In a recent interview with Letterboxd, director Zack Snyder shared his thoughts on Christopher Nolan’s comments about his 2009 film, ‘Watchmen,’ claiming it’s a movie ahead of its time.
During a Q&A session that featured questions from Letterboxd members and Brian Formo, Snyder responded to a question about whether he would still release ‘Watchmen’ in 2009 if given the chance. Snyder expressed his contentment with the 2009 aesthetic of the film, saying:
“It’s a good question. I mean, I like the 2009 Zack Snyder aesthetic that’s on that movie, and I wouldn’t change that. And so, I wouldn’t know how to have it released now other than using the Speed Force, I guess.”
Touching upon the personal significance of ‘Watchmen’ for him, he continued:
“But also, I don’t know, this is going to sound crazy; I kind of like that people missed it when it came out because I just think that it’s a movie that was so personal to me when I made it. I spent a lot of my credit that I got from 300 on that movie, and I was happy to do it.
In the board game of making movies, if you have a huge Box Office success, you get some Hollywood credit to do whatever you want. And I’m really glad that I did ‘Watchmen’ after that because I just feel like it was exactly the movie that I wanted to make at the time. So yeah, it’s tough. I think I would leave it and just let it be for those that know know.”
The rest of the interview is below.
What Did Nolan Say About ‘Watchmen’?
Nolan, known for directing ‘Oppenheimer,’ had praised ‘Watchmen’ as a film that was ahead of its time, particularly in its handling of the superhero team concept.
In his comments, the director pointed out that the idea of a superhero team, which ‘Watchmen’ cleverly inverted, was not a common theme in movies at that time. Nolan opined that the film could have had a different impact if released at a different time:
“I’ve always believed ‘Watchmen’ was ahead of its time. The idea of a superhero team, which it so brilliantly subverts, wasn’t yet a thing in movies. It would have been fascinating to see it released post-‘Avengers.'”
Adding to the discussion, Patrick Wilson, who starred in ‘Watchmen,’ shared his agreement with Nolan’s perspective earlier this year:
“I knew Zack was ahead of the curve. It’s weird to say that audiences weren’t ready for it. But you need a movie like that. You need movies to go so dark that then ‘Avengers’ can go so light. I do believe in that.”
Wilson also expressed interest in revisiting his role from the film.
Snyder Has Upcoming Projects Under His Belt
Snyder has been busy with projects like ‘Rebel Moon: Part One — A Child of Fire‘ currently streaming on Netflix.
He currently has upcoming ventures, including ‘Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver and ‘Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.’ Besides them, he also has two other projects that are in development, ‘Planet of the Dead,’ and ‘The Fountainhead.'”
