While Iron Man may have made the biggest noise at this year’s Comic Con I think we can go ahead and say that Zack Snyder’s Watchmen will be the one film everyone anticipates next year as the cast has been announced, we have a teaser poster and Snyder even sat down with the press to talk about the film.
I had a chance to sit in on one of his roundtable sessions and here is what he had to say.
What do you think about having your big cast announcement being scooped before Comic Con?
ZS: At least people care enough to steal from me. We were talking about this the other day, “Oh, you’re going to get scooped by the press.” I was like, “The fact that they know means something… that’s good… I mean, it’s bullshit, but it’s good.”
Where are you now in the production?
Right now we have some sets built, we are about to break ground on the New York City backlot. We’re laying the streets and the drains. We spotted the drain where the pin is the other day. We were like okay this is where Blake… he falls right here, stuff like that. Blake’s apartment is built. The order that we’re shooting… like where Rorschach gets taken by the SWAT cops up on the staircase there, that’s all there.
Where are you shooting?
ZS: In Vancouver. They are the new stages; they haven’t been shot on yet.
With so many false starts are you pinching yourself that you are finally starting?
ZS: I don’t trust it exactly. It’s a weird movie, every day I go “This is a weird movie.” I can’t believe they are going to let us make it.
Does the studio get it?
ZS: I don’t know that they do, exactly, and that’s okay, because they acknowledge that. We had a round of notes, pretty heavy notes, when they were thinking the movie was PG-13, and that led me to go, “Guys, these notes are weird. No like, the Comedian can’t assault Sally? The child molester can’t be a child molester?” I’m like, “These are crazy notes, this is like the book.” They were like, “Well, we’re just concerned about the PG-13,” and I was like, “What PG-13?” But once we all said it’s not going to be PG-13, I haven’t really had any notes since then.
You said you are going to use some of the 300 techniques…
ZS: Only for Mars and Antarctica, because it’s – Mars. There are sequences in the movie where you have a CG guy on Mars looking at a giant glass palace that just rose out of the [ground]. That would be a difficult thing to shoot.
Otherwise it will be more traditionally photographed?
ZS: Yes, but it’s still… We have big set extensions of New York, you see the Twin Towers a lot… I like that.
Do you plan on updating the costumes?
ZS: I always say to the production designers, “Imagine the book was written 2000 years ago, not 20 years ago. Treat it like that.” I think Nite-Owl needs a little love. There’s a line in the graphic novel where he says, “The thugs are scared of the outfit.” They’re afraid he’s going to belly knock us down! [laughing]
Are we going to see Dr. Manhattan’s Big Blue Junk?
ZS: I’m working on that right now. I like that. You know me. I’m known for that.
Watchmen hits theaters on March 6, 2009 so stay tuned for quite a long time as coverage will be extensive. For more info on the film and a larger look at the poster featured at Comic Cn click here.
