For the past decade, Warner Bros. Animation has been giving DC Comics fans the movies they deserve, juggling a variety of tones and art styles to deliver adaptations of some of the biggest events in comics history. Beginning with “Superman: Doomsday” in 2007, the DC Animated Universe has served as both a blessing and a curse: on the one hand, examples of what faithful comic-book adaptations can look like; and on the other hand, proof that live-action Warner Bros. movies like “Suicide Squad” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice“ have a long way to go before they can gain such universal appeal.
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And with the success of “Batman: The Killing Joke” and the ongoing dominance of movies like “Deadpool” and “Logan” at the box office, it seems like Warner Bros. Animation is already thinking about its next R-rated animated adaptation. At least one site is reporting that as a remake of “Watchmen“; according to independent movie site FilmBuffOnline, Warner Bros. has sent out marketing surveys to consumers to gauge their interest in an R-rated animated version of “Watchmen,” which the email describes as both “upcoming” and “direct-to-video.” Of course, small sites have been known to get information wrong — or even fabricate a news item altogether to try and drive traffic — so hold off on passing your final judgment until one of the major entertainment sites picks this story up.
Still, though, an animated adaptation of “Watchmen”? It almost makes too much sense. Back in 2015, it was reported that Zack Snyder and HBO were in talks about using his popular live-action adaptation as the basis for a television miniseries, but nothing much seemed to come from that, leaving further “Watchmen” movies as a bit of untapped potential for the studio. An animated version of the film would undoubtedly be a hit with fans of both the original movie and the DC Animated Universe, making this something of a no-brainer for whoever signs the checks. Even if the above rumor is wrong and the movie isn’t currently on the books…well, maybe it should be, Warner Bros. Maybe it should be. [Flickering Myth]