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Author	Topic: Upcoming 2009 Movies: "Fame"
RX_Sith Title: C&G Game Host Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 7/9/08 6:53am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"The Pink Panther 2"
	The Pink Panther 2 (2009). (from wiki) The Pink Panther 2 is a sequel to the 2006 film, The Pink Panther. In the new film, Inspector Clouseau must team up with detectives from other European countries to rout the daring cat burglar, The Tornado, who has returned after a decade of inactivity. In the newly released teaser trailer for the film, premiering on June 6, 2008, the movie is called The Pink Panther 2, confirming the name originally chosen. Steve Martin, who will reprise the role of Clouseau (originated by Peter Sellers), polished the original script written by Scott Neustadter and Michael M. Weber in November 2006. Columbia Pictures, partnering with MGM on the sequel, hired the team of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel to perform a further rewrite in January 2007. Production was scheduled to begin in February 2007 for a 2008 release, but the film was subsequently re-scheduled for February 13, 2009 release after shooting was pushed back until August 2007 due to the Canadian actors strike that derailed planned shooting in Montreal. The release date was later changed to February 6, 2009. Principal photography began in Paris on August 20, 2007 before moving to Boston, Massachusetts a couple of weeks in, where it wrapped on November 2, 2007. Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai signed for the female lead as criminal expert, Sophie Solandres. John Cleese replaces Kevin Kline as Chief Inspector Dreyfus with Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer reprising their roles as Ponton and Nicole. Andy García and Alfred Molina round out the cast as detectives, Inspector Vicenzo Brancaleone and Chief Inspector Randall Pepperidge. Shawn Levy, who directed Steve Martin's first Pink Panther adventure, was in talks to be the film's Executive Producer but bowed out due to other work commitments. Harald Zwart is directing the sequel. Cast * Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau * John Cleese as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus * Jean Reno as Gendarme Gilbert Ponton * Emily Mortimer as Nicole Nuveau * Andy García as Inspector Vicenzo Brancaleone * Alfred Molina as Chief Inspector Randall Pepperidge * Aishwarya Rai as Sonia * Yuki Matsuzaki as Kenji Mazuto * Jeremy Irons as Alonso Avellaneda * Lily Tomlin as Yvette Berenger * Molly Sims as Marguerite * Jack Metzger as Antoine Trivia * In a trailer for the film, Steve Martin appears as Inspector Clouseau, unsuccessfully trying to purchase a ticket to see a movie at an American theater. Denied a ticket due to a sold-out show, he sneaks into the back of the theater and "cuts" through the movie screen. After seeing that he is exposed to everyone, he attempts to repair the screen using duct tape. As his shadow moves across the "back" of the screen, the Pink Panther's shadow follows him. * There are two versions of the trailer: The first version has Clouseau trying to purchase a ticket to see Kung Fu Panda. The second version has Clouseau trying to purchase a ticket to see WALL-E. Discuss. -----signature----- Chief of Staff - The SWC Rebel Scum
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Gobi-1 Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Dec '02	Date Posted: 7/9/08 2:05pm Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"The Pink Panther 2"
	Despite the hostility directed towards The Pink Panther from critics and people online I enjoyed the film a great deal. I'm a huge slapstick fan and of Mr. Martin so this was an ideal match for me. I was also pleased that Martin just didn't do a Seller's impression and gave the role a different spin. I think the cast for the sequel is tremendous and I have high hopes the sequel will improve upon the first film. Would love to see Clive Owen make another cameo. Just wish they dropped the "2" and come up with another title. -----signature----- In 1977 George Lucas created the Star Wars Trilogy and changed the way we look at movies. In 1999 George Lucas created the Prequel Trilogy and changed the way we look at Star Wars. Frasier, Lost, and Whose Line Is It Anyway? are the best tv shows ever.
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mrjop2 Registered: Jun '07	Date Posted: 7/9/08 2:05pm Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"The Pink Panther 2"
	Next, I predict we'll see him try to purchase a ticket to either The Dark Knight, or Journey to the Center of the Earth, if not both. -----signature----- The New Generation of Jedi: Jedi Generations: Rebirth http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28502675/p1/?1
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RX_Sith Title: C&G Game Host Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 7/23/08 5:21am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans"
	Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. (from wiki) Plot The prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian (Sheen) emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja (Mitra), in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his struggle for Lycan freedom. Cast * Michael Sheen as Lucian * Rhona Mitra as Sonja * Bill Nighy as Viktor * Steven Mackintosh as Andreas Tanis * Kevin Grevioux as Raze * Shane Brolly as Kraven * Zita Görög as Amelia * Tony Curran as Markus Corvinus Discuss. -----signature----- Chief of Staff - The SWC Rebel Scum
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 7/23/08 8:22pm Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"The Rise of the Lycans"
	Haven't heard of this before.
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RX_Sith Title: C&G Game Host Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 8/7/08 7:41am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"Friday the 13th"
	Friday the 13th (2009). (from wiki) Friday the 13th is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel, and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. The film is a reboot of the Friday the 13th film series, whose last film was the 2003 crossover film Freddy vs. Jason. Nispel helmed the 2003 remake of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, while Shannon and Swift wrote the screenplay for Freddy vs. Jason. The film stars Derek Mears as Jason Voorhees, Jared Padalecki and Amanda Righetti portraying the male and female leads, respectively. Set for a Friday, February 13, 2009 release, the film will take "elements from all three [of the first] movies". Production Development In January 2007, producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller outlined their intended goal to bring the remake to life. Fuller and Form were approached by New Line to create a remake, but because Paramount still owned certain copyrights to the first film the remake would not be able to use anything from the original. Paramount, who wanted to be included in the remake, approached the producers and gave them license to use anything from the original films, including the title. With Paramount on board, Fuller and Form decided they wanted to use pieces from each of the first three films. Fuller stated, "I think there are moments we want to address, like how does the hockey mask happen. It’ll happen differently in our movie than in the third one. Where is Jason from, why do these killings happen, and what is Crystal Lake?" The producers expressed an interest in using the character of Tommy Jarvis and stated that they were working out a sensible origin story for Jason that would make sense. Ultimately, it was decided that Friday the 13th would not be an origin story, but that the audience would get a sense of the history as the film progressed. The audience will see Jason transition from wearing a bag over his head—similar to Friday the 13th Part 2—to finding and actually placing the hockey mask over his face, whereas in Friday the 13th Part III he merely came out of the barn already wearing the mask. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, writers of Freddy vs. Jason, were announced in October 2007 to have been hired to pen a script for the remake. The film was reported to focus on Jason Voorhees, and that he will keep his trademark hockey mask. The film is being produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller through Bay's production company Platinum Dunes, for New Line Cinema. Director Jonathan Liebesman was originally in negotiations to direct the remake in February 2006, but was replaced by Marcus Nispel, director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake of 2003, in November 2007. On March 21, 2008, it was confirmed that Jared Padalecki was in final negotiations to star as the lead who investigates what happened at Crystal Lake. On March 31, 2008 iFMagazine reports that Derek Mears is in final talks to portray Jason Voorhees, while Variety reported on April 2, 2008 that Amanda Righetti was in final negotiations to take the female lead in the new Friday the 13th. Danielle Panabaker, Jonathan Sadowski, Travis Van Winkle, Willa Ford, Aaron Yoo, Julianna Guill round out the rest of the cast. Nana Visitor has been cast as Pamela Voorhees. A young Jason is to be played by Caleb Guss. The film will have its U.S. release on Friday, February 13, 2009. Principal photography began on April 21, 2008 in Austin, Texas and wrapped up on June 13, 2008. Creating Jason Derek Mears was required to wear full body make-up from the chest up while performing his duties as Jason Voorhees. As Mears describes it, he wore a chest plate with fake skin that would move to all muscle movement; he also wore a fake hump on his back, and was given a variation of scoliosis. A prosthetic eye was glued to Mears's face to allow for realistic movement. For his wardrobe, Mears was given a pair of combat boots and a "high priced t-shirt" that allowed the special effects make-up to be seen through the holes in the shirt. The jacket Jason wears in the film was created by combining a hunting jacket and a military jacket – Mears wanted the hunting jacket, but the creative team liked the way the military jacket, which was longer, billowed as he was making his "kill movements". The top of the hunting jacket was removed and placed over the top of the military jacket. Mears characterizes it as a "giant Frankenstein jacket". After problems with the fake nails that he had to wear for the part, Mears grew out his own fingernails for filming. Mears describes Jason as being leaner in this film, because he does not eat as much. A "leaner" Jason was deemed more functional, with more emphasis on the hump on his back.[16] Mears always related to "Jason the victim" when he was growing up as a child, and that was how he wanted to portray Jason in the film. To the actor/stuntman, Jason represents all those individuals that were picked on in high school for being outcasts of society—specifically those with physical deformities—only Jason exact his revenge on those that are trying to take of his territory (Crystal Lake). When Mears went in to audition for the role he was asked, "We really need an actor for this particular role. Why do we need an actor as opposed to just a guy in a mask? Explain that to us." To Mears, portraying Jason was similar to Greek Mask Work, where the mask and the actor are two separate entities, and, based on the scene, you will get variate combinations of mask and actor in the performance. According to Mears, it is all based on whether you realize that everything is made of energy, and if you are thinking something then it will transfer to what the camera picks up. Mears also relies on the people behind the camera, which he likens the experience to a NASCAR race. Mears is the driver and the effects team is his pit crew. As he is performing the role, the effects team will provide subtle suggestions as to ways that he can bring the character more to life on camera. For this film, Jason's intelligence and thought processing is more defined. Mears likens the character to John Rambo, Tarzan and the Abdominal Snowman from Looney Tunes. Jason is like Rambo because the audience will see him setting the other characters up to fall into his traps. Like Rambo, he is more calculated because he feels that he has been wronged and he is fighting back. He is meant to be more sympathetic in this film. Discuss. -----signature----- Chief of Staff - The SWC Rebel Scum
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Soontir-Fel Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 8/7/08 8:11am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"Friday the 13th" (2009)
	It was his mom in the first one. -----signature----- Errent_Venture Wrote " Listen to Soontir-Fel for he is a man ruling over other men." Ender_Sai wrote "In other news, I confer Modly praise on Soontir and Rogue_wookie for being superior men, worth of the title of Spartan. They, may keep their penises"
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 8/7/08 8:12am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"Friday the 13th" (2009)
	My view of slasher movies is that high production values make then worse, not better.
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The_Smirking_Revenge Registered: Jul '08	Date Posted: 8/7/08 11:52am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"Friday the 13th" (2009)
	Zaz posted: My view of slasher movies is that high production values make then worse, not better. True. Very true. Plus this is completely unnecessary, as is the upcoming re-make of A Nightmare on Elm Street, which is boasting no affiliation with either Wes Craven or Robert Englund. Which won't help to make me ever want to see it. The crap thing is they're doing this because someone saw Rob "Needs to stay away from making movies" Zombie's awful revamp of Halloween, which was the worst slasher flick I've ever seen. I'm sorry, but it was just bad. And these idiots couldn't even get the story strait, as someone mentioned, Mrs. Voorhees was the original killer, Jason wasn't around until the sequel and he didn't have a Hockey mask until the 3rd movie. I just wish they would stop with this "we need to remake everything" mentality. Somethings are better left untouched. -T_S_R -----signature----- "It's not about money...It's about sending a message." "We have just lost cabin pressure" OBAMA '08
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RX_Sith Title: C&G Game Host Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 8/18/08 6:16am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"17 Again" (2009)
	17 Again. (from wiki) 17 Again is a 2009 Big-like comedy film from New Line Cinema starring Matthew Perry and Zac Efron, and directed by Burr Steers. Slated for release on February 20, 2009. Plot Popular high school senior Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) seemingly has it all. He is a star athlete headed straight for a college scholarship when he decides to give it up to settle down with his high school girlfriend Scarlett. 25 years later, an adult Mike (Matthew Perry) finds his life is not exactly what he expected. He is separated from his wife, Scarlett (Leslie Mann) and living with his best friend Ned Freedman (Thomas Lennon), his career at a pharmaceutical company is at a stand still, and his relationships with his teenage children are nonexistent. After getting passed up for yet another promotion at work, he returns to his high school to reminisce over his basketball awards and the life he could have had. While he is reliving his past, he is approached by a janitor and shares with him how things were so much better when he was 17. As Mike is driving home from the high school, he sees the mysterious janitor standing on the ledge preparing to jump into the Los Angeles River. Mike rushes out of his car to rescue him, but when he gets there, the janitor has vanished. What Mike doesn't realize is that he is about to fall into the river and turn into his 17-year-old self. Young Mike (once again Zac Efron) returns to Ned's house, where he has the difficult task of convincing Ned that he is in fact Mike. At a loss of what to do, Ned pretends to be Mike's father and they register Mike back in high school to finish the life he never had the chance to live. High school presents a lot of new challenges for Mike, such as dressing cool, keeping up with the latest gadgets and making new friends. But nothing compares to being in high school with his own children. He discovers that his daughter, Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg), is not nearly as innocent as he thought she was and his son, Alex (Sterling Knight), is the brunt of the star athlete's jokes. But Mike's most difficult realization is that he hasn't been a very good father or husband. Mike befriends Alex and tries to instill him with enough confidence to join the basketball team. He gets close to Maggie's obnoxious boyfriend and does everything in his power to break them up. Most importantly, he visits an unsuspecting Scarlett and rediscovers all the things that initially made him fall in love with her. Through his experiences, Mike realizes that he had chosen the perfect life he just never appreciated it. Now, he must figure out a way to transform back into his older self and win back his wife and kids. Cast * Matthew Perry as Mike O'Donnell * Zac Efron as Young Mike O'Donnell * Leslie Mann as Scarlett O'Donnell * Allison Miller as Young Scarlett O'Donnell * Thomas Lennon as Ned Freedman * Tyler Steelman as Young Ned Freedman * Michelle Trachtenberg as Maggie O'Donnell * Sterling Knight as Alex O'Donnell * Melora Hardin * Hunter Parrish as Stan * Melissa Ordway as Lauren Scene locations * Santa Monica High School known as "Hayden High School": During the course of filming, many students from Santa Monica High School were cast as extras. The school's appearance was dramatically altered to represent the school in the movie. Release The film was originally supposed to release August 15, 2008, but was recently pushed back to February 20, 2009. Discuss. -----signature----- Chief of Staff - The SWC Rebel Scum
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 8/18/08 2:10pm Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"17 Again"
	I find it ironic that Efron is basically admitting where his career will be in a very few years; ie. where Matthew Perry's is now, namely nowhere. -----signature----- Don't be a fool, don't be blind Heart of mine If you can't do the time, don't do the crime Heart of mine
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Vengance1003 Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 8/18/08 4:58pm Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"17 Again"
	Hey, this was filmed at my school! Exciting. -----signature----- Is no the answer to this question? Companda
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RX_Sith Title: C&G Game Host Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 9/1/08 10:35am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li"
	Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li. (from wiki) Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is an upcoming film based on the Street Fighter series of video games. It follows the quest of Street Fighter character Chun-Li, who will be portrayed by Smallville star Kristin Kreuk. The film co-stars Neal McDonough as M. Bison, Chris Klein as Charlie, Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog, and Black Eyed Peas singer Taboo as Vega. Rick Yune was originally cast as Gen but has been replaced by Robin Shou, who portrayed Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat series. The film is scheduled for release in 2009. Jean-Claude Van Damme, who played Guile in the 1994 live-action film version of Street Fighter, stated that he was approached and offered a part in this movie. He turned it down because, according to him, he is now being careful in choosing film roles. It has been confirmed on the movie's production blog that Ryu and Ken will not appear in the movie, as it is more of a Chun-Li origin story, but they may appear in future sequels. Cast * Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li * Neal McDonough as M. Bison * Chris Klein as Charlie Nash * Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog * Taboo as Vega * Robin Shou as Gen * Moon Bloodgood as Detective Maya Sunee Shooting locations * Bangkok, Thailand * Hong Kong, China * Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada * Reno, Nevada, United States * Herlong, California, United States Street Fighter Production Blog Discuss. -----signature----- Chief of Staff - The SWC Rebel Scum
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Zaz Title: Manager, The Ampitheatre Registered: Oct '98	Date Posted: 9/1/08 11:03am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies:"17 Again"
	I wonder what scenes need to be shot in Vancouver?
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RX_Sith Title: C&G Game Host Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 9/12/08 7:20am Subject: RE: Upcoming 2009 Movies: "Watchmen"
	Watchmen (2009). (from wiki) Watchmen is a 2009 film adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic book limited series of the same name, directed by Zack Snyder. The film stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Stephen McHattie and Carla Gugino. Set in 1985, the film follows a group of former vigilantes as war begins to break out between the United States and the Soviet Union. The film began shooting in Vancouver in September 2007 for release on March 6, 2009. Like his previous film 300, Snyder closely modeled his storyboards on the comic, but unlike 300, he chose not to shoot all of Watchmen using chroma key. Following the novel's 1986 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., with Paramount handling international rights. Fox is now suing Gordon for failing to pay a buy-out in 1991, which enabled him to develop the film at the other studios. 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 also possible. 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. Cast * Patrick Wilson as Daniel Dreiberg / Nite Owl II: A retired vigilante superhero with technological experience. John Cusack, a fan of the comic book, expressed interest in the role. Wilson did not read the comic until he was offered the part, and loved it. Wilson put on weight to play the character, instead of wearing a fatsuit. * Jackie Earle Haley as Walter Kovacs / Rorschach: A superhero who continues his vigilante activities after they are outlawed. He was transformed over time from a "soft" costumed hero into a killer who sees the world in black and white. Haley and fourteen friends put together his audition, where he performed scenes from the comic. Haley "almost went nuts" trying to reconcile his understanding of complex human behavior with Rorschach's moral absolutism, stating the character made him wonder if people generally just make excuses for their bad actions. Rorschach wears a mask with ink blots that morph to reflect his emotions: motion capture markers were put on the contours of Earle Haley's blank mask, for animators to create his ever-changing expressions. Haley found the mask "incredibly motivating for the character" because of its confining design, which heated up quickly. Small holes were made in the mask for him to see. * Malin Akerman as Laurie Juspeczyk / Silk Spectre II: A retired vigilante superheroine. Akerman described her character as the psychology and the emotion of the film due to being the only woman among the men. The actress worked out and trained to fight for her portrayal of the crimefighter. * Billy Crudup as Dr. Jon Osterman / Doctor Manhattan: A superhero with genuine powers who works for the U.S. government. The role was once pursued by actor Keanu Reeves, but the actor abandoned his pursuit when the studio held up the project over budget concerns. He later visited the set while filming The Day the Earth Stood Still, an experience which he enjoyed. As well as playing Osterman in flashback as a human, for his post-accident scenes as Dr. Manhattan, Crudup is replaced in the film with a motion-capture CG version of himself. During filming on set, Crudup acted opposite his co-stars, wearing a white suit covered in blue LEDs, so he would give off an otherworldly glow in real life, just as the computer-generated Manhattan does in the movie. Crudup had to keep thinking of the character in the comic, because he felt ridiculous in the suit. * Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias: A retired vigilante superhero who has since made his identity public. The role of Ozymandias was originally connected to actors Jude Law and Tom Cruise, but they left the project behind due to the studio's delay in handling the budget. Goode was not familiar with the comic when he was cast, and read it at the urging of his friends. He joined the critical consensus, saying "it's the best graphic novel out there". He had his own interpretation of Veidt's backstory, in that he gave up his family's wealth and travelled the world, becoming a self-made man because he was ashamed of his parents' Nazi past. Goode suggested Veidt disguised his German accent to highlight the themes of the American Dream and the difference between one's public and private personas. * Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Edward Blake / The Comedian: A vigilante superhero who is commissioned by the U.S. government. Prior to Morgan's casting, producers Lawrence Gordon and Lloyd Levin met with Ron Perlman to discuss portraying the Comedian. Morgan found the role a challenge, explaining, "For some reason, in reading the novel, you don't hate this guy even though he does things that are unmentionable. [...] My job is to kind of make that translate, so as a viewer you end up not making excuses to like him, but you don't hate him like you should for doing the things that he does." * Stephen McHattie as Hollis Mason / Nite Owl: The first vigilante to take up the mantle of Nite Owl. * Carla Gugino as Sally Jupiter / Silk Spectre: A retired vigilante superheroine, mother of Laurie Juspeczyk. Gugino's character ages from 25 years old in the 1940s to 67 years old in the 1980s, and the actress wore prosthetics to reflect the aging process. Gugino described her character's superhero outfit as an influence of Bettie Page-meets-Alberto Vargas. The actress donned the trademark hairdo of the character, though it was shaped to be more plausible for the film. * Matt Frewer as Edgar Jacobi / Moloch the Mystic: An elderly rehabilitated criminal, known when he was younger as an underworld kingpin and magician. * Niall Matter as Mothman: He is not a main focus of the storyline, but appears in flashbacks, at one point reduced in his later years to fragile sanity, unnerving the second Silk Spectre. He is regarded fondly by most of the Minutemen, and the first Nite Owl sends the second to visit him, uncostumed, on his behalf. * Dan Payne as Dollar Bill: A first-generation crimefighter who caught his cape in a revolving door during a bank robbery, and was shot to death. Payne is a fan of the comic and shot his scenes over four days, both for his cameo in the theatrical cut and the fictionalized DVD documentary. Actor Thomas Jane said in June 2007 that Snyder had expressed interest in casting him in the film. Snyder said he wanted younger actors due to the many flashback scenes, and it was easier to age actors with make-up rather than cast two actors in the same role. Production for Watchmen began casting in July 2007 for look-alikes of the era's famous names for the film, including Richard Nixon, Henry Kissinger, H. R. Haldeman, Ted Koppel, John McLaughlin, Annie Leibovitz, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Fidel Castro, Albert Einstein, Norman Rockwell, John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Mao Zedong and Larry King. The actor playing Nixon used a full face prosthetic. Development In August 1986, producer Lawrence Gordon acquired film rights to Watchmen for 20th Century Fox. Producer Joel Silver was also working on the film. Fox asked author Alan Moore to write a screenplay based on his story. When Moore declined, the studio enlisted screenwriter Sam Hamm to pen the script. Hamm turned in his first draft on September 9, 1988. Hamm found the task of condensing Moore's 338-page, nine-panel-a-page strip into a 128-page script arduous. He took the liberty of re-writing Watchmen's complicated ending into a "more manageable" conclusion involving an assassination and a time paradox. Fox put the project into turnaround in 1991, giving part of the rights to Largo International. When Largo dismantled, producer Gordon agreed to pay-out Fox in order to set up the project with another studio. Gordon and Silver set up the project at Warner Bros., where Terry Gilliam was attached to direct. Unsatisfied with how Hamm's script fleshed out the characters, Gilliam brought in long-time collaborator Charles McKeown to rewrite it. The second draft, which was credited to Gilliam, Warren Skaaren, and Hamm, used the character Rorschach's diary as a voice-over and restored scenes from the comic book that Hamm had removed. According to Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons, Silver wanted to cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as Doctor Manhattan. Filming was to take place at Pinewood Studios. Because both Gilliam and Silver's previous films, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Die Hard 2 respectively, went over budget, they were only able to raise $25 million for the film (a quarter of the necessary budget). Gilliam abandoned the project due to these funding problems, and also decided that Watchmen would have been unfilmable. "Reducing [the story] to a two or two-and-a-half hour film [...] seemed to me to take away the essence of what Watchmen is about," Gilliam said. After Warner Bros. dropped the project, Gordon invited Gilliam back to helm the film independently. The director again declined, believing that the comic book would be better directed as a five-hour miniseries. "[Watchmen] was considered too dark, too complex, too 'smart'. But the world has changed [after the September 11, 2001 attacks]. I think that the new global climate has finally caught up with the vision that Alan Moore had in 1986. It is the perfect time to make this movie." —David Hayter, in October 2001, on the project's timing In October 2001, Gordon and Universal Studios signed screenwriter David Hayter to write and direct Watchmen in a "seven-figure deal". Hayter stated his intent to begin filming in early 2002. In July 2002, Hayter completed his first draft. In May 2003, Hayter said he had Alan Moore's blessing on the film, despite Moore's disagreement with the project since its first incarnation. In July 2003, Watchmen producer Lloyd Levin announced the completion of Hayter's script, which he called "a great adaptation [...] that absolutely celebrates the book". Hayter and the producers left Universal due to creative differences, and in October 2003, Gordon and Levin expressed interest in setting up Watchmen at Revolution Studios. They had completed Hellboy at Revolution, and were intending to shoot in Prague. The project did not hold together at Revolution Studios and subsequently fell apart. In July 2004, it was announced Paramount Pictures would produce Watchmen, and they attached Darren Aronofsky to direct Hayter's script. Producers Gordon and Levin remained attached, collaborating with Aronofsky's producing partner, Eric Watson. But Aronofsky left to focus on The Fountain. Paramount replaced him with Paul Greengrass and set up a target summer 2006 release date. Simon Pegg was involved in negotiations to portray Rorschach, while Daniel Craig, Jude Law and Sigourney Weaver were interested in the film. To publicize the film, Paramount launched a now-defunct Watchmen teaser website that had a message board as well as computer wallpaper available to download. Graphic artist Tristan Schane drew designs of Dr. Manhattan for the film, which would have depicted him with visible intestines. In March 2005, Paramount's CEO Donald De Line was rumored to depart from the studio, endangering high-profile projects including Watchmen. Earlier that week, De Line was in London, urging a reduction in Watchmen's budget so the film could get the greenlight. As a result of the potential budget cut with the new CEO Brad Grey, Levin planned to move the project from Pinewood Studios (where it was going to be shot), hoping to curb the budget by filming outside the UK. Ultimately, Paramount placed Watchmen in turnaround. In October 2005, Gordon and Levin were in talks with Warner Bros., originally the second studio to be attached to Watchmen. In December 2005, the producers were confirmed to have set up the project at Warner Bros., but Greengrass was no longer attached to the project. In addition, the film was marked an "open writing assignment", which meant David Hayter's script would be put aside. Despite this change, Hayter expressed his hope that his script would be used by Warner Bros. and that he would be attached to direct his "dream project". Production "I said, 'Is Watchmen better if it's updated? I don't know if Watchmen should go to the people, or the people should go to it.' People said, 'I think Watchmen speaks to our current climate,' and I said that's cool, but I said, 'Isn't it cooler to make a movie that the audience and people who are watching go, "you know what I think?"' I'd much rather do that than tell them what I think." —Zack Snyder on keeping the 1985 setting Impressed with Zack Snyder's work on 300, an adaptation of Frank Miller's comic book of the same name, Warner Bros. approached him to direct an adaptation of Watchmen. On June 23, 2006, Warner Bros. announced that Zack Snyder would direct Watchmen with Alex Tse attached to write the script. For the new script, Tse drew "the best elements" from two of the project's previous drafts written by screenwriter David Hayter. The script did not keep the contemporary atmosphere that Hayter created, but instead returned to the original Cold War setting of the Watchmen comic. Warner Bros. was amenable to the 1980s setting, and the director also added a title montage sequence to introduce the audience to the events of alternate history United States in that time period. Snyder said of his plans for filming Watchmen: "There are so many easter eggs in the frames (of the comic) so you want that level of detail in the movie itself." Similar to his approach to 300, Snyder used the comic book as a storyboard, travelling with a copy and annotating its pages. As well as the novel, Snyder cited Taxi Driver and Seven as visual influences. Snyder said his February 2007 revision of the script would require 2 1/2 hours of screen time. Snyder wanted a $150 million budget, but Warner Bros. preferred the budget remain under $100 million. To make the film more topical, Snyder added a subplot about energy resources, but he decided replacing Richard Nixon with Ronald Reagan would alienate American viewers. Throughout filming, Snyder kept adding in dialogue to mention more of the characters' backstories so the film would be as faithful as possible. Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman met with Snyder twice during the later stages of pre-production to further revise the script. James Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes, was also hired as scientific consultant. In December 2006, comic book artists Adam Hughes and John Cassaday were confirmed to work on character and costume design for Watchmen. Costume tests were being done by March 2007. 300 associate producer Wesley Coller played Rorschach in a costume test, which Snyder inserted into an R-rated trailer for 300. Although he intended to stay faithful to the look of the characters in the comic, Snyder intended Nite Owl to look scarier, and wanted Ozymandias to possess authentic Egyptian attire and artifacts. Nite Owl and Silk Spectre changed most from the comic, as Snyder felt "audiences might not appreciate the naiveté of the original costumes. So, there has been some effort to give them a [...] modern look — and not modern in the sense of 2007, but modern in terms of the superhero aesthetic". Snyder also wanted the costumes to "comment directly on many of today’s modern masked vigilantes": The Ozymandias costume, with its molded muscles and nipples, parodies the costumes in Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). Set designers selected four Kansas City sculptors' works for use in the set of Dr. Manhattan's apartment after discovering their works on the Internet. Snyder hoped to have principal photography take place from June—September 2007, but filming was delayed until September 17, 2007. The production settled in Vancouver, where a New York City backlot was built. Sets were used for apartments and offices, while sequences on Mars and Antarctica were shot against green screens. Filming ended on February 19, 2008. Sony Pictures Imageworks and Intelligent Creatures are among the visual effects companies working on the film. Composer Tyler Bates began scoring Watchmen in November 2007. He planned to visit the shoot for a week during each month, and view assembly cuts of scenes to begin rough composing. The film will use some of the songs mentioned in the comic, including Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changin'", which is played over the opening montage; Jimi Hendrix's cover of "All Along the Watchtower"; Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence"; the German version of Nena's "99 Luftballons"; and Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" in an advertisement for Veidt's Nostalgia perfume. Snyder has also met with My Chemical Romance (whose lead singer Gerard Way is a fan of the comic) to discuss covering a Dylan song for the closing credits. The first cut was three hours long. In keeping the film tight, Snyder dubbed himself "the gatekeeper" of the comic's easter eggs, "while [the studio] conspire to say, 'No. Length, length, length. Playability.' [...] I've lost perspective on that now, because to me, the honest truth is I geek out on little stuff now as much as anybody. Like, people will go, 'We've got to cut. You don't need that shot of Hollis Mason's garage sign.' And I'm like, 'What are you talking about? Of course you do. Are you crazy? How will people enjoy the movie without **** like that in it?' So it's hard for me." Warner Bros. president of production Jeff Robinov indicated a 145-minute theatrical running time was more likely. Moore and Gibbons' response Previous developments In an interview with Variety's Danny Graydon during Warner Bros.'s first possession of feature film rights for Watchmen, the comic book's writer Alan Moore adamantly opposed a film adaptation of his comic book, arguing, "You get people saying, 'Oh, yes, Watchmen is very cinematic,' when actually it's not. It's almost the exact opposite of cinematic." Moore said that Terry Gilliam, preparing to direct Watchmen for Warner Bros. at the time, had asked Moore how the writer would film it. Moore told Graydon about his response, "I had to tell him that, frankly, I didn't think it was filmable. I didn't design it to show off the similarities between cinema and comics, which are there, but in my opinion are fairly unremarkable. It was designed to show off the things that comics could do that cinema and literature couldn't." Moore also told Entertainment Weekly in December 2001, "With a comic, you can take as much time as you want in absorbing that background detail, noticing little things that we might have planted there. You can also flip back a few pages relatively easily to see where a certain image connects with a line of dialogue from a few pages ago. But in a film, by the nature of the medium, you're being dragged through it at 24 frames per second." Moore had opposed the adaptation of Watchmen from the beginning, intending to give any resulting film royalties to Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons. According to Moore, David Hayter's script "was as close as [he] could imagine anyone getting to Watchmen." However, Moore added, "I shan't be going to see it. My book is a comic book. Not a movie, not a novel. A comic book. It's been made in a certain way, and designed to be read a certain way: in an armchair, nice and cozy next to a fire, with a steaming cup of coffee." In an early interview with Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker, Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons said that he thought the time had passed to make a Watchmen movie. At the time, Darren Aronofsky was expressing interest in directing the film under Paramount Pictures. Nevertheless, Gibbons said, "It was most likely to happen when Batman was a big success, but then that window was lost." Gibbons also told Neon, "In a way, I'm glad because it wouldn't have been up to the book." Production In November 2006, director Zack Snyder said that he hoped to speak to Moore before filming, though the writer had sworn off involvement with film or television productions after his disagreement with the V for Vendetta film adaptation. In a July 2007 interview, Moore said of Snyder's project, "If they go for some other novelty option like they did with V For Vendetta then I'm in for another year of excoriating them in every interview I do until they remove my name from it." Before shooting, Snyder said "[I] totally respect his wishes to not be involved in the movie." Dave Gibbons enjoyed the script by Alex Tse, and the illustrator also was impressed by Snyder's enthusiasm. Gibbons said, "I do think Zack has got the ability to make a really good movie, and I think Watchmen has the ability to be a really good movie, and hopefully the two things will come together... I'm basically supporting it." Gibbons gave Snyder some script advice which the director accepted. In January 2008, Alan Moore revealed that he had negotiated to have his name removed from Zack Snyder's film and to have all royalties go to Dave Gibbons. He said that Gibbons had asked him if he was interested in being updated about the film, but the writer declined. Moore said, "I won’t be watching it, obviously. I can at least remain neutral to it as long as they’re taking my name off of it and not playing these silly, ultimately futile games like they were doing last time, which worked out so well for them." Moore also expressed discontent over the choice of the director, saying that he "had a lot of problems" with the comic book, 300 and that, while he had not seen it, he had heard that Snyder's film adaptation was racist, homophobic, and "sublimely stupid". Release Marketing DC Direct will release action figures based on the film in January 2009. Director Zack Snyder also set up a YouTube contest petitioning Watchmen fans to create faux commercials of products made by the fictional Veidt Enterprises. The film's first trailer was attached with The Dark Knight, and used The Smashing Pumpkins' song "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning", an alternate version of their song "The End Is the Beginning Is the End". Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will publish two downloadable games during the theatrical and DVD releases. Deadline Games is developing the two properties. WB took this low-key approach to adapting the film to avoid rushing the game on this tight schedule, as most film games are panned by critics and gamers. These games are set in the 1970s, and are written by Len Wein, the comic's editor. Dave Gibbons is also an advisor. DVD releases Tales of the Black Freighter, a comic within the Watchmen comic, will be adapted as a direct-to-video animated feature, which will be released on March 11, 2009. It was originally included in the script, but was cut due to budget restrictions, because the segment would have added $20 million to the budget, as Snyder wanted to film it in a stylized manner reminiscent of 300. Snyder considered including the animated film in the final cut, but the film was already approaching a three hour running time. Gerard Butler, who starred in 300, voices the Captain in the film, having been promised a role in the film, which never materialized. 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 graphic novel. 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. In addition, a dozen short films (each around twenty minutes in length) will be released on the internet, using narration over animated panels of the comic strip to familiarize newcomers to the story. These may also be released on DVD. Lawsuit On February 8, 2008 (as filming was finishing), Fox launched a lawsuit against Warner Bros., as producer Lawrence Gordon never paid out the studio as he sought a new studio to develop the project. In August, a judge denied Warner Bros.' motion to dismiss the lawsuit, meaning some of the film's gross might have to go to Fox. However, Fox has stated their goal is to see the movie's release blocked. Discuss. -----signature----- Chief of Staff - The SWC Rebel Scum
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