HBO Talks to Zack Snyder About Watchmen

How can HBO possibly compete with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has shows on ABC and Netflix, plus multiple movies each year? It’ll take more than one show to even the odds, but Zack Snyder may hold the answer. Collider reports that HBO met with Zack Snyder regarding a Watchmen adaptation.

This is the only detail we know. HBO confirmed that talks took place. We don’t know if it’s for a Watchmen series, a limited run episodic or just an HBO movie. This is the best news for speculation.

For those not familiar with Watchmen, the story was originally a graphic novel from 1986 by writer Alan Moore and drawn by Dave Gibbons. Its subject matter, which deals with the Cold War and the end of days, tone and realism makes it one of the most popular graphic novels of all time.

Zack Snyder came into the Watchmen timeline in 2009 when he directed the DC film. Watchmen was his follow-up film to his 2006 box office success 300. Given how dense and detailed the source material is, Snyder did a fine job adapting it for the big screen. The film didn’t reach the box office success levels of 300 before it, but it was considered a critical and fan success. It received a four-star review from the late Roger Ebert.

Watchmen is my favorite graphic novel of all time, so the possibility of a new show or miniseries that explores its world is exciting. While many comic fans don’t remember Zack Snyder’s film fondly, it has aged tremendously over the last six years. With today’s entertainment media that is saturated by superhero stories, the grounded Watchmen movie is a mature departure to the usual popcorn fare.

I think a mini series is the best fit for a retelling of the Watchmen story. A movie would just repeat the limitations of a theatrical release, of which the biggest was time constraints. A full series with multiple seasons would be too much. That would require adding to the source material, which I don’t think would be great. Maybe an eight-episode show similar to True Detective would work to tell the story.

Since these are just talks that are occurring between HBO and Zack Snyder, don’t expect to see Watchmen on HBO anytime soon, if at all. If it does get the green light, I’d expect seeing an HBO adaptation in 2018 after the project is written, cast and finally shot. Take a look at the theatrical trailer below.

More from Show Snob

Home/HBO