For The First Time Since Watchmen, Damon Lindelof Is Showrunning A New HBO Series, And It Sounds Like A Thrilling Trip

Damon Lindelof has quite the impressive track record as a showrunner collaborating with the folks at HBO. In 2014, in the wake of Lost, he created The Leftovers, which earned both terrific reviews and a cult following through its three-season run, and two years after that show ended, he performed a miracle in the creation of the phenomenal limited series Watchmen. Sadly, it’s been a minute since Lindelof has personally spearheaded a new show for the premium cable channel, but that streak is now ready to end thanks to the development of his new project: The Chain.

The show was announced via press release this morning and has been given an eight-episode, straight-to-series order – so don’t get fret getting your hopes up for a production that doesn’t end up materializing. It’s part of a two-year overall deal that HBO signed with Lindlof last fall, and it will be based on the novel of the same name by author Adrian McKinty (first published in 2019). It’s unclear if it’s going to be a straight adaptation, as it’s said that the filmmaker will be “expanding the mythology” of the source material, which is something he did to great acclaim with the aforementioned Watchmen.

McKinty’s thriller pairs the idea of chain letters and hostage exchanges, as it sees parents get wrapped up in a horrible kidnapping scheme: mothers and fathers not only have to pay a ransom when their children are abducted, but they are also forced to kidnap a child themselves and keep a chain of crimes going. Damon Lindelof has written the pilot script with Carly Wray (Mad Men, The Leftovers, Westworld, Watchmen), and Adrian McKinty is part of the production as a co-executive producer.

This actually marks the second time that The Chain has been optioned for adaptation. In 2020 (per Deadline), Universal Pictures planned to develop a feature version of the story and Edgar Wright and Jane Goldman were respectively lined up to direct and pen the script. That version never ended up materializing, which opened the door for HBO to make the new series.

While The Chain will be Lindelof’s first HBO gig as a showrunner since Watchmen, he has remained active with the network recently thanks to his role in the creation of the new DC Studios series Lanterns starring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler. The acclaimed filmmaker is credited as a co-creator on the show along with Chris Mundy and Tom King, though Mundy alone is serving as the showrunner.

Given how relatively quickly The Chain was announced following the announcement of Lindelof’s new HBO deal, it will hopefully develop quickly and we’ll start to hear more details about it soon. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more news and updates about the intriguing project as casting gets underway and more of the vision is revealed.