Cinema Science

Warner Bros. Pictures has confirmed the cast for Watchmen, the big screen adaptation of the seminal DC Comics limited series. I'm actually excited about this since it is one of the few comic books (excuse me, graphic novels) I have actually read.

Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan ("Grey's Anatomy") and Malin Akerman will star in the Warner Bros. movie, which Zack Snyder is directing. Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin and Deborah Snyder are producing.

Set in an alternate America, Watchmen follows costumed hero Rorschach, who is living a vigilante lifestyle because most masked heroes have retired or been outlawed. While investigating a murder, Rorschach learns that a former masked-hero colleague has been killed, prompting him to begin investigating a possible conspiracy.

Haley will play Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach, who ignores the ban on costumed vigilantes. This is amazing casting. Not only is he right for the part but we get to see Moocher in a big budget comic book movie (if you don't get the Moocher reference then netflix Breaking Away).

Crudup will play Dr. Manhattan, a superpowered being with godlike powers and temperament. Priceless (if you don't get that reference listen to the voice over on Master Card commercials).

Akerman will play Laurie Juspeczyk/the Silk Spectre, who is involved with Dr. Manhattan -- but that relationship begins to fall apart as he becomes more disconnected from humanity. The only thing I know about her is that she is in one scene of Harold and Kumar.

Goode will play Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, a costumed adventurer who retired voluntarily, disclosed his identity and built a large fortune. He hatches a plot to avert a global catastrophe he believes will be caused by Dr. Manhattan. He seems a little young for this role but he was really good in Match Point and The Lookout.

Wilson will play the Nite-Owl, a crime-figher who uses technical wizardry and has an owl-shaped flying vehicle. Again, perfect. With him and Haley it's a bit like a Little Children reunion and I have no problem with that.

Morgan will play the Comedian, a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent. I have no idea who this is but he has a beard in a lot of his photos, so that's good.