the industry

‘Watchmen’ Fills Out Its Roster

A few of the Watchmen.Photo: Getty Images (Wilson, Crudup, Akerman); New Line (Haley); DC Comics (Watchmen)



Elsewhere in Vulture’s Watchmen coverage:



‘Watchmen’ Trailer: Who Are These Guys, and Why Do They Look So Cool?


‘Watchmen’ to Be Three Hours Long? ‘Black Freighter’ on DVD?

Mourning Paul Greengrass’s ‘Watchmen’

Watchmen Cast Named: Warner Brothers announces casting for long-anticipated comic-book epic Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder (300): Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan, Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl, Matthew Goode as Ozymandias, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian, Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre, and — in an inspired bit of news — Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Other than everyone being maybe fifteen years too young, this sounds pretty great! [Variety]

Nelson Joins Hulk: Tim Blake Nelson joins star-studded cast of The Incredible Hulk, playing slightly malevolent weirdo (we assume) Samuel Sterns in the Universal action pic. Edward Norton stars. [HR]

Azaria Onstage: Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria will star in Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway return, The Farnsworth Invention, playing RCA head David Sarnoff, who waged a bitter battle with Philo T. Farnsworth (Jimmi Simpson) over the invention of the television. Azaria can talk fast, but we think Sorkin should just bite the bullet and cast that Micro Machines guy. [Playbill]

Ritchie Directs Gamekeeper: Guy Ritchie will helm movie adaptation of his own Virgin Comics comic book, Gamekeeper, about a wildlife expert sent into the big city to hunt down human prey. Ritchie developed the comic book, while Andy Diggle writes individual issues; writer for the film not yet announced. [Variety]

DreamWorks Options Crumrin: Ted Naifeh’s brilliant comics series Courtney Crumrin is optioned by DreamWorks for Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald to produce. Snarky, spooky Oni Press series revolves around a misfit girl who moves into her uncle’s mansion, only to discover her own mysterious powers. [Variety]

R. Kelly Back in the Closet: R. Kelly will release ten more chapters of Trapped in the Closet on DVD this August, including segments in which Kelly plays an old man in a long white beard and a Jheri-curled preacher. On a day in which Comic-Con generated a ton of comic-book and cartoon news, nothing is more cartoony than this. [Billboard]

‘Watchmen’ Fills Out Its Roster