The Watch (2012)

The Watch (previously known as Neighborhood Watch) is a 2012 American science fiction comedy film directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Jared Stern, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg. It stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade as a group of neighbors who form a suburban neighborhood watch group, where they uncover an extraterrestrial discovery. Rosemarie DeWitt is also among the cast. This was the final film role of R. Lee Ermey, who died on April 15, 2018.

The film began its development in early 2008 under producer Shawn Levy as a teen-targeted project written by Stern. Between mid 2009 and late 2010, it saw different directors and stars join the project until November 2010 when it moved in a new direction under Rogen and Goldberg (who rewrote the script for an adult audience). Filming began in October 2011 in the state of Georgia, concluding in January 2012.

The film's marketing campaign was affected by the February 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch member. As a result, the campaign was refocused on the alien premise instead of the film leads and the film's title was changed from Neighborhood Watch to The Watch. Released by 20th Century Fox on July 27, 2012 in the United States, and on August 31, 2012 in the United Kingdom, the film was a box-office bomb, grossing just $68.3 million on a $68 million budget. The film was also met with generally negative reviews, with critics focusing on the plotting, frequent "vulgar and offensive" jokes and numerous product placements. However, Hill and Ayoade's performances were more positively received.