The Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons Watchmen series continues to have life outside of comics, as HBO has ordered a pilot from Damon Lindelof.
Watchmen, an examination and deconstruction of superhero comics using characters loosely based on those from the Charlton Comics library, has been in continuous print since its release in 1985. When Warner Bros. released a live action adaptation of the book, DC Comics sold over 1 million copies that year compared to the more typical 100,000 per year. With the movie already out, and prequel comics collecting dust in back issue bins, HBO is going ahead with a pilot.
Lindelof, who has an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, just finished the three-season run of The Leftovers, and now we know what he is working on now.
Keep in mind this is simply an order for a pilot. The last time HBO took a shot at Watchmen was in 2014, but that project failed to materialize.
After the lackluster success of the movie ($185 million world wide on a $130 million budget), and the current merging of the Watchmen into the DC Universe, do fans really want more Watchmen?
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The Watchmen is one of my atf series. I was 12 when I first read it in the original issues. I still have them and have owned 2 collected editions 1 of which I gave away.
Regarding the movie, prequals and possible HBO series I take the Moore approach. Don’t do it.
The original tale was in and of its time which when separated from the context of the 80’s loses a lot of its meaning.
I remember when we thought Russia would rain nukes on us at any time. The days when good and evil were “clear” and the U.S.A. was on the side of the angels. Top Gun showed patriotism and we all stood for the national anthem. (Remember when Bob Uecker suggested they get rid of it on Mr. Belvidere?)
Today, most of that is irrelevant as the trappings of the story. Perhaps if they tried something with Blue Beetle, Nightshade, Captain Atom and the Question, I would be more interested. This will not convince me to get HBO, especially when I expect that rated R/ Mature crossover to be thrown in for shock sake every episode.
Game of Thrones is different than A Song of Ice and Fire. I enjoy the tales of people in the books dead on the series. I see Watchmen doing the same. Not expanding on the original but watering it down with a dose of sensationalism to the point that the bookcover is the same but the words inside are a different tale completely.