Now thatThe Leftovershas departed,Damon Lindelofis gearing up for his next project and it’s a big one. Back in 2015, we broke the news thatHBO was developingaWatchmenTV series based onAlan Moore’s iconic graphic novel withZack Snyder, who previously helmed the 2009 film adaptation for Warner Bros., but no deals were in place and the project dried up.
Enter Lindelof, riding high off the stunning finale of HBO’s critical darlingThe Leftovers.THRreports Lindelof in talks to develop reteam with the premium streaming network to develop a new incarnation of theirWatchmenseries. Per the report, Snyder is no longer attached and while the project is still in the early development stages with nothing is set in stone, the plan is for Lindelof to start from scratch with his own take on the series, rather than working from their preexisting plans.
For his part, Lindelof has long been a vocal fan of both theWatchmencomic book. In 2009, he did a deep-dive chat with CBR aboutWatchmenand how Moore’s work influenced him. “From the flashbacks to the non-linear storytelling to the deeply flawed heroes, these are all elements that I attempt to put into everything I write,” he said. For HBO, the Watchmen series could be a calling card in their post-Game of Thrones lineup. They’re currently home to the biggest show in the world, butGoTis set to wrap in just fifteen episodes spread out over the last two seasons and while they had a bonafide hit with last year’s Westworld, they’ve seen their fair share of struggles in recent years getting new dramas off the ground (two shows with David Fincher and the short-livedVinylamong the wreckage).
Moore’s original 1986 12-issue series served as a deconstruction of the traditional superhero narrative, offering an alternate history set in the Nixon era when superheroes were the norm and not quite as super as their traditional counterparts. No word yet on if HBO’s adaptation would be a limited or ongoing series, or how faithfully it would adhere to the source material.
What do you guys think? Is Lindelof a good fit for the material? How fucking amazing was that Leftovers finale? Sound off in the comments.
