A lot of eyes are on HBO right now in the post ‘Game of Thrones’ world, though there is hope, especially with shows like Damon Lindelof’s ‘Watchmen’ coming out in the near future. The sequel series which is loosely based on the 1986-87 graphic novel of the same title by Alan Moore, released an immensely intriguing trailer during San Diego Comic Con last month, and fans are very excited to see where Lindelof is going to take the story. For the most part, the man has a great track record for keeping audiences highly engaged (having been an executive producer on both ‘Lost’ and ‘The Leftovers’) and producing stories that are interesting and provocative, and ‘Watchmen’ looks to follow in those footsteps. After calling the new series “a remix of sorts,” Lindelof goes on to say:

“I’m not creating this world; I’m adding to a world already created…all I can do is stay true to the spirit of Watchmen and pray that it all works out. I owe everything to Watchmen, and it’s an honor to officially get the chance to pay off that debt.”

Furthermore, he says that the series will feature new characters and conflicts than those seen in the beloved original graphic novel, but Lindelof is quick to say that:

“…but is still rooted in the world of the original, groundbreaking novel. Everything that happened in [that graphic novel] is canon. We can’t replicate the brilliance of it, but we can honor it by trying to do something original. ‘Watchmen celebrated the legacy of superheroes that inspired it — then trolled them mercilessly. It broke every rule of the genre and invented an entirely new one in the process. To say I was inspired is an understatement.””

When asked whether viewers will need to read the original before watching new series, Lindelof was quick to assure new fans:

“If we’ve done our jobs right, [viewers] should be able to come in knowing nothing about the original. Once you’ve seen the first episode, those curious about certain references may want to google Rorschach.”

The new series stars Regine King (reuniting with Lindelof after the ‘The Leftovers’), Jeremy Irons (apparently playing an older version of Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias from the comics), Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Howard, Hong Chau, Tom Mison, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing and James Wolk. Though HBO has yet to release an official premiere date, the latest trailer has fans thinking it will be a lot sooner than they had originally thought.

Are you excited about ‘Watchmen?’ Do you think it will even marginally live up to the legacy of the its predecessor? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

SOURCE: TVInsider