Episode 3: Watchmen with David Hayter
In 2009, David Hayter realised a decades-long dream: writing a movie adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal graphic novel, Watchmen. Co-written by Alex Tse, Hayter’s Watchmen told the story of retired superheroes in an alternate 1980s America. It was a gripping, morally complex deconstruction of society’s superhero obsession that wowed fans, many of whom thought a Watchmen movie might never happen,
With Watchmen back in the public consciousness, thanks to last year’s fantastic HBO TV series, we spoke to Hayter about the incredibly different film Watchmen almost was. This is the story of a Watchmen that was slated to be directed by Paul Greengrass, that set in modern day, with America and Iran on the brink of war, and that ends with the death of a character spared in the finished film.
Script Apart is a podcast about the first-draft secrets behind great movies. Each episode, the screenwriter behind a beloved film shares with us their initial screenplay for that movie. We then talk through what changed, what didn’t and why on its journey to the big screen.
All proceeds go to Black Minds Matter UK, the NHS Charities Covid-19 Appeal and the Film and TV Charity.
Script Apart is hosted by Al Horner and produced by Kamil Dymek, with music from Stefan Bindley-Taylor. You can follow Script Apart on Twitter and Instagram. You can also email us on thescriptapartpodcast@gmail.com.
