“Watchmen,” the long-gestating big-screen adaptation of the seminal DC Comics limited series, has finally found its superheroes.
Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Malin Akerman have been cast in the Warner Bros. Pictures movie, which Zack Snyder is directing. Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin and Deborah Snyder are producing.
Set in an alternate America, “Watchmen” follows costumed hero Rorschach, who is living a vigilante lifestyle because most masked heroes have retired or been outlawed. While investigating a murder, Rorschach learns that a former masked-hero colleague has been killed, prompting him to begin investigating a possible conspiracy.
Haley will play Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach, who ignores the ban on costumed vigilantes.
Crudup will play Dr. Manhattan, a superpowered being with godlike powers and temperament.
Akerman will play Laurie Juspeczyk/the Silk Spectre, who is involved with Dr. Manhattan — but that relationship begins to fall apart as he becomes more disconnected from humanity.
Goode will play Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, a costume adventurer who retired voluntarily, disclosed his identity and built a large fortune. He hatches a plot to avert a global catastrophe he believes will be caused by Dr. Manhattan.
Wilson will play the Nite-Owl, a crime-figher who uses technical wizardry and has an owl-shaped flying vehicle.
Morgan will play the Comedian, a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent.
Shooting is set to start in the fall in Vancouver, with Snyder employing many of the filming techniques he used for his boxoffice success “300.”
Legendary is co-financing the picture.
The cast is rumored to be making an appearance at Warners’ Comic-Con presentation Friday.
Haley is repped by Gersh and Leslie Allan-Rice Management; Morgan is is repped by WMA; Crudup, Goode and Wilson are repped by CAA; Akerman is repped by Endeavor and Sanders Armstrong Caserta.
