Warner Bros. has finally dropped the trailer for its upcoming animated adaptation of Watchmen, and fans already know what series creator Alan Moore will say about it.
Warner Bros. announced its latest animated adaptation of Watchmen at 2023’s San Diego Comic-Con. The two-part animated event aims to be a more faithful adaptation of the iconic Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons comic than previous adaptations.
A trailer for Watchmen Chapters 1 & 2 finally materialized on June 13, and fans already know the drill. While many seem to like the trailer for what it is, they all have the same thought: you just know Alan Moore is going to hate this.
“I love Zack Snyder’s film,” one fan said. “I’m sure this animated feature will be more faithful to the source material, but still hated by the Alan Moore.”
“Doesn’t Alan Moore hate all of the adaptations of his comics? Why they keep trying to do this?” another fan asked.
Other fans raised their own valid concerns, too, with many pointing to Watchmen’s historic inability to be adapted properly and how multiple adaptations of the original comic book are already available.
As one on YouTube best said, “At this point we need to stop worrying about Alan Moore’s feelings on the matter and start worrying about the people working on this sort of lifeless IP-protecting sludge.”
They’re referring to a long-held grudge Alan Moore has had with DC. Moore signed contracts for both Watchmen and V for Vendetta under the belief the rights for both projects would revert to him after they left publication.
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However, neither Watchmen nor V for Vendetta have ever left print, and new adaptations are regularly produced, keeping the rights from ever reverting to Moore. This was the impetus for Moore’s separation from DC, who he vowed never to work for again.
Watchmen: Chapters 1 & 2 are notable as they’re brand new adaptions of the iconic Watchmen story. However, they’re far from the first attempts at adapting Moore & Dave Gibbons’ hefty superhero epic.
The first was a movie adaptation helmed by Terry Gilliam, who found a film impossible and wanted to make a mini-series before eventually leaving the project. In the introduction for 2003’s Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman, Gilliam said of Watchmen, “Certain works should be left alone… in their original form.”
Watchmen wouldn’t be touched again until Zack Snyder used the momentum from 300’s success to make his movie. While the 2009 Zack Snyder film is perhaps the best-known and best-received, Watchmen was also adapted for a 2008 motion comic, which uses light animation to give movement to existing panels.
There was also a 2019 Max series created by Lost showrunner Damon Lindelof. That show, which is a direct sequel to the comic and not the previous Snyder film, received critical praise and remains a fan-favorite to this day, though many are frustrated that it never received a second season.
Watchmen: Chapter 1 will be released sometime in 2024, with Chapter 2 scheduled for next year. Further details, including the voice cast, are yet to be announced. While you wait for Watchmen, you can read all about new TV shows streaming this month, as well as what we know about The Penguin TV show and Invincible Season 3.
