Watchmen Chapter I is a 2024 American animated superhero film based on the DC Comics comic book limited series Watchmen co-created and illustrated by Dave Gibbons (with co-creator and author Alan Moore choosing to remain uncredited).[1]
Watchmen Chapter I | |
---|---|
![]() Official release poster | |
Directed by | Brandon Vietti |
Written by | J. Michael Straczynski |
Based on | |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Edited by | Cris Mertens |
Music by | Tim Kelly |
Animation by | Studio Mir |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The film was animated by Studio Mir, produced by DC Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Warner Bros. Animation, and distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
The film is written by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Brandon Vietti. It stars a large ensemble cast including Matthew Rhys, Katee Sackhoff, Titus Welliver, Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau, and Michael Cerveris.
Plot
editWatchmen Chapter I faithfully retells the story of the first 6 issues of the original 12-issue maxiseries from DC Comics, cover-dated September 1986 to October 1987.
Voice cast
editProduction
editDevelopment
editIt was reported in April 2017 that Warner Bros. would develop an R-rated animated film based on the comic book series.[3]
It was officially confirmed in 2023 that an animated film adaptation was in development and would be released in 2024. [1]
A teaser trailer was released on June 13, 2024, with it being revealed to be a two-film adaptation.[4][5]
Director Brandon Vietti praised the animation work done by Studio Mir, stating in an interview that "It was a kind of material and filmmaking that I don’t think the studio had approached before, but we had a lot of great discussions about it and they really rose to the challenge."[6]
Release
editWatchmen Chapter I received a digital release on August 13, 2024[7] on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, and Movies Anywhere.[8]
The Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD are scheduled to be released on August 27, 2024, with pre-orders available from Amazon and Target.[8]
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[9]
William Bibbiani of TheWrap felt that the film respectfully adapted the story, but struggled to properly convey its complexity and described the visual aesthetic as "serviceable but not entirely effective".[10] Brad Cook of Flickering Myth agreed, calling the film a "very faithful adaptation" with a visual style that "hews closely to artist Dave Gibbons’ well-regarded depictions of the characters and the alternate 1985 timeline they inhabit".[11]
Sequel
editA single sequel entitled Watchmen Chapter II is expected to cover the second half of the story, completing the retelling of the 12-issue maxiseries.
It was initially reported that Chapter II would be released in late 2024, but this was later pushed back to sometime in 2025.[12][13]
References
edit- ^ "Watchmen Creator Alan Moore Has Surprising Advice For Writers". ScreenRant. April 24, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "Watchmen Chapter 1 (2024) - Behind The Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ Gerding, Stephen (April 13, 2017). "Watchmen Is Getting an R-Rated Animated Adaptation". CBR.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ Cripe, Michael (June 13, 2024). "We Just Got a Surprise First Look at the Upcoming Watchmen Animated Films". IGN. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Perine, Aaron (July 22, 2023). "New Watchmen Movie Announced". Comic Book. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (August 13, 2024). "'Watchmen: Chapter 1' Director Brandon Vietti Unmasks the Animated Antiheroes". Animation Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Vejvoda, Jim (July 10, 2024). "Watchmen Chapter I: Exclusive Trailer, Voice Cast, Boxart and Release Date". IGN. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "WarnerBros.com | Watchmen Chapter I | Movies". www.warnerbros.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Watchmen Chapter I". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
- ^ Bibbiani, William (August 13, 2024). "Watchmen: Chapter 1 Review". TheWrap. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Cook, Brad (August 13, 2024). "Watchmen: Chapter 1 (2024) - Movie Review". Flickering Myth. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Watchmen Chapters 1 & 2 Adapts The Full Original Comic In Animation – Watch The Trailer". Empire. June 14, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ K, Demet (June 13, 2024). "Warner Bros. Reveals An Exciting Slate of Animated Projects at Annecy Animation Festival". Nexus Point News. Retrieved August 23, 2024.