While Warner Bros. is certainly keeping busy with their DC Comics Extended Universe (DCEU), the studio has also formed a separate animated universe that stands apart from its live-action counterpart. If a new report is to be believed, then it seems that the studio may be considering bringing the iconicAlan MooreandDave Gibbonsgraphic novelWatchmenback to life, as anR-rated animated superhero movie. While there hasn’t been any confirmation from Warner Bros. about this project, the studio is reportedly gauging interest in this movie through an online survey.
AFilm Buff Onlinereader sent the site an excerpt from an online marketing survey, where users were asked how excited they would be for a “made-for-video” movie based on the iconicWatchmen graphic novel. The online survey doesn’t give any indication of whether or not this project has currently made it through any stages of development or production yet, but it’s possible the studio may move forward if given a positive response. Here’s the description of this movie from the survey below.
“A faithful adaptation of theWatchmengraphic novel executed in an animation style that mirrors the source material (Anticipated MPAA R rating). In an alternate world where the mere presence of American superheroes changed history, the US won the Vietnam War, Nixon is still president, and the cold war is in full effect.Watchmenbegins as a murder-mystery, but soon unfolds into a planet-altering conspiracy. As the resolution comes to a head, the unlikely group of reunited heroes, Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre,Dr. Manhattanand Ozymandias, have to test the limits of their convictions and ask themselves where the true line is between good and evil.”
Watchmenwas previously adapted into the long-awaited 2009Watchmenmovie, and while it was critically-acclaimed, it didn’t quite take off at the box office like the studio would have hoped. The comic book adaptation was directed byZack Snyder, who would go on to directMan of Steel,Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeandJustice League, with a celebrated cast that includedJackie Earle Haleyas Rorschach,Patrick Wilsonas Nite Owl,Carla Guginoas Silk Spectre,Billy Crudupas Dr. Manhattan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as The Comedian, andMatthew Goodeas Ozymandius. While it was considered one of the most anticipated movies by many fanboys, it only earned $107.5 million domestically and $185.2 million, from a budget of $130 million. We reported in 2015 thatZack Snyderwas engaging in talks with HBO for aWatchmenTV series, but there haven’t been any further updates since then.
If this is actually happening, it’s possible that a new animated R-ratedWatchmenmovie could be spurned on by the success of Warner Bros.' successfulR-rated adaptationof the iconic comic bookBatman: The Killing Joke. While the movie was predominantly released straight to Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD formats, it did have a one-night-only theatrical release through Fathom Events, where it earned an impressive $3.1 million from 1,325 theaters. Given how iconic theWatchmengraphic novel is, and the fact that audiences are finally starting to embrace R-rated fare, with hits such asDeadpoolandLogan, it certainly could be feasible for a faithful R-rated adaptation ofWatchmento catch on. Whether or not that happens is anyone’s guess.
