Damon Lindelof‘s pilot for HBO’s Watchmen series is set to begin production soon, and with that comes the inevitable casting news. But if you’re looking for actors playing familiar roles like Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, Nite-Owl and the rest, don’t hold your breath. According to a report yesterday, Lindelof made it clear that his television version of Watchmen would not be a direct adaptation of Alan Moore‘s seminal graphic novel, and will instead take place in the modern day, some 35 years after the events depicted in the book and Zack Snyder‘s 2009 film.

According to Deadline, it appears The Leftovers alum Regina King is returning to work with Lindelof once more, and she’s joined by Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens, and Andrew Howard for the pilot episode. It isn’t clear if all of these specific actors will be series regulars, but given how many of them are well known, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think they are going to be recurring guest at the very list.

According to the original report, all of these characters are new for this show. Louis Gossett Jr. is said to be playing “Old Man,” and both words are capitalized, suggesting that’s a code name. Andrew Howard is said to be playing someone called “Red Scare,” and Adelaide Clemens could be “Pirate Jenny.” Both of those sound like superhero names to me. The original Watchmen dealt with the first two generations of American superheroes. Could we see the HBO series deal with a new third generation? It’s starting to seem likely. Lindelof has said his Watchmen is not a sequel to the original, but I guess it depends on how one defines sequel. (And for those who want a straight sequel, Doomsday Clock is still out there.)

Watchmen is gearing up to be one of the more interesting comic book adaptations to ever hit the small screen. Although judging from the comments made by Damon Lindelof, it will be interesting to see if it ultimately bears any resemblance to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’classic  source material when all is said and done. But it definitely has our interest.

What do you think about Lindelof’s “out of the box” thinking for his Watchmen series? Be sure to chime in and let us know down in the comments.

Images: DC Comics / Warner Brothers

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