Posted 06/29/2007 by reelz

  Related: Zack Snyder | Watchmen

Thursday, March 15

• 300 Bloodies the competition

  Okay, so we've known for a while now that 300 was going to be a big hit, but $70 million! That goes beyond big hit. It's the biggest March opening ever and the third-largest R-rated opening in movie history.
  

  So what does this mean for Hollywood? Well, 300 director Zack Snyder is now Hollywood's hottest director. His follow-up, an adaptation of the Alan Moore graphic novel Watchmen will get a bigger budget and bigger stars attached. The King of the Spartans, Gerard Butler, is now possibly a superstar. He'll land some A-list caliber roles. And the sword and sandal epic? It's back in a big way. Troy 2, Alexander's Return and Gladiator with a Vengeance are all likely being green lit across Tinseltown this week.
  
  
  

  Reelz Clip

  Thomas Leupp spends time with 300's Queen Gorgo.
  

  Reelz Clip

  Dailies talks to 300 director Zack Snyder.
  

  Reelz Clip

  Snyder dishes in Watchmen movie Exclusive interview!

  Posted 03/15/2007 by reelz

  Related: Lena Headey | Zack Snyder | 300