The Blue Man Group: HBO's 'Watchmen' Won't Directly Follow The Graphic Novel

Joining the great superhero TV race, Alan Moore's Watchmen is the latest graphic novel to find itself jumping from the silver to the small screen. Directed by Lost and The Leftovers maestro Damon Lindelof, fans of the lauded text rightly have high hopes for the HBO miniseries.

It seems that we really are in the golden age of television, and with such an acclaimed TV powerhouse bringing #Watchmen to our screens, it is likely that only the muscular Dr. Manhattan (pictured above) will be "blue" at the prospect. We have already seen Zack Snyder's mixed-bag adaptation hit cinemas in 2009, and while personally, I think the live-action Watchmen was a triumph, it divided audiences and the world of comic book movies. So, with that in mind, let's see if #HBO can do one better.

We could be heroes.

Centering around Moore's acclaimed graphic novel from 1986, the doomsday clock is heading toward midnight; however, can a fresh lick of blue paint really reinvent the R-rated masterpiece? Given that we trod the same ground with Snyder relatively recently, there are those who rightly worry that HBO's version will be a carbon copy. However, speaking to IGN, network president Casey Bloys promises a new vision for the R-rated rebels:

"I don't want to talk too much about it, but Damon is thinking about it in a way exactly as you describe it. Which is, how do you take the material and derive from it a TV show, without making it a literal translation?"

When asked if this meant including material that isn't included in Moore's original, Bloys replied:

"I think so, yes. Damon is one of the smartest, most passionate, most thorough writers I've ever worked with so he's really thinking about this in amazing ways. Again, I don't want to talk about the details of it, but when you sit with him and you see the way his mind works it's really kind of amazing."

While we probably shouldn't expect a modernized version of the team set in 2018, or Lindelof to turn Dr. Manhattan red, it sounds like his vision could incorporate elements of the prequel series Before Watchmen. Given that Snyder's movie came under fire for sidelining the original Minutemen into a Bob Dylan montage during the opening, HBO's series could explore a more diverse roster of heroes.

In recent years, HBO shows have become masters at adapting existing franchises with a fresh approach for the 21st century. Game of Thrones is perhaps the best example of using the source material as a "rough guide," while Westworld Season 1 also moved far beyond Michael Crichton's 1973 film. However, with something as adored as Watchmen, is going off-piste really the right move to make?

One thing the #TV version of Watchmen is surely hoping to do it cast off the Snyder days. Snyder delivered Moore's work (almost) to the letter, which actually may have been its biggest flaw, while a new spin on what we have come to know could be a breath of fresh air. There is still no news on when Lindelof will be tackling our dysfunctional superhero family, but one thing is for sure, we will all be watching the Watchmen!

(Source: IGN)