When it was first announced that Damon Lindelof would be tackling a Watchmen TV series for HBO based on the comic book by Alan Moore, many of us were both confused and a bit skeptical. We’d only had a full, three-hour film from Zack Snyder less than 10 years back, and while some may not care for the overall execution, I think he did an admirable job of bringing those panels to life.

So what could they possibly be doing in this series? If you’ve been following production, it’s been clear that it won’t be a direct adaptation, as it consists of brand-new characters and what looks like an alternate modern setting. So how does it connect to the comic book, if at all?

In order to do that, we need to talk about Ozymandias, the villain of the comic, who ultimately faked an alien invasion in order to unite the world against a common enemy. To accomplish this, he had a giant squid attack New York City, killing countless (the Snyder film adapted away from the squid to a faked attack from Doctor Manhattan).

Based on a series of photos from the on-location set of the series, the show takes place in a world that takes place after those events (potentially decades). There are signs that show an alien shelter (which has the visual of a squid on it), and perhaps most enticing is a cab with a unique American flag on it, signifying a change in the U.S. on the heels of that alien attack from Ozymandias.

Finally, there is a newspaper that reads “Veidt Officially Declared Dead,” who is undoubtedly Adrian Veidt, the alter ego of Ozymandias. Perhaps it’s his death that sets off a chain of events that starts to unravel the history of that squid invasion — though I think it should be clear that that last part is just speculation on my part.

What do you think of the potential for this story, and are you happy they aren’t adapting the comic directly? Let us know down below!

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SOURCE: /Film