Home Box Office (HBO) will now be making a television adaptation of the superhero graphic novel, "Watchmen."
Fans of Alan Moore's gritty and dark visual epic about the Cold War superheroes will now be able to see the "Watchman" fleshed out in live action. It can be recalled that the title has had only one live-action adaptation ever since it was published in 1986-87, This was Zack Snyder's 2009 "Watchmen" movie. While Snyder's adaptation into film was received favorably and was even praised for its faithfulness to its source material, its running time was at a staggering two hours, with an ending that feels somewhat rushed.
Some fans have been arguing that the graphic novel would be better suited to become an HBO series. With the recent announcement, those fans can rejoice as HBO is now preparing the "Watchmen" series for a pilot premiere on television. They will also be employing "Lost's" Damon Lindelof, who should now be no stranger to suspense given his writing for the said television show.
Lindelof is now reportedly writing for the pilot of the "Watchmen" with HBO wanting more scripts from him in case the popularity of the upcoming show picks up. This means that it may well become a full season should the pilot be successful.
In a speech at Vulture Fest, Lindelof has explained his interest in adapting the graphic novel for TV. He said, "The reason I'm doing this is because these are dangerous times and we need dangerous shows. What we think about superheroes is wrong."
Lindelof then went on to say that while he grew up with pop culture idols like Batman and Wonder Woman, the realistic context for superheroes is that their masks make them as dangerous as they are powerful. Hence, the relevant condition for their existence is that they should be feared, despite being saviors.
The series will also be having political themes, as well as ideas relevant to the current state of the modern world, much like Moore's original graphic novel set during the height of the Cold War. At the moment, the show is still in its pre-production stage, and no cast members have been confirmed yet.
Fans should stay tuned for future announcements from HBO.
