Glad to know Im not the only one that owns a Rorschach mask...

Anyone who thinks that comics cannot possibly qualify as literature has not read The Watchmen. Definitely a must read.

Wasn't the series twelve books long? (have to go dig it up?)

They better not compress it into one freaking hour and a half film.

Too young for Rorschach, methinks... maybe the young Comedian, from the Minutemen days - fits the look from the comic, and a nice meaty role.

/Watchmen geek

Good luck, Wheaton. If you're really as big a fan as you've let on, you deserve the role. Cheers!

Can I be in it too? I want to play Silk Spectre II: Feivel Goes West!

Attention Wil Wheaton:

The last movie you were in, they cut out all the scenes that involved you.

Take that as a hint and get a desk job you're comfortable at.

Isn't there a Wheaton tag for precisely this sort of link?

Further, wasn't David Hayter the voice of Solid Snake in the PlayStation Metal Gear Solid game?

They passed over Terry Gilliam?!

Booo!

Hes my favorite living director... whose always overbudget and never sticks to scheduals!

While I have not read Watchman, considering what Hollywood did to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I think it's best to leave it alone, especially after reading these words .


"Past efforts to adapt Watchmen for the movies-including one by producer Joel Silver"

No dice, Wil. Too young on the outset.

Just finished reading that again.

As much as anyone, I'd love to see a Watchmen film, but I doubt anyone could write a screenplay that was a faithful adaptation of the book without condensing and leaving parts out. And when it comes to Watchmen, that'd be a shame, since the entire story ties together on so many levels, with each small detail adding to the whole. Unless they plan on making it about 4 hours or longer, I expect it to leave out pretty much all the background and rush through the rest.

Snake? Snake!?!



...SNAKE!!!

LookSir just answered my question before it was asked. I was wondering if this is the same David Hayter that's the voice of Snake of Metal Gear fame.

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. But I've only ever played MGS2, though. Kinda disappointing that you're stuck with that whiny pansy-ass, Raiden, for most of the game. I wanted to be Snake, dammit!

I don't know...I don't mean to be condescending, but it would be hard to find roles that would be age-appropriate for him. Wil as a young Comedian could work if he could pull it off. Or maybe Dr. Manhattan's friend/sidekick from the 40's. Or at least a cameo as the assistant editor of that magazine that gets Rorschach's journal at the end and wants to get takeout borsch. They should let him in, just for being a fan, because I fear there will be too few of those around the set when the movie starts shooting.

Well, since nobody's done it yet on this thread:

Dr. Manhattan: Ed Harris
The Comedian: Stacy Keach
Hollis Mason: Dick Van Dyke
Daniel Dreiberg: Tim Allen
Ozmandias / Adrian Veidt: Michael Douglas
Laurie Juspeczyk: Elizabeth Hurley
Sally Jupiter: Raquel Welch
Rorschach: William H. Macy

Questions:

How on Earth will they work the Tales of the Black Freighter substory into the narrative? This works in the comic book, but I'd bet they'd toss all that with the movie - too "distracting".

Isn't a big naked blue guy going to cause a movie rating difficulty?

If this film can be accomplished, how far off is a film based on "Jimmy Corrigan?"

Of course they will leave a lot of parts of of the movie (if it ever gets made) but if they take care of the details it could be pretty good, but it will never be as good as the comic books. I just loved the details of the comic books, like the clocks, the smily faces the other comic about the pirate that the kid was reading...

Wil:

Do the Sean Young trick and dress up like Catwoman, then go into the producer's office. It'll really impress the guy.

I've also just reread this. Here's to hoping they make it 3 movies.

p0rkins - was there actually a rorschach mask? I worked in a comic store for 5 years, but not until after Watchmen had been out for at least a couple of years. I'd never even heard of that.

Maybe Wil can play Tom Sawyer.

Hey, if you remember the surprise at seeing Rorschach unmasked, I think Wil could pull it off. The guy isn't supposed to look like a square-jawed hero. He's supposed to be a guy you wouldn't think was a homicidal vigilante (plus he's wearing elevated shoes to look taller).

I think it would have to come down to what Wil can do with his voice.

Raiden = cool
Watchmen = Cool

I wanna see Vin Diesel as Doctor Manhattan. I want to see him actually act and be good in a film. To do Watchmen correctly, you'll need great actors who know the film inside and out.

Perhaps though, if they were able to extrapolate the parallel storyline in a sequence of non-intrusive flashbacks, they could advertantly include the thesis-antithesis of the real meaning of the books. Although they would have to be careful with the comedy/tragedy balance getting suplanted by the erroneous language, and of course naked blue guy. Of course they would have to have several versions of the movie, each released successively to display the true depth of character mingling and define the plot strategy appropriately. See, then wil could be the over-dominant image of the memory from Rorschach's youth; a mere flitter of a twinge of chemical memory- which I'm sure would also end up on the cutting room floor.

Who said that Watchmen fans want Wheaton in it?

Me too me too!!!

I'd rather be Daniel Dreiberg (nite owl). Put in a good word for me, would ya?

And in case you didn't get ALL the subtlies in the series, behold the annotated watchmen.

intense.

DarthBrooks:

Daniel Dreiberg: Tim Allen
I was thinking Kevin Kline or Jeff Bridges or somebody like that. It might be pretty funny to see a paunchy Michael Keaton, though. Stacy Keatch as the Commedian is pure genius, as is Dick Van Dyke as Hollis Mason. I'd like to add Martin Landau as Moloch. And I see Tim Allen more as the Captain Metropolis type.

As much as I like Wil, Bill Macy would make a great Rorschach. Wil is too young...all these guys are supposed to be in their 40's at least.

Maybe he could play the pirate....

DarthBrooks:

Dr. Manhattan: Ed Harris
The Comedian: Stacy Keach
Hollis Mason: Dick Van Dyke
Daniel Dreiberg: Tim Allen

Ed Harris? Dr. Manhattan's a blue incarnation of Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. He is the perfect weapon/superman because he has a Christ-like swimmer's physique and doesn't age. Ed Harris...

I used to think the Comedian: Burt Reynolds. Is Chuck Bronson alive.

Dick Van Dyke and Tim Allen? What the hell?

Isn't Stacy Keach dead?

Hayter wrote both X-Men movies AND did voices for Eternal Darkness.

This man is a God among men.

Jack Gladney:

If you want a pudgy guy for Dan Dreiberg, I'd pick someone like Dan Aykroyd or Ed O'Neill. You're right: he needs to be seriously out-of-shape, but hinting at previous fitness. Beer gut type.

Rorschach could also be played by someone like Christopher Titus or Christian Slater - - either of those guys would look pretty maniacal if they were in an "unmasking" scene.

Wil wants to have a part in David Hayter's movie?

Don't do it Wil!



Don't be a Hayter player.
(sorry)

i'm with skinink, this definitely should not be made. i wanted to like from hell, but it sucked. i really tried to like l.e.g., but that's impossible. if you're going to adapt something from a master storyteller, you should hire a worthy director and screenwriter. but, anyway, this is who i'd like to see in the inevitable p.o.s.


rorschach - gary oldman
hollis - robert duvall
laurie j - jennifer connely
sally j - glenn close
ozzy - christian bale
dan d - jeff bridges
dr. m - ralph finnes
comedian - tom berenger

Edward Norton as Comedian.
Phillip Seymor Hoffman as Dan Dreyberg.
The Rock as Dr. Manhattan? (Had trouble with this one. Needs muscle, but only needs slight acting ability, so...)
Colin Farrell as Adrian Veidt.
Christopher Walken is Rorsach.

How about limiting the number of "well-known" actors/actresses if they are really going to make "The Watchmen"?

The majority of actors in the LOTR series were not "A-list" before the movies were released (some of them still aren't). Why bog down such a great story with a bunch of actors whose egos and styles are sure to clutter the script?

Better yet, have someone who has a proven track record with comic-to-movie at the help as director (like Sam Raimi or Bryan Singer).

Without both these things, the movie is sure to be a disappointment!

On a side note, if Wil really wants the part: Go Wil! (Especially after that Hooter's waiters asked if you "use to be an actor".

i'd also like to see either rosie o'donnell or anna nicole smith play the alien

Wil can be either the moth guy who goes nuts, or the Captain America type who tried to restart the Watchmen in the 60's. Or the New Frontier publisher (not the weenie kid). I'd actually like to see him take on that part. Move away from character, Wil!

Oh. My. God. I will die a happy man if this gets made well.

Of course, since I'm probably going to die a bitter old bastard nothing will change if it sucks.

And Steve Buscemi is Rorshach.

Snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!

The thing is, Hollywood tries vainly to dream up any way to produce "buzz" possible, thus producing shiat like Charlie's Angels II in which the buzz production was more entertaining and had far more plot than the actual film. I particularly enjoyed the way that the character of Drew Barrymore got me to deeply, deeply care about her opening weekend gross.

Wheaton, meanwhile, could bring actual, meaningful buzz to any project through his website. Imagine allowing him to blog the whole production. Imagine not only his visitors, but the visitors of any blogs that link to him, showing interest in what the new form draws out. This is far different than the kind of buzz drawn from routine visits to Leno and Letterman and Conan on the days before the movie opens. It would be honest, which is what we're really all hungry for. As long as Wheaton retained and was allowed to retain his honest voice.

Honestly, it would probably make sense to have Dr. Manhattan be a completely CGI character. His character is a malleable sort, and not entirely human any longer.

Just pick up the guy that currently does the voice of Martian Manhunter on the Justice League cartoon, and you're all set.

PS: Wil--I love ya buddy, but you're all wrong for this movie. Nite-Owl might be your best shot, and even then I think you're too young. Blessed and cursed with a baby-face, you is...much like yours truly, so I sympathize.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, could play Dr. Manhattan as well as Henry Simmons - better known as Baldwin from NYPD Blue. He's got the look, he's got the physique, he's got the voice.

Problem is, he's black. He can be blued for Manhattan, but Osterman was white, so they'd either need to cast someone else for Jon, or change the story slightly.

Someone suggested William H. Macy as Rorshach - that's brilliant casting.

Shave Dan Dierdorf's mustache off, and you have your Dreiberg.

Anyway, as much as I adored the comic run, and love to fantasize about a Watchmen movie, you guys are right - it simply can't be done properly within a Hollywood format, and therefore, should not be done at all.

Slick idea, Undertoad. I think Hollywood types get hives around too much honesty though.

I'd love to see this be true, but I can't see it working. Comic book movies are never as good as the comic book itself. While more visually provoking, you simply cannot have the remarkable internal monologues of the characters in the film without it coming across as hokey. In the comic, what the hero is thinking, ie why he is doing such insae life-threatening stuff for no obvious reason, comes across perfectly via "thought bubbles" or whatever format the author chooses. It aids the necessary suspension of disbelief necessary to accept a 6ft tall fully functional man made of "organic" steel being able to actually function at all.

Comic book movies always feel overly expositional when they try to give plausible rationale behind the motivation and existence of the superhero. Sure, it's needed, but it's always so ham-fisted. With Watchmen being so out of stereotype on superhero fiction, exposition would be even more necessary to be acceptable to any real audience.

I will sadly shake my head and doubt it. If it does happen, mojo to Wil to get a part with some meat. I just don't see it occurring.

Watchmen? Did anyone else think that was a *really* depressing comic?

My favorite graphic novel, and I grew up hating DC. Marvel all the way. But "Watchmen" is an amazing work. Art on the level of Michelangelo, story as good as anything from Philip K. Dick, a masterpiece of our time. I've read it at least a hundred times and I never tire of "Watchmen". I can only hope they don't suck things up. Knowing Hollyweak though they'll ruin the whole thing. I think Gilliam was the only director that may have done it right and he got canned by the production company. How can you fire Terry freakin' Gilliam as director? Not a good sign. Still, there's hope, I guess. How hard can it be to make a movie with the storyboard sitting smack-dabbed in your face? The only problem would be to make the film less than two hours, a seemingly constant ability of the lame-ass Hollyweak slags. "Watchmen" should be at least three hours, but no one will ever sit through such a long movie except geeks, you know, the people that could sit through three hours of "Lord of the Rings" without a beer or bonghit. Tough crowd to sell on a flick. Tough crowd to get laid as well. Crap I haven't been to a movie since "Beavis and Butthead Do America". Shows you my tastes. Go "Watchmen" and good luck Wil, but I ain't gettin' my hopes up and neither should you.