HBO's 'Watchmen' Series Adaptation from 'The Leftovers' Creator Damon Lindelof To Begin Filming in March
Is the "Watchmen" adaptation from "The Leftovers" creator Damon Lindelof getting a green light from HBO? Leaked information reveals that filming will officially start in March 2018.
The schedule came from "That Hashtag Show," which cited insider sources for the information. HBO, however, hasn't confirmed "Watchmen" to series and casting announcements have not yet begun.
Last September, Lindelof teased that he's developing "Watchmen" for the cable network. He posted a photo of a familiar figure from Alan Moore's graphic novels and stated that it's the first day of writing for the show.
Lindelof's attachment to "Watchmen" started in 2015 but at that time, HBO made no official statements as to whether it had interest in the series or not. Lindelof was then producing "The Leftovers" for the network. The writer had time to focus on his next project when "The Leftovers" aired its finale last summer.
"I've been very vocal about my love for those 12 issues that eventually became a graphic novel, that they were completely and totally inspiring for all the storytelling," he told TV Line in July. "I take it very seriously, there's a lot of responsibility. All I can say is I'm thinking about 'Watchmen' a lot right now, nothing official."
Lindelof confirmed in November that pilot episode preparations are underway for "Watchmen." The writer and producer told The Hollywood Reporter that while he's never done a superhero story before, he's a big fan of Moore's books.
"That comic was written in the mid '80s, [but it's] more timely now," Lindelof said. "These are dangerous times and we need dangerous shows."
In 2009, "Justice League" director Zack Snyder adapted "Watchmen" for the big screen. The public's response to the film was polarizing as it was too deemed dark and violent, as it was in the original source.
"Watchmen" takes place in the alternate United States where superheroes are plagued with their own personal and ethical problems. Moore wanted his story to step back from traditional superheroes and opened the plot with the death of one of its own. It led other superheroes to question each other's motives, ambitions and desires.
It remains to be seen how Lindelof interprets Moore's "Watchmen" for the small screen. Further details from HBO might arrive after the holidays.