The network hopes to follow the end of Game of Thrones with another blockbuster series, an adaptation of the cult graphic novel

The final Game of Thrones episodes might be bringing HBO record ratings but they are also the last gasps of the network’s biggest show, leaving a rather worrisome hole in need of filling.

What's the next Game of Thrones? All the contenders for fantasy TV's crown Read more

While projects within the same universe are in development, HBO is hoping that a swifter replacement might be found in the shape of Watchmen. The graphic novel, previously adapted for the big screen in 2009 by Zack Snyder, has been reimagined for the small screen by Damon Lindelof, whose shows include Lost and The Leftovers.

The newly released trailer showcases a dark, anarchic tone and brief glimpses of the cast, including the recent Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Hong Chau and Tim Blake Nelson.

The original graphic novel from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, itself a collection of a monthly mini-series of comics, told of a world where superheroes exist but one where their intentions are not always noble. Released between 1986 and 1987, it also reflected cold war tensions. Lindelof has admitted that his series is not a straight adaptation and instead is more like a “remix”.

“This story will be set in the world its creators painstakingly built,” Lindelof wrote in an open letter. “But in the tradition of the work that inspired it, this new story must be original. It has to vibrate with the seismic unpredictability of its own tectonic plates.”

Lindelof also went on to explain that while some characters will be familiar, others will be new and the show will be “contemporary” offering a “fresh lens” on old material.

Co-creator Gibbons recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about his thoughts after reading the script for the pilot.

“I don’t think it’s gonna be what people think it’s going to be,” he said. “It certainly wasn’t what I imagined it to be. I think it’s extremely fresh. I’m really looking forward to seeing it on the screen. I’ve been resistant to the comic book prequels and sequels, but what Damon’s doing is not that at all, it’s very far away from that.

Snyder’s big-screen adaptation was a commercial disappointment making $185m worldwide from a $120m production budget. Reviews were mixed, with the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw suggesting that “it might be making a bid for flawed-masterpiece status, except that it is probably more flaw than masterpiece.”

Watchmen will premiere on HBO later this year.