Reuters dropped some potentially great news today. Zach Snyder, the man behind the grudgingly respected DAWN OF THE DEAD remake, will be the latest director to take a shot at adapting seminal graphic novel WATCHMEN.
A long list of directors and screenwriters have tried to tackle the project, but current rights owner Warner Bros. is so impressed with Snyder’s work on the upcoming 300 that they’ve given him the keys to the castle.
WATCHMEN is a highly complex and uncompromising story that is set in an alternate America where superheroes are registered, and in many cases outlawed. It’s ending in particular, while shocking and effective, is problematic in the post-911 era. Because of these issues fans have tended to greet news of a big screen adaptation with equal parts anticipation and dread.
I have a feeling that the result if this actually gets off the ground will either be a masterpiece or an ISHTAR-level failure. Either way, I’m rooting for Snyder. WATCHMEN is a huge risk, and it’s about time that somebody in the Big H took one!