In 1986, Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons revolutionized superhero comics with Watchmen, a 12-part miniseries that influenced the genre for decades afterwards. Now, Warner Bros. Animation’s upcoming two-part movie adaptation is giving Moore and Gibbons’ story a fresh adaptation that may be able to go further than Zack Snyder’s 2009 film. And in the new trailer below, several moments from the Watchmen comic are recreated in stunning detail.
Because Snyder’s film was largely faithful to the comic–minus some changes to the ending–this trailer may give some viewers a sensation of Deja vu. The reason a lot of the scenes appear similar to Snyder’s movie is because both adaptations are drawing upon Gibbons’ artwork. It just seems a little more fitting in this format.
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski wrote the script for the two Watchmen animated films, which will be directed by Brandon Vietti. The story is set in an alternate version of our world in 1985 where Richard Nixon is still President of the United States. Following the murder of the superhero known as The Comedian, a vigilante called Rorschach is convinced that someone is targeting heroes. Rorschach may be delusional, but he’s not necessarily wrong. A conspiracy is in play to disgrace the most powerful hero in the world, Doctor Manhattan, even as the United States and the Soviet Union edge closer to a nuclear war that may prove to be the end of the world.
Titus Welliver leads the cast as the voice of Rorschach, with Troy Baker as Ozymandias, Matthew Rhys as Nite Owl, Katee Sackhoff as Silk Spectre, Rick D. Wasserman as The Comedian, and Michael Cerveris as Doctor Manhattan. Other cast members include Yuri Lowenthal, Kelly Hu, Jeffrey Combs, Phul LaMarr, Grey DeLisle, and Dwight Schultz.
Watchmen: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 will be R-rated for violence, language, and a lot of full-frontal nudity featuring Doctor Manhattan, which is also true to the comics. Chapter 1 will be released on digital on August 13. Fans who want to buy the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD discs will have to wait until August 27.
