Topic: Let's cast Watchmen (Read 18754 times)

Johnny C · « **on:** 03 Jun 2007, 17:19 »

Since it looks, on the basis of Zack Snyder's success with 300, like it's getting made, we on Gabbly decided that it was up to us to make sure the movie doesn't suck. By casting it ourselves.

Kevin Bacon for Roschach, I say!

He's had some career missteps but he's a fine actor.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #1 on:** 03 Jun 2007, 21:43 »

OK, so recapping what we did on Gabbly on the subject:

Brad Pitt or Jude Law as Ozymandias. They both fit the pretty blond boy image and are both good actors, so it would work perfectly. I'd prefer Pitt, personally, but we know that Law is a Watchmen fan and has already apparently been in contact with Snyder about the role, so he's more likely.

The Comedian we had a lot of trouble casting, because he has to be an older guy but still tough and so forth. I think the best idea we came up with was Daniel Day-Lewis with some makeup to make him look a bit older. Other ideas were Kurt Russell, Burt Reynolds (a little too old at this point), Clint Eastwood (certainly tough, but too skinny), and Jon Voight (too pudgy).

Nite Owl I think is a less critical role, because even though he's one of the major characters there's not quite as much nuance to him as some of the others. Emilio's idea was Dennis Quaid but mine was Phillip Seymour Hoffman, which I liked because Nite Owl is depicted as going a little soft in his retirement.

Dr. Manhattan is easy because he'll presumably be all CG with somebody's voice over it. They'll probably even use computer effects on the voice too to make it more creepy, alien-sounding. We decided it would be the best role for Gerard Butler, who is supposedly involved in an unnamed role, but I think Hugo Weaving could do well here.

Rorschach is a tough one too, but Bacon works pretty well, and the other idea we had was Hugh Jackman.

Silk Spectre is I think the most critical role in whether or not this film is a pile of shit, because it's the easiest one for them to go Hollywood and cast Jessica Alba or somebody equally horrible and ruin the whole thing. The one I came up with was Rachel Weisz, because she's the right age, a brunette (although it's not like that matters too much), and she can actually act. I am a little biased, though.

That's what we came up with in the hour or so we discussed this on Gabbly. I came up with Dustin Hoffman as Nite Owl afterwards, but he's probably too old at this point.

Ben yayayayayayayay · « **Reply #2 on:** 03 Jun 2007, 22:20 »

Danny Bonaduce as Rorschach, definitely. Also, I'd pick Jude Law over Brad for Ozymandias, cause the character's also somewhat of a genius

But fuck the perfect cast, I still don't want this movie to be made.

Sorry, don't wanna turn this into a different kind of thread. Please, continue casting.....fucktards

Storm Rider · « **Reply #3 on:** 03 Jun 2007, 22:24 »

Well the point being is, with Snyder involved, it's going to happen; think about how much money 300 made. This thread is realizing that even though it would be better if nobody tampered with it, it's our duty as fans to figure out how to salvage it.

Ben yayayayayayayay · « **Reply #4 on:** 03 Jun 2007, 22:32 »

Your speaking is truths. But he made the 300 ending more upbeat, so now I wonder what he'll do to this one. Poor Moore

I don't know if I make sense I have a headache tell me if I don't kthnx

Storm Rider · « **Reply #5 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 00:12 »

Well, he pulled off George Romero too. I mean, let's try to be a little optimistic here.

Johnny C · « **Reply #6 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 10:45 »

Man if Snyder and his crew are making a good effort to cast properly - and considering the job they did with casting his last two films I don't see why they wouldn't be - they must be tearing out their damn hair trying to cast Silk Spectre. Here's what I've come up with, and you can see I'm mostly grasping for straws. I decided to highlight my preferences in bold.

Kate Beckinsale
Mira Sorvino
Juliette Lewis
Kimberly Williams
I guess Alyson Hannigan if she was willing to go brunette
Chloë Sevigny

I mean, Sorvino won an Oscar for Mighty Aphrodite. Hannigan would probably do it well but her resume is way to spotty to accurately judge; I mean, she's good when a good script is delivered to her but I'm not sure if we can look forward to that with Watchmen, and we need someone who'd be capable of salvaging a bad script. To that end, Sevigny's probably the best choice, though whether she'd work in a film as mainstream as this is up for grabs. Considering The Brown Bunny, whether she'd even be considered is up for grabs too.

Unfortunately looking at one of the various lists of actresses and actors which are the appropriate age is enough to make you tremble with fear that it's going to get miscast. Can you imagine if Jennifer Garner were cast as Silk Spectre? Gahhhh.

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #7 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 14:44 »

Quote from: Storm Rider on 03 Jun 2007, 21:43

The Comedian we had a lot of trouble casting, because he has to be an older guy but still tough and so forth.

How old is Charles Napier by now?

tomselleck69 · « **Reply #8 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 16:10 »

eddie murphy in all roles

Johnny C · « **Reply #9 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 17:44 »

Shame Harvey Keitel's a bit too old.

Ben yayayayayayayay · « **Reply #10 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 19:54 »

You're wrong, they'll probably cut the news stand parts altogether

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #11 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 21:28 »

Aren't these people supposed to mostly be in their 40's/50's-ish? Operating under that assumption:

Silk Spectre: Mia Sara
Nite Owl: John Cusack (this may seem like an odd choice, but I definitely think he's the right guy)
Dr. Manhattan: A good voice actor.
Rorshach: I dunno. Kevin Bacon's as good a suggestion as any.
Ozymandias: Sure, Jude Law, what the hell.
The Comedian: BRUCE CAMPBELL.

EDIT: Sam Rockwell could totally do Rorshach, I think.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #12 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 21:48 »

Oh man, I really like the John Cusack pick. That would be perfect. But man, could Bruce Campbell pull off a non-ironic role?

Johnny C · « **Reply #13 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 23:09 »

Spectre's supposed to be like in her thirties, I think. In fact *SPOILER THOUGH YOU'VE PROBABLY READ THE COMIC* she's the comedian's daughter dude so they can't be the same age or even less than i'd say twenty years apart.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #14 on:** 04 Jun 2007, 23:17 »

Silk Spectre is 35 in the comic, it's mentioned specifically. I believe the Comedian is 61 when he dies? The thing is, the Comedian will also appear in flashbacks in his younger days, so that I think makes the Daniel Day-Lewis thing even better because for the younger Comedian they can just shoot him naturally, but I think with the right makeup he could appear old enough to pull off older Comedian too.

doki · « **Reply #15 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 00:44 »

what happened to the musical david bowie was putting together? shouldnt that take priority?

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #16 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 05:34 »

Quote from: Johnny C on 04 Jun 2007, 23:09

Spectre's supposed to be like in her thirties, I think.

RIGHT! Duh. I change my vote to Linda Cardellini!

schimmy · « **Reply #17 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 14:22 »

I think Hugh Jackman might work as The Comedian, visually at least.
Who said that Dr. Manhattan is likely to be CGI? If he is, it is a done deal that I will not see the film, that would be awful. However, I think that Patrick Stewart, were he to become more muscular, could look right for the role.

Johnny C · « **Reply #18 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 15:40 »

How do you portray Dr. Manhattan, a naked, glowing being with no pupils who can change his height at will, without using CGI? Do you paint him up like a Blue Man and kick up some blue chalk dust every time you film him so that you can get him to glow?

schimmy · « **Reply #19 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 15:59 »

Flicking through the comic I can to three seperate conclusions:
1) When does he glow? In all the instances of him that I saw, he was not glowing.
2) The lack of pupils is a problem. Perhaps coloured contact lenses? Or, at most, minor CGI on his eyes, to get rid of the pupils.
3) His nakedness is another tough problem. But I think they could get around it by having the actor not wear any clothes.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #20 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 16:43 »

What about the part where he grows to several fucking stories high?

Johnny C · « **Reply #21 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 17:16 »

Quote from: schimmy on 05 Jun 2007, 15:59

3) His nakedness is another tough problem. But I think they could get around it by having the actor not wear any clothes.

For some reason I thought Manhattan didn't have a penis. I forgot totally about the sex scene with multiple versions of himself.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #22 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 18:53 »

Quote from: Storm Rider on 04 Jun 2007, 21:48

Oh man, I really like the John Cusack pick. That would be perfect. But man, could Bruce Campbell pull off a non-ironic role?

The comedian IS an ironic role. He sees the funny side to atrocity.

But still this film should never be made. They will cut out the fucking newstand bits won't they? It makes sense, as they aren't exactly critical to the plot, merely commenting on it. They are, however, responsible for some of the best bits in the comic. The whole Black Freighter comic within a comic is one of the most masterful things in the book. If they really wanted to try do this justice they would make The Black Freighter a TV series and have it as a film within a film, but even that would be shit. I realised when comparing the book of V for Vendetta to the film that some of Moores most absolutely brilliant moments simply cannot be expressed in the film medium. Consider the bit in the graphic novel where he breaks into the TV studio, and there's no talking, just different things coming off the TVs, all synching with the action: first the episode of Storm Saxon that the guards are watching as he dispatches them (DIE YOU BLACK CANNIBAL FILTH! DIE! DIE! DIE!) and then the absolutely fantastic part where you have the news report of the war in Scotland playing on a TV next to a cheesy sitcom. It fucking rapes anything in the film, especially with the images next to it: "Brenda, are these your knockers"..."kids of ten with grenades"..."My what?"..."The women, they spit at you..."..."Your knockers! your door knockers, the brass ones your mother gave you!"..."sping loaded with spikes, in a car boot"..."oo-er, I wondered what you meant!"..."irn bru bottle full of petrol, bit o' rag"..."hahahahahahaha"...

and so on. The thing about Moore is that he is one of those comics writers that fully exploits the medium as a synthesis of the literary and illustrative arts. You can translate his stories on to film, and maybe even adapt them faithfully, if any Hollywood studio will let you (which is in most if not all cases doubtful), but the essential brilliance, the sparkle which makes his graphic novels some of, if not the best, ever written. He should probably be left alone. Translating Frank Miller to the big screen is a completely different kettle of fish: half the reason people read him anyway is his (undeniably) stylish artwork: get that on the screen and you're pretty much there, which is why Sin City and 300 managed to stay so faithful.

To be honest, if there ever was an adaptation made of Watchmen, I would like to see it done as a 13 episode anime. The Japanese still shit all over Hollywood when it comes to comic book films, because they're prepared to take the genre as it is and let it be uncompromisingly dark without conforming to blockbuster expectations. Hollywood needs its love plot and its happy ending.

Johnny C · « **Reply #23 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 19:03 »

Actually the Black Freighter was still in both the Hayter script and, according to all reports, the revamp of that script that Snyder's working from. He's said it's in a way that the movie won't suffer if it has to be cut for time constraints but that it can easily be restored for a DVD release if it is removed. For the rest of it, you're very right. Moore's nearly impossible to translate just because his work is so visually dense and so packed with novel-caliber writing that whatever you excise is likely to be the wrong thing.

Still, Khar, who would you cast?

KharBevNor · « **Reply #24 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 19:15 »

I have absolutely no idea. If you asked me to name 20 actors I would probably have to mention Christopher Lee three times. I have barely any idea who most of the people mentioned in this thread so far even are.

Ben yayayayayayayay · « **Reply #25 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 19:57 »

I like the part when they hug before they die

ME ADD TO SMART TALK NOW?

Ozymandias · « **Reply #26 on:** 05 Jun 2007, 23:32 »

Okay, fuck Kevin Bacon.

Rorschach can only be played by Jeffery Combs.

Why? Because he played The Question, the character Rorschach is based on, in the recent JLU animated series and knocked the part out of the park so exquisitely that I can't possibly imagine anyone else being Rorschach.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #27 on:** 06 Jun 2007, 00:20 »

Just because Rorschach was based on the Question doesn't necessarily make them the same character. The Question in the JLU animated series was played as a paranoid conspiracy nut (at least, from the admittedly small number of episodes I've seen), whereas Rorschach as a more brutal, vigilante style.

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #28 on:** 06 Jun 2007, 03:29 »

His demeanor as The Question reminds me a lot of Rorshach, though (from the small number of episodes I've seen). I say Jeffrey Combs is the best choice so far. Someone call Zack Snyder!

EDIT: Holy shit. Did they make him look like Rorshach on purpose? Because if so, nice! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VooHPmia9Q

Lummer · « **Reply #29 on:** 06 Jun 2007, 05:43 »

I'm still not sure about Bruce Campbell as the Comedian, but I just freakin' love the guy, so I'll say go on that.

Johnny C · « **Reply #30 on:** 06 Jun 2007, 08:08 »

HE BAGGED HUNTRESS

uh, i mean

I dunno, from that clip I'm not really sold on Combs. That was pretty emotive of him, and in Watchmen Rorschach doesn't break out of his monotone until his very last line. I mean, he's still primarily Kovacs pretending to be Rorschach until that one crime he investigates, but still. The eerie monotone is key.

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #31 on:** 06 Jun 2007, 10:23 »

I don't think Jeffrey Combs is incapable of speaking in monotone, Johnny. My biggest concern is whether he could pull off the physical aspects of the role as well as the voice.

EDIT: Here's the most Rorshach-esque clip I could find: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBAfUVAfVbw

Ravenbomb · « **Reply #32 on:** 06 Jun 2007, 15:48 »

Rorschach - Robert Knepper

Nite Owl II - Joaquin Phoenix

Silk Spectre II - Jennifer Connelly

Dr. Manhattan - Hugo Weaving

Viedt - Aaron Eckhart

The Comedian - Ray Liotta

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #33 on:** 06 Jun 2007, 20:33 »

I don't see Ray Liotta as the Comedian. And I definitely don't see Joaquin Phoenix as Nite Owl. I'm sticking by my John Cusack pick.

Jennifer Connelly could conceivably do a good Silk Spectre, though.

Johnny C · « **Reply #34 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 00:48 »

Not as good as Sevigny.

tomselleck69 · « **Reply #35 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 01:31 »

Quote from: Johnny C on 07 Jun 2007, 00:48

Not as good as Sevigny.

..Seriously? Please explain yourself.

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #36 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 06:45 »

Quote from: Lummer on 06 Jun 2007, 05:43

I'm still not sure about Bruce Campbell as the Comedian, but I just freakin' love the guy, so I'll say go on that.

Yeah, plus it would be cool to see him tackle something a bit different from the kind of roles he usually plays.

Also, how about Peter Graves as Moloch? His ears are already kinda pointy!

EDIT: Actually, he looks a bit too robust to be Moloch. He could definitely play Hollis Mason, though.

Cartilage Head · « **Reply #37 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 10:44 »

He would make a good Mason.

The Comedian is probably the hardest choice, since they would most likely have to find an actor that could portray all of his ages (Day-Lewis can do that, but he doesn't really look the part.) Also, Eddie looked a lot different in his younger days.

Also.. man.. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Captain Metropolis.

Ben yayayayayayayay · « **Reply #38 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 11:59 »

Jennifer Connely's too hot though

Storm Rider · « **Reply #39 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 17:02 »

Man, Phillip Seymour Hoffman would be perfect as Captain Metropolis. Except that Captain Metropolis is sort of a minor character, but whatever.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #40 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 22:21 »

Okay, Burt Reynolds is the Comedian, you guys.

Stop talking about it.

Also, I would love to have Hugo Weaving's giant blue cock waving at my face.

ImRonBurgundy? · « **Reply #41 on:** 07 Jun 2007, 23:11 »

Maybe he was twenty years ago, when the thing was written, but that time has passed us by, man.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #42 on:** 08 Jun 2007, 09:35 »

Burt Reynolds is timeless.

Ravenbomb · « **Reply #43 on:** 08 Jun 2007, 13:03 »

Yeah, Nite Owl and Comedian were hard to cast. The only ones there I completely stand by are Knepper as Rorschach and Eckhart as Viedt.

the-artful-dodger-rodger · « **Reply #44 on:** 08 Jun 2007, 14:56 »

Bad news, according to some website (cough IGN cough) Keanu Reeves is going to play Doctor Manhattan.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #45 on:** 08 Jun 2007, 18:22 »

That makes no sense at all.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #46 on:** 08 Jun 2007, 21:48 »

If that's true, Zach Snyder should die before this movie gets made.

Storm Rider · « **Reply #47 on:** 08 Jun 2007, 22:32 »

Guys, if it's just the voice, does it really matter that much? I mean, A) they'll probably edit it with computers to make it sound all alien and shit anyway, and B) Dr. Manhattan is supposed to exist in an emotional vacuum, which is certainly an area where Keanu Reeves excels. Either way, Keanu Reeves cannot fuck up this movie on his own. I maintain that the easiest way for them to make this movie shit is to pick a shitty Silk Spectre.

Cartilage Head · « **Reply #48 on:** 09 Jun 2007, 00:08 »

I seriously doubt Snyder could be stupid enough to fuck up this movie by casting shitty actors. If he fucks up, I suspect it will be because of pressure from execs that want him to put elements from 300 into it (like more action or slow-motion). I, however, have faith in Snyder's ability.

Also,

Dr. Manhattan - Doug Jones doing motion capture and voice.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #49 on:** 09 Jun 2007, 09:51 »

I don't understand why the hell anyone has faith in Snyder to do this movie.

He made two decent action movies based on other people's work. At best, this will be a decent action movie based on Watchmen.

Which is not Watchmen, goddammit.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Let's cast Watchmen (Read 18754 times)

doki

Ravenbomb

Ravenbomb