The big screen adaptation of Watchmen had spent decades stuck firmly in development hell before Zack Snyder managed to get it across the finish line and into theaters in 2009. At various points over the years, the likes of Terry Gilliam, Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were all attached, and every time the project fell apart it only seemed to reinforce the idea that the seminal graphic novel really was unfilmable.
When the $185 million blockbuster finally made it into theaters, the reception was polarizing to say the least. A lot of people criticized the movie for delivering such a faithful adaptation of the source material, while just as many praised it for the very same thing. The general critical consensus was split right down the middle, and Watchmen ultimately bombed at the box office after failing to recoup its massive budget.
Since then, may have claimed that the movie’s poor performance was simply down to the R-rated deconstruction of the superhero genre being ahead of its time, and Watchmen has gone on to become something of a cult favorite, with the 215 minute Ultimate Cut regarded by fans as the definitive version.
One thing most people seem to agree on is that Malin Akerman’s performance as Laurie Jupiter was one of Watchmen’s weakest aspects, and in a recent interview, the actress admitted that she struggled with the role, having only appeared in a handful of movies at the time, most of which were in the comedy genre.
“I definitely didn’t feel worthy of being there. I felt like I had tricked them into casting me. I really struggled, because it was such a big film and I really felt like I had no idea what I was doing.”
It definitely didn’t help that she was involved in one of the most cringeworthy sex scenes ever committed to film, but the vast majority of Watchmen‘s ensemble cast acquitted themselves pretty well. Although, hearing that Akerman struggled with confidence issues goes a long way to explaining why she never really seemed able to get to grips with her take on the second Silk Spectre.