Best Ideas for That 'Watchmen' Sequel That'll Apparently Never Happen
Blog Trends from My Bunk /
Christopher Campbell
Blog Trends | February 4, 2010 | Comments (17)
Although an insider told Nikki Finke there’s “not a chance” ever, ever, ever, ever for a sequel to the film of Watchmen, there has been a lot of talk about the concept of one following report that DC Comics may expand on the classic graphic novel with comic book spin-offs and such.
I didn’t care much for the original book (so sue me, or flame me) and therefore didn’t bother seeing the movie, but who’s to say Watchmen 2 is a bad idea? Look at how many comic book movie sequels are better than the original. Yeah, a bunch.
And Warner Bros. is responsible for a good many of them, so they should be aware of the potential. Maybe Alan Moore wouldn’t be happy. Nor would the fanboys. But if it takes a page from Avatar and gives us 3-D with its larger-size blue creature and tones it down for a PG rating (nobody liked that sex scene anyway), it could probably out-gross the first film. And that’s all that matter, Hollywood. It’s time you learned this.
To make life easier for WB execs, I’ve rounded up the best ideas for a sequel from around the blogosphere (beware spoilers?):
- Lane Brown at Vulture:
Just ask Alan Moore nicely to write some more Watchmen stuff himself, he’ll say yes, and any potential mess will be avoided.
- Brendon Connelly at /Film:
I’ve got that same horrible taste in my mouth that I had when Disney’s Circle 7 were working on a non-Pixar Toy Story 3. That story had an unexpected ending - can we really hope Alan and Dave will give us one here? Will they step up and give us a Watchmen 2 that isn’t peeing in the pool?
- Owen Williams at Empire:
Maybe (whisper it) you thought the ending of the movie worked rather better than the ending of the book. Maybe you’d like to see more. Or maybe you’d just like to see Rorschach let loose in the DC offices.
- Monika Bartyzel at Cinematical:
So, I guess Rorschach will just pick up his splattered brains and go back to the world of vigilante justice? Manhattan will just fart around with no one to have blue orgies with (unless he makes a stop at Smurf Land)? Laurie and Dan spawn and start a little soccer team of a crime-fighting family? A romantic, historical drama on the big heart hidden beneath the Comedian’s muscles? I shudder to think of the possibilities…
- Robopanda at Gamma Squad:
You like Rorschach? Well how would you like Rorschach … with fire-breathing powers and a pet cheetah?! And the cheetah talks. With a dandy British accent, but he also has Tourette’s. And Silk Spectre has a magic wand. Erectus! Also, Doctor Manhattan becomes a never-nude. Anything is possible with retroactive continuity. Anything, but especially more profit.
- Ray DeRousse at Obsessed with Film:
The first film was, after several viewings, one of the boldest films of 2009. I think a sequel could be interesting, but it shouldn’t happen without Snyder at the helm. Now we just need to wait for the inevitable reboot of the “franchise”
- Meredith Woerner at io9:
There’s always a chance. Thankfully Zack Snyder isn’t game for another, so they’d have to find someone else to direct An American Travesty: Rorschach Goes West.
- Kofi Outlaw at Screen Rant:
If new Watchmen comic books hit shelves, I suspect morbid curiosity will draw a lot of readers in; if enough readers get lured in, film plans will start to be made (maybe a Sin City-style movie of several tales set in the Watchmen universe?) and Alan Moore will ultimately commit Seppuku, signaling the coming of the apocalypse. That’s my prediction and don’t be too shocked or disheartened as the omens come to pass. To quote Rorschach: “The End Is Nigh.”
- Mark at I Watch Stuff:
The Rorschach: Origins movie will probably be right behind. Obviously this is a terrible idea, so I say we do something about it: we allow the people who legally control the property do with it as they will, then we get increasingly frustrated by the results as they make massive amounts of money despite our protests, like usual. That’s worked so far with everything else.
- Rick Marshall at Splash Page rounded up title suggestions on Twitter. After the snip from his intro are my favorites:
Let’s be realistic here, folks — in the end, whether fans actually want to see more from the “Watchmen” universe probably won’t factor into whether we get more “Watchmen” stories. So let’s just try to have fun with the idea, shall we?
Watchmen 2: Electric Boogaloo! (mgrabois)
Watchmen: Watch Harder (Leenygma)
Watchmen 2: The Legend Of Rorschach’s Gold! (Leenygma)
Watchmen 2: Bluer, Bigger, Nakeder (matt_kay)
Watchmen 2: The Geekquel (radicalfortress)
Watchmen 2: Fans 0 (mgrabois)
[original Tobias as Dr. Manhattan photoshop courtesy of Gamma Squad]
Comments
Posted by: D-Day at February 4, 2010 8:22 PM
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Watchmen: Why the Fuck Not?
Watchmen 3-D: You Bet We're Gonna Shove You-Know-What-In-Your-Face
Watchmen 2: Revenge of the Awkwardly Out of Place Musical Score!
Watchmen 2: Because Sean Connery Wouldn't Play Quatermain Again!
Watchmen 2: We Cooked the Books So Mild Disappointment Pays Off!
Watchmen 2: Because We Hate Alan Moore The Pompous Limey Twat!
Watchmen 2: Because McG Doesn't Have Anything to Do!
Watchmen 2: And Brett Ratner's Involved!
Watchmen 2: Because We at DC Comics Know Green Lantern is Gonna Suck And Instead of Making Justice League We Took a Claw Hammer and Sat On It! Something Has to Happen Before Nolan Does Bats 3!
It's not hard to understand how many people are lukewarm on the original book; it's incredibly dated, oft-repeated, and perhaps over-exposed. The book was written mid-80s, and bears a similar problem with the context of V for Vendetta. V was written as Moore's condemnation of the conservative movement in Britain during the Thatcher era; so in a more "politically correct" era, that world he created seems a much further cry.
At this point Watchmen is a 6-foot under horse. Let it go, folks.