Setting The Watch

After months of rumors and speculation--the cast for Zack Snyder's film adaptation of Watchmen has finally been officially announced! And while I have discussed most of the actors/roles elsewhere on this blog--especially in the last week or so--it's nice to finally have the official word...Snyder will have a chance to gauge fan reaction when he visits Comic-Con...

Diane Garrett and Michael Fleming of Variety:

Warner Bros. has landed its Watchmen: Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson and Matthew Goode have gotten their hooks into Zack Snyder's adaptation of the iconic "Watchmen" comic book.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jackie Earle Haley and Malin Akerman have also landed key roles in the ensemble project, Snyder's follow-up to "300."

Helmer, who took on the project a year ago, will unveil the ensemble at Comic-Con, and rumors have been swirling about the casting for weeks. His presence is expected to set off a frenzy like that of last year, when he stoked enthusiasm for "300" at the confab...

"Watchmen" has taken decades to get off the ground. Based on Alan Moore's 1980s comic book series, the adaptation will be set in an alternate 1985 with plenty of Cold War overtones.

Crudup will play the fatalistic Dr. Manhattan, a role Keanu Reeves once eyed, while Wilson will portray Night Owl, a rich kid interested in birds.

Goode nabbed the part of the glamorous Ozymandias, a role once tagged for Jude Law, and Morgan has been cast as the Comedian, a Vietnam vet who's a member of the Minutemen. Haley and Akerman round out the cast as Rorschach, a vigilante, and Silk Spectre, the key femme role.

The adaptation has bounced from studio to studio for years, with Fox, Warner, Universal, Revolution and Paramount trying to make a go of it before Warner took it on a second time. Paul Greengrass, Darren Aronofsky and Terry Gilliam are among the directors who once eyed the project...

Get the full story here...

As for the 2 cast members I have yet to discuss: Wilson was superb in Hard Candy--a twisted thriller that's not for the timid...Morgan has a recurring role on the genre TV series Supernatural. Both of these guys seem like a good fit to their characters.

The prelims out of the way Let the filming begin (finally)!!!