Under the deft direction of Brandon Vietti, Warner Bros. is set to unleash a thrilling two-part animated adaptation of the iconic comic book series, Watchmen. The ticking of the Doomsday Clock echoes ominously in the trailer for Watchmen Chapter 1, a visually stunning work from Warner Bros. Animation and Paramount Pictures. This groundbreaking project delves into an alternate reality where superheroes, now known as costumed vigilantes, have been banished from society.
Set for digital release on August 13, followed by a Blu-ray release on August 27, Watchmen Chapter 1 boasts an exceptional voice cast that includes Matthew Rhys as the dual role of Dan Dreiberg and Nite Owl, Katee Sackhoff as Laurie Juspeczyk and Silk Spectre, Titus Welliver as the enigmatic Rorschach and Walter Kovacs, and Michael Cerveris portraying Jonathan Osterman and the mysterious Dr. Manhattan. Rounding out the ensemble are Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau, Corey Burton, Jeffrey Combs, Kelly Hu, and Phil LaMarr, each lending their talents to bring these complex characters to life.
"There is good, and there is evil, and evil must be punished, even in the face of armageddon," declares Welliver's gravelly-voiced Rorschach in the trailer. "I shall not compromise on this."
Vietti's vision for the film was crafted from a script penned by J. Michael Straczynski, based on the groundbreaking comic book series created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, which first debuted in 1986 and 1987. Vietti, James Krieg, and Cindy Rago serve as producers on this ambitious undertaking.
In 2009, Warner Bros. brought Zack Snyder's live-action adaptation of Watchmen to the big screen, following a lengthy development process. The film, starring Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson, garnered a 65% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and raked in over $185 million worldwide.
A decade later, Damon Lindelof's critically acclaimed HBO series, also titled Watchmen, set 34 years after the comic's events, further expanded the Watchmen universe, earning 11 Emmys from 26 nominations.
Now, anticipation builds for the eagerly awaited release of Watchmen Chapter 2, scheduled for later this year.
