Watchmen : the series will be a big remix, and not a simple sequel, according to Damon Lindelof

Cinema 23 May, 2018

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Since he finished The Leftovers, Damon Lindelof lost no time and went back to the head of an enormous project : to transform the gigantic Watchmen in an ambitious tv series for HBO.

We are not far from us to say that, given the quality of The Leftovers, there was nobody in the world better reported that Damon Lindelof to tackle an adaptation tv series of the saga Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Especially with HBO behind it, especially today.

Announced several months ago, the series will thus not be an adaptation of the excellent film of Zack Snyder (perhaps his best), but will draw its strength directly in the comics. We might worry about not to hear any more talk about having regard to the expectations huge that surround it, but this would be to forget that such a challenge, it prepares. And this is exactly what Lindelof is doing, as it is currently put together the pilot episode which will be shown to the network.

All around the watchtower…

However, as we know, adapt it is always betraying a little and, to prepare fans of the comics what will happen, Lindelof has just published an important letter on the social networks where he explains that the series will not be an adaptation literal of comics, although it happens in the same universe, in addition to justify this dangerous choice.

“We do not intend to adapt the 12 chapters of the comic book of Mr. Moore and Mr. Gibbons appeared thirty years ago. These chapters are a sacred territory and a person touches them, nor adapt, triturera, rebootera or reproduce. However, they will be remixed, because their bass line is much too good and we’d be idiots not the sampler.

The original work is as the Old Testament. When the New Testament arrived, it has not erased what existed before him. The Creation, the Garden of Eden, Abraham and Isaac. It all happened. It will be the same for Watchmen. The Comedian’s death, Dan and Laurie fell in love with it, Ozymandias has saved the world and Dr. Manhattan left after reduced Rorschah ash in the Antarctic.

The story will take place in the world that have created in the pain of its authors… But if it is part of the tradition, this new story must be original. It must vibrate with the tremors, unpredictable of its own tectonic plates. They must ask new questions and explore the world through its own prism.

But the most important thing is that it must be contemporary. The Old Testament was specific to Reagan, Thatcher and Gorbachev. We need to resonate with the frequencies of Trump, May, Putin and the horse he rides, his chest bare. And, speaking of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the end of the world does not account. This means that the heroes and the villains – if they can be distinguished as well – are fighting for other issues.”

This is a notice of intent clear and bold. Then, of course, it creates anxiety in our heart of a fan, since we do not see, therefore, not the Watchmen , as we love and know. But the involvement of Lindelof is such, it touches limit of the sacred, and the ambition seems to be so huge that you can’t hide a big impatience. If adapt is to betray, he is preparing for us probably the most beautiful betrayals.