Watchmen Series Premiere Synopsis Teases Season-Long Mystery

We're a little over a week out from the premiere of HBO's Watchmen television series, which is set to recontextualize the iconic DC Comics graphic novel in a whole new way. While a lot of details surrounding the upcoming adaptation have been kept under wraps, a new official synopsis hints at what fans can expect. HBO released the first plot details surrounding the show's highly-anticipated series premiere, which is titled "It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice". You can check it out below.

"In an alternate America where police conceal their identities behind masks to protect themselves from a terrorist organization, Detective Angela Abar (Regina King) investigates the attempted murder of a fellow officer under the guidance of her friend and Chief, Judd Crawford (Don Johnson). Meanwhile, the Lord of a Country Estate (Jeremy Irons) receives an anniversary gift from his loyal servants. Written by Damon Lindelof; directed by Nicole Kassell."

Watchmen is set to serve as a sequel of sorts to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' original DC Comics storyline, while also expanding the source material into new territory.

"Damon Lindeloff has a very specific approach to that material," production designer Mark Worthington told ComicBook.com last month. "I can't tell you what that approach is. What I can say is we are guided more by that than anything else. Damon is a geek, too. He was obsessed with the Watchmen series as a kid. I think we all were. That was a watershed graphic novel for the whole form, as we all know. You're inspired by all of it. There it is. There's the original object and it's what you get excited about, passionate about it. I think Damon's take will be different, is different. It inherently has the DNA of the original Watchmen with a very specific take that he will put on it."

"It's yes and. Yes, of course, we're inspired by the original." Worthington continued. "Yes, of course, we're respectful of what that meant and what it is as an object. But then Damon has his own way of extending that and taking it to a new place because he's not redoing it, he's creating something that's other than that. I don't know. We'll see how people respond. I think people are going to like it."

The series will also star Tim Blake Nelson as Looking Glass, Lous Gossett Jr. as Old Man, Adelaide Clemens as Pirate Jenny, Andrew Howard as Red Scare, Jean Smart as Agent Blake, and Hong Chau as Lady Trieu.

Watchmen will premiere on Sunday, October 20th at 9/8c on HBO.