Adapting Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons‘ epic graphic novel Watchmen is no easy task. Just ask Zack Snyder, who made an insanely faithful version for the big screen back in 2009, and for many fans, it still came up pretty short.
When it was announced that Lost and The Leftovers executive producer Damon Lindelof was working on a new adaptation of Watchmen as a television series for HBO, many fans felt that a long form storytelling medium would better service the story. Lindelof later said he hadn’t decided if they were going forward with the new adaptation, leaving the future of the potential series in doubt.
Well, based on Lindelof’s Instagram feed, it seems that he has made up his mind, and that a Watchmen series is a go at HBO after all. The photo shows what appears to be the writer’s room for a new series, with the words “Day One.” How do we know it’s the first day for Watchmen and not another as yet unheard of new show? The statue of Hollis Mason, the original 1940s era superhero Nite-Owl, is prominently on display. I’d say that’s a pretty strong indicator right there that Watchmen just got the greenlight from HBO.
Since this is day one of the writer’s room, we are probably still a long way away from casting, much less an air date for the show. I can’t imagine we’d see it before 2019 at the earliest. It will be interesting to see if the series expands beyond the original 12 issues of Alan Moore’s seminal comic, and includes material written for the controversial Before Watchmen series that came out from DC Comics a few years back. Certainly if included, there is enough story there to help fill out the series to at least two or three seasons of television.
One things for sure though – creator Alan Moore almost certainly won’t have anything to do with this project, and has already probably but some kind of weird magical curse on it. He’s wacky like that, that grumpy ol’ wizard.
Are you as excited as we are for a potential Watchmen series? Be sure to let us know what you think down below in the comments.
Images: Warner Brothers
