Jeremy Irons to play Ozymandias in HBO’s Watchmen

[News]

We keep gradually learning more about HBO’s much-anticipated Watchmen series slated for 2019. We’ve long known David Lindelof was set to create a “remixed” television adaptation of Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins’ beloved comic series, and recently learned Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross would score the show. Over the last few months, we’ve also received updates on who would be joining the cast, including The Leftovers’ Regina King, Miami Vice’s Don Johnson, and British actor Jeremy Irons.

Now, a few additional details have emerged about the mysterious project. Irons was previously suggested to be playing an unspecified “aging and imperious lord of a British manor,” but /Film has confirmed that said lord is none other than Adrian Veidt, otherwise known as the controversial former superhero Ozymandias. The extent of the character’s role in the series is as yet unknown, but given some spoiler-y set photos, his presence is likely to exert a strong influence over the show.

/Film has also revealed that Jean Smart is joining the cast as well. The Frasier/Fargo/Legion star has signed on as Agent Blake, “an FBI agent tasked with tracking down vigilantes.” That surname should raise eyebrows for fans of the comic, as she shares it with Edward “The Comedian” Blake, i.e. the character who’s death in the original Watchmen launches the plot.

Will Agent Blake be related to the vigilante turned government operative? Or is this just a winking homage to a classic character? There’s still much more to uncover before the series debuts sometime next year.

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