HBO's Watchmen Looks Like It Might Be the Show of the Fall
HBO released an exciting new trailer for its upcoming Watchmen adaptation on Friday afternoon and, by all accounts, it's the best look yet at the tone and story of the series from Lost and The Leftovers co-creator Damon Lindelof. We finally get to peek under the intimidating interrogator Looking Glass's reflective mask to find... Tim Blake Nelson! Joy of joys. He seems to be teaming up vigilante-style with Regina King's cop-turned-superhero-nun character, Angela Abar, an archetype I honestly can't say I saw coming even in today's world of Mad Libs-ing comic book-inspired characters. We don't know her alter-ego name yet but I bet it rules. Let's watch!
Right off the bat, this show looks gorgeous. Director Nicole Kassell (also a Leftovers alum along with King and several of the writers—a good sign!) has overseen a look and feel to the series that feels grounded to the Alan Moore graphic novel while perhaps taking a cue (or two) from Zack Snyder's desperately ambitious passion project of a 2009 film adaptation, which for all its faults is easily one of the most visually interesting superhero movies of all time. You know what, it's really not so bad in general!
The HBO series takes place in approximately modern-day. All the events of Watchmen the book all happened: Doctor Manhattan is sequestered on Mars; a giant psychic squid mutant (yeah) murdered millions around the world, and Rorschach martyred himself to reveal Ozymandias's plans to the masses. Jeremy Irons plays Adrian Veidt, formerly Ozymandias, and the only confirmed member of the core Watchmen returning to the series (though a trailer out of Comic-Con hinted at a certain blue-tinged superhuman setting foot on earth again.)
It looks like Rorschach's actions inspired a militia-like movement obsessed with the "truth," branded as homegrown terrorists. Of course, if Watchmen in any form wants us to come away with one thing, it's that heroes and villains rarely fall into so neat a category. Honestly, I can't wait for what this team has up their sleeve. Tune in on October 20 for more.
Originally Appeared on GQ
