Legendary Entertainment has released a new video showcasing the vibrant color from Zack Snyder's Watchmen film. Years before Snyder partnered with Christopher Nolan to reboot the Superman franchise with Man of Steel, and then proceed to shepherd the burgeoning DC Extended Universe, he brought Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' iconic graphic novel, Watchmen, to life on the big screen. Although the movie was largely a page-by-page adaptation of the limited comic series it's based on, the movie had its fair share of detractors.
It's arguable that Watchmen is what turned Snyder into a controversial figure in the entertainment industry, and that's where he has remained ever since. Both Man of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice have divided audiences, and it was only the release of the latter film's Ultimate Edition that won certain moviegoers over. It was the same with Watchmen. The Watchmen director's cut featured an additional 24 minutes of footage and has been heralded as a "masterwork" by other directors in the industry.
Regardless of how people feel about the film in its entirety, there's no denying that its use of color - from yellow to varying shades of blue - helped capture the world that Gibbons created on paper, and that's thanks to Snyder as well as his director of photography, Larry Fong, who has worked with the director on every one of his projects since 300. Today, Legendary released a new video online highlighting the film's unique color palette. You can watch the video above.
When it comes to comic book adaptations, capturing the world that the writers and artists created on paper on the big screen is an arduous task. Sometimes, grounding the adaptations in reality can be easier and, therefore, become the preferred choice. However, when it comes to adapting stories like Watchmen, anything but a faithful adaptation robs audiences of a masterfully created story arc, one that became a defining moment in comic book (and pop culture) history. Granted, producing such an adaptation can be nearly impossible, which is why the Watchmen film sat in development hell for almost two decades.
It's worth noting that the video above comes from Legendary Entertainment, who has recently begun releasing supercuts that highlight unique aspects of the movies they have produced, financed, and/or distributed, such as Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim. Perhaps soon they will showcase the color palette from Gareth Edwards' Godzilla film, considering that they are now shepherding Warner Bros.' newly formed MonsterVerse, which includes Jordan Vogt-Roberts' Kong: Skull Island as well as Michael Dougherty's upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Until that happens, people can examine Watchmen's color palette over and over again.
Next: Watchmen Animated Movie Possibly in the Works
Source: Legendary Entertainment