Watchmen May Get an HBO Series by The Leftovers Creator Damon Lindelof

Damon Lindelof, co-creator of Lost and The Leftovers, is reportedly in talks to develop a TV series adaption of Watchmen for HBO.

Watchmen first originated as a DC Comics series in 1987 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The story takes place in an alternate reality where superheroes helped the United States win the Vietnam War and Nixon was never impeached, setting up the comic’s storyline around the U.S. heading towards a third world war in 1985.

The graphic novel collection was first turned into a movie in 2009 by Zach Synder for Warner Bros., but was divisive with critics and fans. Yet the impact of the original comic is not forgotten. Along with Frank Miller’s The Dark Night Returns, Watchmen turned superheroes from upbeat moralist to gritty characters wrestling with inner turmoil. Known for creating enthralling, complicated series, Lindelof is perfect to reintroduce this story to a new audience.

There is no information to whether Lindelof would follow the original story, wrapped up neatly in 12 issues, or if the HBO series would be an ongoing project or a limited series. However, Lindelof has said he prefers shorter series with definite end dates.