Zach Snyder's Changing the Ending of "Watchmen"

[CaptMurdock]

In an interview with [URL="http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/081107k.php"]Dark Horizons, Snyder confirmed that he had changed the ending of “Watchmen,” and shot down reports that he had filmed more than one.[/url]

In the “new” ending, the moral dilemma was the same, but the mechanics were different — and missing in action was one highly anticipated giant squid. The reviews were quickly pulled from the Internet forums they appeared on, and many were skeptical they were real. Theories circulated that Warner Bros was testing alternate endings to see if they could appeal more to mainstream audiences...“The fans, god love ‘em, they’re all up in arms about the squid,” said Snyder.

I know I'm going to get rapped in the mouth by the purists around here, but I'm actually happy about this. I hated (and by "hated" I mean with the fiery passion of a thousand suns) the ending of Watchmen. I bought an issue every month when it first came out, reading and re-reading each issue and dying of anticipation for the next one...only to be hit in the face with disappointment like a wet frying pan with the final issue. I felt a whole year of my life had been wasted and that I'd never get it back. It's one of the reasons I stopped being a regular comic reader. (the other reason was that it was just getting too expensive a hobby).

I still feel that the world Alan Moore created and the characters therein are extraordinary, and I am looking forward to seeing that translated to film.

 

[dauntless]

For someone who got sick of it after one or two issues, how did it end?

 

[captcalhoun]

Spoiler: Watchmen

Ozymandias was behind a scheme to bring about world peace by making everyone think aliens were going to invade, by creating a fake giant squid and teleporting it into New York and killing hundreds of people. Doctor Manhatten, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre let him. Rorschach tries to stop him but it vaporised by Manhatten. The scheme apparently works. Rorschach sent his journal to the loony conspiracy mag and they wind up running it as filler. probably meaning the scheme would be exposed

 

[AlanC9]

What was wrong with the ending, CaptMurdock?

Though I wasn't all that impressed with the squid myself. It didn't really represent an intelligent adversary.

 

[Good Will Riker]

Perhaps now is not a good time to inject Ayn Rand's objectivism into this discussion.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

The movie's substitute for the squid is quite good, from what I've read.

Spoiler: movie Watchmen ending

Instead of it being an "alien squid", it is basically a "Dr. Manhatten energy beam"... basically Ozy makes it look like Dr Manhatten vaporized half of NYC. Manhattan is the "boogeyman" for US/Soviet to unite over, not aliens. I think it makes thematic sense actually.

 

[spocksbrain]

I actually like the alien monstrosity better than this new ending (if it turns out to be true). What I really hope is missing in the movie, though, is the whole "guy on a raft after fighting pirates" story. I've re-read Watchmen about ten times and I always try to read that whole storyline through, but I end up just skipping over it. Someone mentioned Ayn Rand above ... I've also re-read Atlas Shrugged ten times and I always end up skipping through John Galt's radio address, about a quarter way through.

 

[Hicks]

If what SCSisko said is true, I think that might work, but I don't see why they didn't just stick to the "script" when it's a CGI fest anyway.

 

[Mike Farley]

The movie's substitute for the squid is quite good, from what I've read.

Spoiler: movie Watchmen ending

Instead of it being an "alien squid", it is basically a "Dr. Manhatten energy beam"... basically Ozy makes it look like Dr Manhatten vaporized half of NYC. Manhattan is the "boogeyman" for US/Soviet to unite over, not aliens. I think it makes thematic sense actually.

If that's accurate, it's much better than the end of the comic. The squid has always been dumb.

 

[The Evil Dead]

^
It is accurate, at least it is in a copy of the script I got about a year ago. I was working at a talent agency that represents the actor Stephen McHattie and um, "borrowed", a copy of his script.

Spoiler: Watchmen Movie Spoilers

Infact, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Moscow are also leveled with the energy weapon.

 

[Hicks]

That's cool, TED.

As for the "squid," I thought it worked. Ozy wanted something that looked freakish and otherworldly, so he hired a talented writer and a talented artist come come up with the concept, which then served as the blueprint for what he created. It fits. Last time I checked, there were no twisted, city-sized squids on Earth.

 

[Norrin Radd]

The movie's substitute for the squid is quite good, from what I've read.

If that's accurate, it's much better than the end of the comic. The squid has always been dumb.

Yeah, good thing Zack Snyder is teaching that hack Alan Moore a few things about how to do a real Watchmen story.

 

[darthraidr]

it would be cool if some sphere shaped robot showed up in town and started smashing stuff. the only thing that could stop it is it's own mechanical claw with the use of a remote control! now that is old school!

 

[USS Mariner]

I can't even think of what to say about this, other than why?

 

[N-121973]

Perhaps now is not a good time to inject Ayn Rand's objectivism into this discussion.

I know its a little off topic but Holy Coincidence. There was a programme about her on the radio today. Just thought I'd share it with you.

 

[HRHTheKING]

What I really hope is missing in the movie, though, is the whole "guy on a raft after fighting pirates" story.

As far as I'm aware it won't be in the cinematic movie release, but released as a companion piece on either DVD or the net.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

Spoiler: Watchmen

Ozymandias was behind a scheme to bring about world peace by making everyone think aliens were going to invade, by creating a fake giant squid and teleporting it into New York and killing hundreds of people. Doctor Manhatten, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre let him. Rorschach tries to stop him but it vaporised by Manhatten. The scheme apparently works. Rorschach sent his journal to the loony conspiracy mag and they wind up running it as filler. probably meaning the scheme would be exposed

Spoiler: comment on above spoiler

It was millions and millions of people, not hundreds. And it is not at all implied that Rorschach's journal will expose the scheme in any real way. Even the looney mag editor says "Get something from the crank file", indicating that he doesn't believe the journal. What is implied is that other Rorschachs may be created, since he believed the things in the conspiracy mag while everyone else thought everything in it was ridiculous. What Moore says in that ending few panels is that the "crazy" people who believe conspiracies are actually more in touch with the truth (the things in Rorschach's journal did happen) than the masses who think conspiracy theories are bunk. So the truth wil be out there, but no one will believe it.

 

[God Magnus]

While the method is different, the theme is the same so I can dig it.

 

[captcalhoun]

it' a dumbass plan. just like blowing up .07% of the world's population by nuking New York was a dumbass plan.

 

[A Clockwork Lim]

That's the biggest problem about having waited so long to make this movie. So many other shows and comics have taken the premise and made it their own. Watchmen is going to come across as a rehash, not an original story.