Regina King, star of HBO's Watchmen limited series, says that she would come back for a second season, but only if creator Damon Lindelof returns. Based on the well-known graphic novel series of the same name by Alan Moore, the HBO show is a sequel of sorts, set 34 years later in 2019, Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the show's universe, vigilantes - who used to be viewed as heroes - are outlawed due to their violent tendencies.
King stars as Detective Angela Abar, also known as Sister Night. After an attack on the Tulsa Police Department, police are required by law to wear masks on the job to protect their identities. Detective Abar works with Police Chief Judd Crawford (Don Johnson) to investigate the white supremacist group the Seventh Kavalry. The events of the series focus on racial injustice and violence, the setting directly referencing the Tulsa Massacre, which took place almost 100 years earlier, in 1921.
King shared her thoughts on season 2 with fellow actor Reese Witherspoon in an Actors on Actors interview with Variety. Discussing the possibility of a new season, King says that her decision is entirely dependent on the involvement of Lindelof.
"Honestly, I feel like I think HBO would want it back in a heartbeat, but if [showrunner] Damon Lindelof doesn’t see an entry point for Season 2, I think that the possibilities are infinite. But I feel that if Damon doesn’t see it, then it’s going to be a no for me."
She goes on to discuss her past with Lindelof, having worked with him previously on The Leftovers. King tells Witherspoon that she "doesn't want to be a part of anything if it's not a collaborative situation," saying that Lindelof is exceptionally collaborative. Having not read or seen anything about Watchmen before the HBO series, Lindelof just sent her a script and asked her to read it, and she was "blown away."
The HBO series is favored to be nominated and possibly win Emmys in various categories, including Lead Actress for King. Previously, King won two Emmys for American Crime and one for Seven Seconds, as well as a Golden Globe and Academy Award in 2019 for the film If Beale Street Could Talk. King sees many possibilities for expanded stories within the Watchmen universe, with her character and with others. But Lindelof remains the lone factor that would decide her continuing involvement.
Watchmen's first season was a critical success and had an ending that could lead to future stories. Despite that, creator Lindelof has repeatedly stated that he has no new ideas for a second season and has told the complete story he set out to tell in season 1. He has left Watchmen but supports HBO continuing with a different showrunner. Given the series' timely story and themes, HBO made the whole Watchmen season 1 available from June 19 to June 21, in support of the current protests for racial injustice as well as Juneteenth, the national holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the US.
Source: Variety