Who watches the Watchmen? You, we imagine.
After all, the Powers That Be over at HBO have today unveiled the gripping first trailer for the soon-to-be-released TV series, itself based on the iconic graphic novel by Alan Moore, in which masked vigilantes inherit the earth, and essentially trigger the end of days.
Story-wise, we know the Watchmen TV series takes place some years after Moore’s source material, though superheroes remain outlawed. Their legacy is still burning bright, as an underground group sporting Rorschach masks attempt to seize control of, well, everything. Damon Lindelof has promised an original story orbiting around a “murder mystery that unfolds into a world-altering conspiracy that ultimately asks where the fine line is drawn between heroes and villains.”
Starring Regina King, Don Johnson, Jeremy Irons, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Louis Gossett Jr., Watchmen is jam-packed with star power on both sides of the camera, given Lindelof’s contribution is exciting in and of itself following his involvement in the fan-favorite Lost saga. Love it or hate it, the show made its mark on TV history, and we have a sneaking suspicion that Watchmen will do the same.
Too ambitious? Perhaps, but this initial teaser trailer is nothing if not stylish – much like Zack Snyder’s cult classic from 10 years ago – and we’re excited to see how the story unfolds on the small screen.
Once Game of Thrones has come and gone, and HBO puts an end to their Song of Ice and Fire, the Powers That Be will turn their attention to the Watchmen. A fall release window is in place, and we fully expect the network to announce a specific launch date in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more on that one.