Yahoo News Watchmen TV show: Everything you need to know
HBO confirmed in September 2017 that it had ordered a pilot for the long-awaited TV adaptation of iconic graphic-novel Watchmen.
The network originally started developing an adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's groundbreaking graphic novel with filmmaker Zack Snyder, who'd directed the 2008 feature film version, before Lost and The Leftovers' Damon Lindelof took over when Snyder departed the project.
HBO has also requested "back-up scripts" in the event that there's a full series order, but while we wait to see if that happens, here's everything you need to know about the new adaptation of Watchmen.
Watchmen TV show cast: Who's in it?
Lindelof and HBO have assembled a seriously impressive cast for the pilot with Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr, Adelaide Clemens and Andrew Howard all on board, although it's not clear if they'll be series regulars.
New faces. New masks to cover them. And more to come...
A post shared by Damon (@damonlindelof) on May 23, 2018 at 1:33pm PDT
We also don't know which characters they'll be playing, although it's been reported that King is playing 'Angela Abar', Gossett Jr is 'Old Man', Howard is 'Red Scare' and Clemens is potentially 'Pirate Jenny'. None of these characters play an enormous role in the original graphic novel or the movie adaptation.
In a lengthy Instagram post (which we'll get to more in a bit), Lindelof said this of the characters inheriting his world: "Some of the characters will be unknown. New faces. New masks to cover them. We also intend to revisit the past century of Costumed Adventuring through a surprising, yet familiar set of eyes."
We do know though that the pilot will be directed by Nicole Kassell who has worked with Lindelof before, directing two episodes of The Leftovers.
Watchmen TV show release date: When can we expect it?
HBO has yet to confirm a release date for the pilot which is currently filming, as of June 2018, so it's possible we won't see the show until early 2019. Sky Atlantic usually gets HBO shows in the UK, but nothing has been confirmed.
Watchmen TV show plot: What will it be about?
At the moment, plot details are being kept under wraps with Lindelof explaining in an open letter on Instagram that we should expect a 'remix' and not a straightforward adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel.
"We have no desire to 'adapt' the twelve issues created thirty years ago. Those issues are sacred ground and they will not be retread nor recreated nor reproduced nor rebooted. They will, however, be remixed. Because the bass lines in those familiar tracks are just too good and we'd be fools not to sample them," Lindelof explained.
He added that his take will be "canon" and won't erase anything that came before, but neither will it be a sequel with an original story, much like the story it's inspired by.
"It has to vibrate with the seismic unpredictability of its own tectonic plates. It must ask new questions and explore the world through a fresh lens. Most importantly, it must be contemporary," Lindelof argued.
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