HBO won't pursue second season of 'Watchmen' after creator bows out

Gary Levin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption HBO won't pursue second season of 'Watchmen' after creator leaves HBO will not renew a second season for 'Watchmen' after creator Damon Lindelof decided to part ways.

PASADENA, Calif. – "Watchmen" won a loyal following and critical acclaim, as the superhero comics series was adapted into a politically relevant drama about race and the criminal justice system.

But don't look for a second season of the drama, which wrapped up its nine-episode run last month, largely because creator Damon Lindelof isn't interested in doing it.

HBO programming chief Casey Bloys told USA TODAY Wednesday that Lindelof, the co-creator of ABC's "Lost" who also created HBO's "The Leftovers," "brilliantly took this graphic novel and just kind of broke it open and created a whole new world," in which Regina King starred as a masked cop in Tulsa, in a 2019 when Robert Redford is president.

Our take: Review: HBO’s ‘Watchmen’ wants to end racism, but it’s better at telling superhero stories

"It's really in Damon’s thinking about what he wants to do. If there's an idea that excited him about another season, another installment, maybe like a 'Fargo,' 'True Detective' (anthology) take on it, or if he wants to do something different altogether. We’re very proud of 'Watchmen,' but what I’m most interested in what Damon wants to do."

The answer: Nothing.

Lindelof told USA TODAY this week that he's told the story he wants to tell and has no interest in a second season, though he's "given my blessing" to HBO should it want to pursue a new installment with another writer-producer.

But Bloys concedes that's unlikely to happen: "It would be hard to imagine doing it without Damon involved in some way."

Sorry, fans, but the season-ending cliffhanger will likely never be resolved.

We interview the cast: How HBO's 'Watchmen' embraces the political bent, bonkers spirit of seminal '80s comic