‘Lanterns’ Co-Creator’s 10/10 Sci-Fi Series Is Officially Taking Over the World

Published Aug 28, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

Makuochi Echebiri is a News Writer for Collider. He has been interested in creative writing from as far back as high school, and he would consume pretty much anything that’s film or TV. However, his truest love lies in the presence of historical epics and thrillers.

Lured by the brilliance of Middle Earth from an early age both in print and on screen, his palate has since expanded to other realms including Westeros, Kattegat among others. He also possesses a great appetite for the stories that emanate from the vastness of space. Even though he is no Avenger.

Obsessed with storytelling and having works of his own that have yet to make it to print, he is content to use that ability to communicate to as many as are reachable. In his spare time, he looks out for avenues where he can aid people aside from his plans to reign over this earthly realm. Yes…you heard that first here.

As happens often, when studios and networks decide to adapt comics or novels into live-action, fans rarely know what to expect. The defining force of pop culture in the 2010s has been the adaptation of comic books, but despite this, when HBO announced it was adapting Watchmen, many weren’t exactly sure what to expect. The original comic book by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is widely revered given its nuanced and layered approach, which suggested that a proper adaptation might be impossible. The HBO miniseries ultimately sorts how to incorporate original characters, including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Doctor Manhattan, in ways one might consider genius.

The series also arrived at a particularly interesting point in HBO’s history, when several of its prestige shows, including Game of Thrones, Veep and Silicon Valley were coming to an end while still competing with the increasing volume of content available across other streaming platforms. Watchmen, however, still managed to distinguish itself despite its single-season story, earning 26 Primetime Emmy nominations and 11 wins, including Outstanding Limited Series, with Regina King (who plays Angela Abar) and Abdul-Mateen II taking home acting honors. Their strong performances translated to the show’s critical reception as the series retains a reputation that extends well beyond its original run, currently holding a 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Its status as a miniseries is the kind of series certain viewers like, offering up premium entertainment without having to commit to several seasons or keep up with a sprawling franchise. This is probably the reason why, years after its original HBO run, Watchmen’s lingering reputation appears to be translating into renewed interest on streaming. Per data obtained from FlixPatrol, the HBO miniseries has maneuvered its way into the Top 10 rankings of HBO Max in the United States. The series is also establishing itself on PVOD within the United Kingdom. This is not the first time Watchmen has been adapted to screen, with Zack Snyder’s movie adaptation preceding Damon Lindelof’s nine-episode miniseries. The timing is more than appropriate, as Lindelof’s other DC Comics series, Lanterns, is also taking HBO Max by storm.

Your answers point to the world your instincts were built for. This is the universe your temperament, your survival instincts, and your particular brand of stubbornness were made for.

You took the red pill a long time ago — probably before anyone offered it to you. You’re a systems thinker who can’t help but notice the seams in things.

The wasteland doesn’t reward the clever or the well-connected — it rewards those who are hard to kill and harder to break. That’s you.

You’d survive here because you know how to exist in moral grey areas without losing yourself completely.

Arrakis is the most hostile environment in the known universe — and you are precisely the kind of person it rewards.

The galaxy far, far away is vast, loud, and in a constant state of violent political upheaval — and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

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<img width=“1400” height=“700” loading=“lazy” decoding=“async” alt=“Jean Smart as Laurie Blake in ‘Watchmen’” data-img-url=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/watchmen-episode-3-jean-smart-laurie-blake-1.jpeg?q=49&fit=contain&w=1400&h=700&dpr=2” src=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/watchmen-episode-3-jean-smart-laurie-blake-1.jpeg?q=49&fit=contain&w=1400&h=700&dpr=2” style=“width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: contain;” /><figcaption style=“display: none;“>Jean Smart as Laurie Blake in ‘Watchmen’</figcaption><small class=“body-img-caption”>Image via HBO</small></figure></div></li><li class=“splide__slide gallery-main-img image-landscape”><div class=“body-img responsive-img”>

<img width=“2800” height=“1400” loading=“lazy” decoding=“async” alt=“Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Cal smiling and hugging Regina King’s Angela in Watchmen\u00a0” data-img-url=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/yahya-abdul-mateen-ii-watchmen-2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=2800&h=1400&dpr=2” src=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/yahya-abdul-mateen-ii-watchmen-2.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=2800&h=1400&dpr=2” style=“width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: contain;” /><figcaption style=“display: none;“>Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Cal smiling and hugging Regina King’s Angela in Watchmen</figcaption><small class=“body-img-caption”>Image via Mark Hill / © HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection</small></figure></div></li><li class=“splide__slide gallery-main-img image-landscape”><div class=“body-img responsive-img”>

<img width=“2800” height=“1400” loading=“lazy” decoding=“async” alt=“Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Cal standing with Jeremy Irons’ Adrian in Watchmen” data-img-url=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/yahya-abdul-mateen-ii-watchmen-1.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=2800&h=1400&dpr=2” src=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/yahya-abdul-mateen-ii-watchmen-1.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=2800&h=1400&dpr=2” style=“width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: contain;” /><figcaption style=“display: none;“>Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Cal standing with Jeremy Irons’ Adrian in Watchmen</figcaption><small class=“body-img-caption”>Image via Mark Hill / © HBO / Courtesy Everett Collection</small></figure></div></li><li class=“splide__slide gallery-main-img image-landscape”><div class=“body-img responsive-img”>

<img width=“2000” height=“1000” loading=“lazy” decoding=“async” alt=“Regina King as Angela Abar/Sister Night in HBO’s “Watchmen"" data-img-url=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/watchmen-regina-king-angela-abar-sister-night.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=2000&h=1000&dpr=2” src=“https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/watchmen-regina-king-angela-abar-sister-night.jpg?q=49&fit=contain&w=2000&h=1000&dpr=2” style=“width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: contain;” /><figcaption style=“display: none;“>Regina King as Angela Abar/Sister Night in HBO’s “Watchmen”</figcaption><small class=“body-img-caption”>Image via HBO</small></figure></div></li></ul></div></section><section id=“expanded-gallery-thumbnails-1-2139724395” class=“splide gallery-thumbnails-expanded” aria-label=“The carousel with thumbnails. Selecting a thumbnail will change the Beautiful Gallery carousel.”><div class=“splide__track”><ul class=“splide__list”><li class=“splide__slide gallery-thumbnail-img-expanded”>