Watchmen Animated Movie Trailer Released by Warner Bros.

Watchmen has already made the successful jump to live-action, and now it’s stepping into the realm of animation. Today Warner Bros revealed the trailer for The Watchmen Chapter 1, the first of a two-chapter piece adapting the iconic graphic novel. The trailer shows off a new animation style, and from this first look, it’s apparent that the project also embraces the comic-stylings of the characters from the original. No release date has been revealed just yet, but you can watch the full trailer above.

What’s immediately apparent is the embracing of the graphic novel’s overall aesthetic with a modern sheen thanks to the animation style. Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, and The Comedian all make appearances in the trailer, though Rorschach obviously has a bigger role in the overall footage.

We’ll have to wait and see how this shapes up, as there isn’t much to go on right now outside of the trailer. That said, there is one note in the trailer description from Rotten Tomatoes, which states that Adam Driver is part of the voice cast. Hopefully, more concrete details and casting information will be released soon, but in the meantime at least we have a better idea of the tone and look the project is going for.

It’s always a point of contention when Watchmen is adapted in any form, and that is also true of any use of the IP in the comics. Despite that, there’s previously been a feature film from Zack Snyder and an HBO series from Damon Lindelof, as well as the Rorschach mini-series and the Doomsday Clock series in the comics. The Watchmen HBO series was especially well-received, and while the door is open for more, HBO Chief Casey Blows previously revealed there are currently no plans in the works for a follow-up.

“Watchmen was so much his creation,” Bloys told Variety. “If he doesn’t think there’s a story that he wants to put his heart and soul into, it’s hard for me to think that it would be worth doing. It was a very special limited series for us. I would put it in the pantheon of HBO greats. If Damon ever wants to revisit it, he knows that it’s an open door. But it is hard for me to imagine doing one without him.”

As for the film, it didn’t break the bank at the box office but still has many fans, including Dark Night Director Christopher Nolan. “I’ve always believed Watchmen was ahead of its time,” Nolan told THR. “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.”

Are you excited for the new Watchmen movies? You can talk all things comics and animation with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!