HBO gives Watchmen the green light

HBO has given the greenlight to Watchmen and ordered backup scripts for the project.

Damon Lindelof (Lost, The Leftovers, pictured), the show’s creator along, alluded to the go-ahead Tuesday with an Instagram post which marked “Day One” in the writers’ room. HBO has since confirmed the order.

Watchmen is based on the DC Comics miniseries of the same name written by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The story is set in an alternate history in the 80s at the height of the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union.

It revolves around a group of retired American superheroes who investigate the murder of one of their own and in the process uncover a conspiracy that could change the course of history.

Zack Synder’s 2009 movie of the same name was the first time any production team had successfully adapted Watchmen for screen. Moore’s story is considered one of the most complex  in US graphic novel history.

HBO previously attempted development of Watchmen in 2014, and Lindelof’s version is expected to be entirely new material.