More than 30 years after the comic book series was first published, we might finally get the first successful adaptation of Watchmen. Alan Moore's 1986 work redefined the idea of the superhero—re-writing history and capturing American-Soviet anxieties as humanity inched closer to WWIII. It's considered one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, yet, there's never been a successful film or television adaptation of Watchmen. The version people know best is Zack Snyder's cheesy, dumbed-down, and slo-mo-filled 2009 movie.
But this summer, rumours began to spread that Damon Lindelof would be working on a Watchmen series for HBO as his next project after The Leftovers. This week, Lindelof confirmed the news, and with an HBO Watchmen series on the way, here's everything we know so far.
What happened to Zack Snyder?
Two years ago, there were reports that Snyder was working on a Watchmen series for HBO. Instead, it seems, he got preoccupied with ruining the DC Cinematic Universe with his abysmal Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the upcoming Justice League. Considering he'd already directed the critically abhorred 2009 film Watchmen, it makes sense that HBO wouldn't put him in charge of the material for a second time.
Who's making this new one?
With Snyder out of the way, HBO has passed the Watchmen series to the very capable hands of Damon Lindelof. From Lost to The Leftovers, Lindelof has more than proven himself capable of handling work as beloved as Watchmen. We also know he has the ability to adapt work to television. The Leftovers was originally a 2011 novel by Tom Perrotta, which Lindelof expanded on with his three stunning seasons of the HBO show. This also means that we can trust someone like Lindelof to work outside the confines of Alan Moore's original vision, something that will be necessary to sustain multiple hours of the show. Most importantly: He's a fan. "From the flashbacks to the nonlinear storytelling to the deeply flawed heroes, these are all elements that I try to put into everything I write," he told Comic Book Resources in 2009.
When will this new Watchmen on HBO air?
Well, unfortunately, not for a while. Lindelof confirmed the news this week, sharing an Instagram of a recreation of the trophy Night Owl is given when he retires in the Watchmen. The photo is simply captioned: Day One. There's a long way to go, but for now, expectations are high.
