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Exclusive: 'WATCHMEN' DIRECTOR ZACK SNYDER DISCUSSES HIS LATEST COMIC BOOK ADAPTATION
And why he would love to do Frank Miller's THE DARK KNIGHT graphic novel adaptation even though the studio would never let him near it
By EMMANUEL ITIER, Contributing Writer
Published 12/22/2008
Perhaps one of the most anticipated comic book adaptations of the new year is WATCHMEN, the long-awaited adaptation of the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons graphic novel set in 1985 where the world is populated by superheroes and where the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
What makes the material so challenging is how it turns the superhero concept on its head, weaving in moral ambiguity and making an even darker superhero movie than, well, THE DARK KNIGHT.
iF caught up with director Zack Snyder who is no stranger to comic book adaptations (his 300 was a surprise success two years ago) who revealed a bit about making the movie.
ON ADAPTING WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE AN UNADAPTABLE GRAPHIC NOVEL ...
I think the biggest challenge is really the gist of just doing. The studio gave me the script and said, “it’s weird, but people love superheroes, make it.” It’s not a kid’s movie. I think that was the biggest challenge. But making the movie was such a great time. That’s why this job is so good. It was challenging because every single idea in the book goes against what you would assume to be the commercial way to make the movie.
ON HIS DIRECTORIAL PROCESS …
My process is very weird. The way I do it, I rewrite the script when I draw out a movie. Then I have a storyboard. I basically set up page one of the script and the graphic novel and I go “what’s the first frame going to be?” Then I start drawing. Then later, I’ve got this big book of 3000 drawings and that’s the movie. That’s the way it will be shot. I had to rewrite the script after that, because I changed the script so much with the drawings. I had to rewrite the dialogue. Whenever you make a movie, you get a copy of the script and that’s the movie. [The studio] knew from 300 that the script doesn’t really matter [to me]. It’s a document. It has nothing to do with what we’re shooting.
ON MOVIEGOING AUDIENCES WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WATCHMEN AND HOW BIG OF A CULTURE SHOCK THEY’LL GET WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE THE MOVIE …
I’m jealous of those people. They get the raw take. The cool thing for them seeing the movie, at this point in popular culture, would be like reading the graphic novel when it first came out in 1985. You read every comic book, and you read WATCHMEN and it f*cks you up. You think it’s the FANTASTIC FOUR, and it’s not. So [people will now] go to the movie [thinking] it’s like BATMAN on steroids, “let’s go see it,” and I hope it will f*ck them p in the same way.
ON COMIC BOOK FANS …
You know the comic book culture is way out in front of the movie. In their minds, they’ve seen it already. I’m interested to see how they take it. I hope they like it.
ON HIS FAVORITE CHARACTER …
I have an interesting relationship with them. I think they’re all awesome. They’re all my children. I can’t say which one I like best, but Dr. Manhattan, I just like the idea that the most powerful man in the universe, because his responses are pre-ordained, he’s also the most helpless. He doesn’t feel like he can change his future or past. So the God character is the most sad, most pathetic and most broken, but I like them all.
ON TOM CRUISE TALKING TO HIM ABOUT WATCHMEN EVEN THOUGH NOTHING HAPPENED WITH HIM BEING INVOLVED WITH IT …
Tom Cruise saw 300 and thought it was awesome and he asked “what else are you doing?” I said, “I’m doing WATCHMEN.” We talked about WATCHMEN for a couple of days. Nothing specific. He liked all the characters. He was in to what I was doing. I think it was cool, in the end, the cool thing was, nothing really happened, but he calls me all the time. When our first trailer came out, he was like “that’s cool.”
ON NOT UPDATING WATCHMEN TO THE PRESENT DAY …
I didn’t update it for a couple of reasons. I thought Nixon was important to the movie. He’s not in the movie a lot, but [his presence] says a lot, [especially about] what a villain is. In the graphic novel, he’s written with a lot of ambiguity of whether he’s a bad guy or not. It’s really interesting. Also, one of the main reasons I didn’t update it -- The Cold War for me, was really, real. It was a real thing, but also, if you update this and make it about “the war on terror,” you’re now asking me to make a comment of how I feel about the “war on terror.” This way, it’s up to you how you decide to feel about it.
ON THE ACTORS LOBBYING FOR THE ROLES …
Jackie [Earle Haley who plays Rorschach] made an awesome tape for his audition. He shot a little scene. It’s amazing. I’m going to try to put it on the DVD.
ON WHAT HIS DREAM FILM MIGHT BE …
I said I’m interested in Frank Miller’s [graphic novel] THE DARK KNIGHT. That’s really my favorite comic book. However, the studio has this massive franchise and I don’t think they’ll let me make a BATMAN movie where he’s fifty years old and Ronald Reagan is president.
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Reader Comments
SADIEL from venezuela sez....
I think this movie will kick ass...for real. reading the gn for the fourth time now.
12/23/2008 2:04:45 PM
SADIEL from venezuela sez....
I think this movie will kick ass...for real. reading the gn for the fourth time now.
12/23/2008 2:03:33 PM
Timmo from Aus sez....
That would be... Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight RETURNS"
12/22/2008 7:39:30 PM