Watchmen | |
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Directed by | Brandon Vietti |
Written by | J. Michael Straczynski |
Based on | Watchmen by Dave Gibbons |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Edited by | Cris Mertens |
Music by | Tim Kelly |
Production companies | |
Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
Watchmen is a 2024 American adult animated two-part superhero film directed by Brandon Vietti and written by J. Michael Straczynski. It stars an ensemble cast including Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau, and Michael Cerveris. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Paramount Pictures, and DC Entertainment, [2] and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in North America and Paramount Home Entertainment elsewhere, the film is based on the DC Comics limited series Watchmen co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons with co-creator and author Alan Moore choosing to remain uncredited. [3] Set in an alternate 1985, the film follows a group of outlawed and retired superheroes who investigate a conspiracy following the murder of one of their own. Gibbons served as a consulting producer on the film. Animation for the film was provided by Studio Mir. The first part (titled Watchmen Chapter I) was released on August 13, 2024, while the second part (Watchmen Chapter II) was released on November 26, 2024.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2024) |
In an alternate 1985, veteran superhero known as the Comedian is killed by an unknown individual, as the policemen try to investigate the crime, but fail to find any clues or sources. Rorschach, who is investigating the Comedian's murder, suspects that someone is hunting and killing superheroes, after which he decides to warn his comrades to be careful, despite being dismissed.
At the same time, he tries to investigate who the killer is and interrogates one of the former superheroes, torturing him and investigating whether he was the killer. As Rorschach investigates, the viewer sees flashbacks from the other individuals' pasts, how each of them became a superhero, what they experienced after the ban on superheroes, and what their future fate is.
Dr. Manhattan is suspected of causing cancer in all people, after which he exiles himself in Mars. Dan Dreiberg (formerly known as the second Nite Owl) and Laurie Juspeczyk (the second Silk Spectre after her mother Sally "Jupiter" Juspeczyk) are trying to start a romantic relationship at this time. Meanwhile, Roschach seeks to interrogate one of the killer's personal informants, only to find him dead, as the killer frames Rorschach by calling the police on him, after which he is arrested and unmasked for the public as Walter Kovacs. During the end credits, the viewer hears radio recordings of old superheroes from the 1940s.
In prison, Kovacs is consulted by psychiatrist Malcolm Long, to whom he reveals his dark, disturbing past, which led to his transformation into Roschach; from the abuse of his mother, to the investigation of a disappeared and murderered child. Kovacs is also threatened by other inmates, including Big Figure, a mob boss he and Nite Owl apprehended in the past. Meanwhile, Dreiberg begins believing Roschach's theory after being haunted by nightmares of what is yet to come, for which he decides to don the mantle of Nite Owl again, with Juspeczyk joining him as Silk Spectre, eventually drawing public attention after saving a group of citizens from a fire in a building.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2024) |
Voice actor [4] | Character |
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Appearing in both parts | |
Matthew Rhys | Dan Dreiberg / Nite Owl II / Sam Hollis |
Katee Sackhoff | Laurie Juspeczyk / Silk Spectre II / Sandra Hollis |
Titus Welliver | Walter Kovacs / Rorschach |
Troy Baker | Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias |
Rick D. Wasserman | Edward Blake / Comedian |
Adrienne Barbeau | Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre I |
Michael Cerveris | Jonathan Osterman / Dr. Manhattan |
Geoff Pierson | Hollis Mason / Nite Owl I |
Kari Wahlgren | Female Knot Top |
Yuri Lowenthal | Knot Top #2 |
Phil LaMarr | Comic Book Narrator, Bernie |
Jason Spisak | Doug Roth |
John Marshall Jones | General #1, |
Max Koch | Bernard, President Nixon |
Part One | |
Matthew Rhys | Photographer #3 |
Troy Baker | Minister, Benny Anger |
Rick D. Wasserman | Male Citizen #1, Photographer #2 |
Adrienne Barbeau | TV Broadcaster |
Michael Cerveris | Father |
Corey Burton | Captain Metropolis, Forbes, American Newscaster |
Yuri Lowenthal | Wally Weaver, Criminal #1 |
Jeffrey Combs | Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic, British Newscaster, Photographer #1 |
Phil LaMarr | Security Guard |
John Marshall Jones | Hooded Justice, Criminal #2 |
Kari Wahlgren | Janey Slater, Female Citizen #1 |
Jason Spisak | President John F. Kennedy, Restaurant Cook |
Max Koch | Detective Joe Bourquin |
Kelly Hu | Yvonne, Vietnamese Woman |
Grey Griffin | Spanish Newscaster, Female Citizen #2 |
Dwight Schultz | Detective Steve Fine, Happy Harry |
Part Two | |
Matthew Rhys | Max Shea, Michael Stephens, Prisoner #1 |
Troy Baker | Derf, Laurence Schexnayder, Gerald Grice, News Announcer |
Adrienne Barbeau | Police Dispatcher |
Michael Cerveris | Police Guard #2 |
Geoff Pierson | Prison Guard #1 |
John Marshall Jones | Otis, Malcolm Long, |
Zehra Fazal | Hira Manish, Newscaster |
Yuri Lowenthal | Seymour David, Bully #1 |
Phil LaMarr | Male Citizen #1 |
Kari Wahlgren | Sylvia Kovacs |
Phil Fondacaro | Tom Ryan / Big Figure |
Max Koch | Lawrence Andrews |
Grey Griffin | Female Citizen #1, Advisor #1 |
Long Nguyen | Attendant #1 |
Jason Spisak | Hector Godfrey, Bully #2 |
It was reported in April 2017 that Warner Bros. would develop an R-rated animated film based on the comic book series. [5] It was officially confirmed in 2023 that an animated film adaptation was in development and would be released in 2024. [6] A teaser trailer was released on June 13, 2024, with it being revealed to be a two-film adaptation. [7] [8] Director Brandon Vietti praised the animation work done by Studio Mir, stating in an interview that "It was a kind of material and filmmaking that I don't think the studio had approached before, but we had a lot of great discussions about it and they really rose to the challenge." [9]
Watchmen Chapter I received a digital release on August 13, 2024. [10] The film was released on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on August 27, 2024. [11]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. [12] William Bibbiani of TheWrap felt that the film respectfully adapted the story, but struggled to properly convey its complexity and described the visual aesthetic as "serviceable but not entirely effective". [13] Brad Cook of Flickering Myth agreed, calling the film a "very faithful adaptation" with a visual style that "hews closely to artist Dave Gibbons' well-regarded depictions of the characters and the alternate 1985 timeline they inhabit". [14]
Watchmen is a comic book limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 before being collected in a single-volume edition in 1987. Watchmen originated from a story proposal Moore submitted to DC featuring superhero characters that the company had acquired from Charlton Comics. As Moore's proposed story would have left many of the characters unusable for future stories, managing editor Dick Giordano convinced Moore to create original characters instead.
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it originally aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995, with a total of 85 episodes. Mid-way through the series' run, it was re-titled The Adventures of Batman & Robin.
Rorschach is a fictional antihero and one of the protagonists in the graphic novel limited series Watchmen, published by DC Comics in 1986. Rorschach was created by writer Alan Moore with artist Dave Gibbons; as with most of the main characters in the series, he was an analogue for a Charlton Comics character; in this case, Steve Ditko's the Question. Moore also modeled Rorschach on Mr. A, another Steve Ditko creation on whom the Question was originally based.
Nite Owl is the name of two superheroes in the graphic novel limited series Watchmen, published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the original Nite Owl, Hollis T. Mason, was a member of the crimefighting team the Minutemen, while the second, Daniel "Dan" Dreiberg, became a member of the vigilante team Crimebusters, also known as the titular Watchmen.
Silk Spectre is the name of two fictional superheroines in the graphic novel limited series Watchmen, published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the original Silk Spectre, Sally "Jupiter" Juspeczyk, was a member of the crimefighting team the Minutemen, while the second, Sally's daughter Laurel "Laurie" Jane Juspeczyk, became a member of the vigilante team Crimebusters, also known as the titular Watchmen.
Adrian Alexander Veidt, also known as Ozymandias, is a fictional anti-villain in the graphic novel limited series Watchmen, published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, named "Ozymandias" in the manner of Ramesses II, his name recalls the famous poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which takes as its theme the fleeting nature of empire and is excerpted as the epigraph of one of the chapters of Watchmen.
Superhero films are movies centered around a superhero or a group of superheroes. These characters often possess superhuman abilities. As a group, a superhero squad or unit often consists of a variety of character archetypes and personalities from literature and mythology. Films in this genre tend to share similar genre conventions, centered around themes of power, justice, society, and the nature of evil. Superhero films also typically blend elements of action, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. Traditionally, the first film in a series about a particular superhero character often focuses on the hero's origin story and typically introduces the hero's nemesis.
Watchmen is a 2009 American superhero film based on the 1986–1987 DC Comics limited series of the same name co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Directed by Zack Snyder from a screenplay by David Hayter and Alex Tse, the film features Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. A dark and dystopian deconstruction of the superhero genre, the film is set in an alternate history in the year 1985 at the height of the Cold War, as a group of mostly retired American superheroes investigate the murder of one of their own before uncovering an elaborate and deadly conspiracy with which they are all connected.
Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is an episodic video game that serves as a prequel to the film adaptation of the DC Comics limited series Watchmen. The game was originally announced for release in downloadable installments on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade, with the first one released in March 2009 to coincide with the film's theatrical release. The second episode was released in July and August 2009.
Saturday Morning Watchmen is a Newgrounds and YouTube viral video published on March 5, 2009, the day before the release of the live-action Watchmen film.
Watchmen is a 2009 film based on the twelve-issue graphic novel series of the same name created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins, published by DC Comics between 1986 and 1987. The graphic novel's film rights were acquired by producer Lawrence Gordon in 1986. Many problems halted the adaptation's development, with four different studios and various directors and screenwriters being attached to the project through twenty years. In 2006, Zack Snyder, who at the time was filming another comic book adaptation, was hired by Warner Bros. to helm Watchmen. Filming started in 2007, and following deals with two of the previous companies involved in the development—Paramount Pictures was responsible for international distribution rights after budgetary issues in 2004, resulting in a lawsuit by 20th Century Fox. Fox, which was already contacted by Gordon in 1987, received $1 million of the gross—the Watchmen adaptation was finally released in March 2009.
Young Justice is an American superhero animated television series developed by Brandon Vietti and Greg Weisman for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. The show, instead of a direct adaptation of Peter David, Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, is an original story set in the DC Universe with a focus on teenage and young adult superheroes.
Before Watchmen is a series of comic books published by DC Comics in 2012. Acting as a prequel to the 1986 12-issue Watchmen limited series by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, the project consists of eight limited series and one one-shot for a total of 37 issues.
Brandon Vietti is an American animator, director, and producer.
Batman: The Killing Joke is a 2016 American adult animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Featuring the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the 27th of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. The film is directed by Sam Liu, written by Brian Azzarello and stars the voices of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tara Strong, and Ray Wise. Like the novel, the film follows the Joker, Batman's arch-nemesis, and his efforts to drive police commissioner James Gordon insane as Batman works desperately to stop him.
Watchmen is a 2019 American superhero drama limited series written as a sequel to the 1986 DC Comics series of the same title created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The TV series was created for HBO by Damon Lindelof, who also served as an executive producer and writer. Its ensemble cast includes Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Howard, Jacob Ming-Trent, Tom Mison, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, Louis Gossett Jr. and Jeremy Irons. Jean Smart and Hong Chau joined the cast in later episodes.
Rorschach is an American comic book limited series written by Tom King and drawn by Jorge Fornés, based on the character of the same name. The series is published by DC Comics under their DC Black Label imprint. Rorschach is one of two sequels to the comic book maxiseries Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the other being Doomsday Clock. Ignoring the events of Doomsday Clock, the comic is also tangentially and loosely linked to the 2019 television limited series by Damon Lindelof, set after its events. The standalone story analyses the divisive cultural presence of Rorschach, a deranged superhero who died during the events of Watchmen, while a detective investigates a prolific assassination attempt.