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, its weird, but people love superheroes, make it. Its not a kids movie. I think that was the biggest challenge. But making the movie was such a great time. Thats 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 whats the first frame going to be? Then I start drawing. Then later, Ive got this big book of 3000 drawings and thats the movie. Thats 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 thats the movie. [The studio] knew from 300 that the script doesnt really matter [to me]. Its a document. It has nothing to do with what were shooting.
ON MOVIEGOING AUDIENCES WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH WATCHMEN AND HOW BIG OF A CULTURE SHOCK THEYLL GET WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE THE MOVIE
Im 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 *****s you up. You think its the FANTASTIC FOUR, and its not. So [people will now] go to the movie [thinking] its like BATMAN on steroids, lets go see it, and I hope it will ***** 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, theyve seen it already. Im 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 theyre all awesome. Theyre all my children. I cant 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, hes also the most helpless. He doesnt 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, Im 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 thats cool.
ON NOT UPDATING WATCHMEN TO THE PRESENT DAY
I didnt update it for a couple of reasons. I thought Nixon was important to the movie. Hes not in the movie a lot, but [his presence] says a lot, [especially about] what a villain is. In the graphic novel, hes written with a lot of ambiguity of whether hes a bad guy or not. Its really interesting. Also, one of the main reasons I didnt 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, youre now asking me to make a comment of how I feel about the war on terror. This way, its 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. Its amazing. Im going to try to put it on the DVD.
ON WHAT HIS DREAM FILM MIGHT BE
I said Im interested in Frank Millers [graphic novel] THE DARK KNIGHT. Thats really my favorite comic book. However, the studio has this massive franchise and I dont think theyll let me make a BATMAN movie where hes fifty years old and Ronald Reagan is president.
t: I REALLY wanna see Jackie's audition tape!! 
