Watchmen is an upcoming 2009 American superhero film directed by Zack Snyder.

Based on
the 1986 comic book limited series of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the
film adaptation stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey
Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Stephen McHattie, Matt Frewer, and Carla Gugino. Set in 1985,
the film follows a group of former vigilantes as tensions heighten between the United States and
the Soviet Union. The film began shooting in Vancouver in September 2007 for release on March
6, 2009.[2] As with his previous film 300, Snyder closely modeled his storyboards on the comic,
but he chose not to shoot all of Watchmen using chroma key and opted for more sets.

Following the series' publication, the film adaptation was mired in development hell. Producer
Lawrence Gordon began developing the project at 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. with
producer Joel Silver and director Terry Gilliam, the latter eventually deeming the complex novel
unfilmable. During the 2000s, Gordon and Lloyd Levin collaborated with Universal Studios and
Paramount Pictures to produce a script by David Hayter (who set it in modern times). Darren
Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were attached to Paramount's project, before it was canceled
over budget disputes. The project returned to Warner Bros., where Snyder was hired to direct
(Paramount remained as international distributor). Fox sued Warner Bros. for copyright violation
arising from Gordon's failure to pay a buy-out in 1991, which enabled him to develop the film at
the other studios. Fox and Warner Bros. settled this before the film's release and Fox will receive
a portion of the gross.

A DVD based on elements of the Watchmen universe will be released; it will include an animated
adaptation of the comic Tales of the Black Freighter within the story, starring Gerard Butler, and
the documentary Under the Hood, detailing the older generation of superheroes from the film's
back-story. An extended edition of the film, with Tales of the Black Freighter interspersed
through the main storyline in a manner reminiscent of the comic, is forthcoming.

Synopsis
The story is set in an alternate 1985 where superheroes exist, Richard Nixon is still president,
and tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union are at an all-time high. The
vigilante Rorschach is investigating the murder of a former hero, the Comedian, and uncovers a
plot to discredit and murder various heroes. Rorschach discovers a far wider-ranging conspiracy
involving his colleagues' past which could completely change the course of history.[3]

DVD releases

Tales of the Black Freighter, a comic within the Watchmen comic, will be adapted as a direct-to-
video animated feature from Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation, which will be
released on March 24, 2009.[103] It was originally included in the script,[76] but was cut due to
budget restrictions,[74] as the segment would have added $20 million to the budget, because
Snyder wanted to film it in a stylized manner reminiscent of 300.[103] Snyder considered
including the animated film in the final cut,[8] but the film was already approaching a three hour
running time.[103] Gerard Butler, who starred in 300, voices the Captain in the film, having been
promised a role in the film, which never materialized.[104]

The Tales of the Black Freighter DVD will also include Under the Hood, a documentary
detailing the characters' backstories, which takes its title from that of Hollis Mason's memoirs in
the comic book.[103] The actors were allowed to improvise during filming interviews in
character.[105] The film itself is scheduled to be released on DVD four months after Tales of the
Black Freighter, and Warner Bros. is thought to be considering releasing an extended version,
with the animated film edited back into the main picture.[103] Snyder expected this final version
will be three hours and twenty-five minutes long.[106] In addition, the Watchmen: Motion Comics,
which appeared digital video stores will also be released on DVD on March 3 and include an
exclusive scene from the movie.[107]

External links
• Official site
• Official trailer
• Download Watchmen for Free!