DC has announced two new animated movies which will be based on the most legendary graphic novels of all time. Following a screening of Justice League: Warworld at San Diego Comic-Con, DC revealed that next year will see the release of Watchmen and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths. Watchmen will once again be based on the iconic graphic novel, which has already served as inspiration for a live-action 2009 adaptation directed by Zack Snyder and an HBO sequel series in 2019.
The Snyder film was accompanied by an animated short film that adapted the "Tales of the Black Freighter" segments from the original comic. This previous animated treatment sets a precedent for Watchmen to be explored in the animated format once again, this time under the leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran. No details about Watchmen's plot has yet been announced other than the project will be R-rated.
Watchmen had a huge impact on the superhero genre after its release in 2009, and the film has retained a huge following since then. One of its stars, Patrick Wilson, told ReelBlend that he believed the darkness of the film paved the way for films like The Avengers to flirt with the lighter side of superheroism: "Watchmen is the only movie of mine that I have watched front to back since a premiere — that movie is awesome," said Wilson. "I just wanted to look at it as an older guy, as a filmmaker. I knew Zack was ahead of the curve. It’s weird to say that audiences weren’t ready for it. But you need a movie like that. You need movies to go so dark that then Avengers can go so light. I do believe in that.”
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths was a landmark comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in 1985-1986. It is considered one of the most significant and influential story arcs in comic book history. The storyline revolves around a multiverse — extremely topical these days, and hinted at during this year's The Flash, which was one of the concluding movies in the dying DC Extended Universe. Prior to the shakeup at DC Films, former executive Walter Hamada was said to be keen to shoot a live-action version with Henry Cavill as Superman.
Watchmen and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths are both due to be released direct to streaming in 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for more information as we get it.
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