For a long time, Watchmen was comparable to the Lord of the Rings trilogy in that many people said neither could be filmed. Coincidentally enough, however, both managed to be pulled off in the decade prior to this. Sure, the blockbuster based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ hallowed graphic novel saw a few changes be made to its story by director Zack Snyder, but it mostly kept the spirit of the source material.
And though the visionary filmmaker’s take may not have totally understood what Moore was trying to say in his comic, and gave us too much distractingly gory action and one of the most absurd sex scenes ever committed to celluloid, it wasn’t all bad. Jackie Earle Haley was an excellent Rorschach and the Koyaanisqatsi soundtracked Dr. Manhattan origin scene was pure brilliance. Plus, it was consistently beautiful to look at – unsurprising given that Snyder always infuses his work with gorgeous visuals.
Still, with Watchmen originally having been printed as a twelve-issue limited series, it’s only natural that 100% of the content not be included in the cinematic adaptation. However, such an ambitious undertaking would be possible with a television series, something that HBO just so happens to be cooking up.
Last we heard, the Damon Lindelof-backed project was supposed to start filming its pilot episode in March of this year but has heretofore abandoned that plan. While it’s still scheduled to begin production sometime in 2018, the fandom is eager for a much-needed briefing. Thankfully, the Lost co-creator took to Instagram earlier this week to shed some light on the show, revealing that it won’t simply be a re-telling of the original story, but rather, a fresh tale set in the same world (though in present day) and with new characters.
And while those characters remain under wraps for now, Variety brings word today of who’ll be playing them. According to the outlet, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens and Andrew Howard will lead HBO’s series. Again, which roles they’re attached to is currently unknown, but that’s certainly a strong line-up of talent, wouldn’t you say?
With a cast now set, we imagine we’ll hear more about what the network – and Lindelof – have planned for this new take on Watchmen sooner rather than later. But until then, head to the comments section down below and let us know if you’re looking forward to seeing what HBO does with the beloved graphic novel.
