TV veteran Damon Lindelof – known for Lost, The Leftovers, Watchmen, and now Lanterns – has delivered what we hope is the final say on adaptations changing aspects of their source material.
“We all just have to acknowledge that there’s a level of hubris involved in taking on any of this preexisting IP. But it is called adaptation. Source material is supposed to change and evolve [by definition],” Lindelof said in a discussion with The Hollywood Reporter.
Lindelof added, "As a consumer and as someone who’s making this stuff, there’s almost a responsibility to take risks. I don’t think anybody wants to see you be completely and totally vigilant to the source material because then it isn’t an adaptation at all. Shouldn’t we be beyond this conversation by now?
"Nobody who does what we do goes to bed at night, saying, 'All that I care about is whether or not I pissed off the fans.'" Lindelof continued. "They go to bed at night, going, 'Did I do anything worthwhile creatively? Did I put anything authentically emotional into this story that people can relate to?'"
Those who have religiously followed Lindelof's work over the years will know the writer and creative thrives on change – and even going beyond the boundaries of source material.
The second and third seasons of existential drama The Leftovers went past the story penned in Tom Perrotta's novel of the same name.
Famously, Lindelof also created a 'sequel' to Watchmen as an HBO miniseries, which followed the characters created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons over three decades after the events of the 1980s seminal graphic novel. Lanterns is also a changed, grounded take on DC's Green Lantern comics, although some cosmic elements remain.
It's something I've encountered over the past few years, too, in the video game adaptation space. Nothing wrong with sticking closely to a popular brand or franchise, of course, but I've definitely been an outlier in liking shows such as Paramount's Halo and Amazon's Yakuza more than most – because they at least tried to do something fresh. If I wanted the same old thing again, I'd play the games.
Lanterns is now airing on HBO and HBO Max. Keep up to date with its streaming plans with our Lanterns release schedule.
We're also doing some detective work in Rushville. Join us as we break down the suspects for the Manhunter and who killed Hal Jordan.
