If you've been watching HBO's official Instagram account for Damon Lindelof's WATCHMEN series then you might already be aware that the network recently posted three new teaser videos alongside some mysterious captions that read: “Abandon all hope, ye who enters here,” “Reach out and touch Mars,” and “It’s not 1985 anymore.” Of course, fans of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' cult classic comic book series will undoubtedly discover that each video includes nods to the original story including the book's gravitation toward pirates as a cultural touchstone, Dr. Manhattan's escape to Mars, and an American flag with 51 stars (signaling Vietnam's arrival as the 51st state). Some of these references are deeper cuts than others, but they're also a sign that the original Watchmen universe won't be entirely lost on Lindelof's new iteration of the fan-favorite franchise.
You can check out all three teaser videos below:
In the past, Lindelof has stated that his WATCHMEN will not be a direct adaptation of the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons-created cult classic series, but rather a "remix" of the Watchmen world we all know and have come to love. So far, we don't have much in the way of plot details about the new show, though we've gotten word that stars the likes of Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Don Johnson, Fraces Fisher, Adelaide Clemens, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Howard, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Louis Gosset Jr. and Tim Blake Nelson will each be along for what's hoped to be a very wild ride.
While it remains unclear as to whether or not Lindelof's version will feature Moore's gargantuan alien squid – a beast that so many wanted to see in Zack Snyder's 2009 film – the LOST creative has promised that the new series will feature plenty of surprises for fans of DC's pulpy property. Here's hoping that we get a full trailer, or at the very least, a proper teaser, sometime soon.
Lindelof will serve as the creator, showrunner, writer, and executive producer of HBO's WATCHMEN, with Tom Spezialy, Stephen Williams, and Joseph Iberti also executive producing. Meanwhile, Nicole Kassell will executive produce and direct the pilot. While the series has yet to announce an official release date, the show is expected to premiere on HBO later this year.