Tag: Stephen Amell
DC Confidential – Episode 32
The Villains of ARROW (Writing Inspiration)
Nerd alert! I love a good villain. I’ve written my take on villains by making an example of the bad guy from my first book, GIFTED. I like thinking about where they went bad, what circumstances led them to their current paths, and how much fight they can give in a scene. Lately I’ve been inspired by certain characters – especially three particular villains – from the TV show ARROW. (Warning: There could be potential spoilers here. If you plan to watch this show and don’t want to know anything, go read this nerdy entertainment post about The Dark Knight on Morality vs. Chaos.)
Now, I don’t know anything about characters or stories in the Green Arrow comics, but I think I prefer it this way. I suppose one of my favorite parts about the show is that it’s as close to reality as a comic book adaptation can be – consider it the TV version of Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Starling City has been overtaken by thugs and criminals in Oliver Queen’s absence, but they don’t have mind-melting powers. There’s a superhero factor, sure, but nothing so outrageous as to suggest magical powers, alien or otherwise. Oliver Queen’s superpowers, besides the bow and arrow and fight skills, are extreme abs and ninja-fast speed – but it’s believable. I appreciate the realism it brings, which is why I like the villains so much – they have to be over the top and vicious, but still a realistic foe. They’re the exact shade of bad guy I love to write (magic powers or not).
You know the ones – they’re a bit eccentric but violent, constantly on the edge of a murderous rage. People are nervous around him because it could go either way. He’s calm when he needs to be, just enough to make someone feel hope of escape, only for the villain to stab them lovingly in the right spot, killing them for somehow insulting his intelligence.
ARROW had this type of man on in this week’s episode “Betrayal” – he went by the name of Cyrus Vanch (played by David Anders), and I wish they’d given him more screen time. I loved his deranged opener, which included killing his lawyer with one elegant knife move before going to make himself lunch. He’s aggressive with what he wants, unapologetic for his crimes and prepared to do more. He has lots of goons with guns working for him, but he wants the bigwigs to pay attention. The hooded vigilante is in the way of his rise to power. His solution? Vanch kidnaps Laurel to get to Oliver, who comes to save the day. While we watch the Hood kill his men, Vance tells Laurel why the Hood will fail – he even takes count of how many arrows the Hood has (24) and accounts for that, has a man ready inside to capture Oliver. He was smart enough to think ahead, but didn’t expect a partner as the Hood typically works alone. A surprise appearance keeps them all alive and while I wish the capture had gone down more dramatically, I’m hoping it leaves a way to bring Vanch back for revenge against Laurel and the Hood. You just know he’ll come at them with everything he’s got.
In “Vertigo” Oliver goes after the Count (played by Seth Gabel), a drug dealer of the worst kind, selling a drug he’s tested on homeless people, that kills the users (56 died to make it perfect), and will spread through Starling City. Seth Gabel said in an interview he used Heath Ledger’s Joker for inspiration and I think that’s easy to see – and admire, because he’s not copying it, but they both carry that flair of crazy. Gabel plays it with that same bit of confidence, the willingness to embrace chaos and make the most of it. They both like to do the dirty work themselves, thrive on watching their enemies fail. The Count doesn’t fear the police or anyone else who might threaten him – he can think on his feet. His special talents include being quick enough to jab you with the vertigo drug. The Count’s entrance is memorable – when one of his goons gets cornered by “The Hood” and lives, he’s taken to the drug kingpin. He pleads with the Count that he didn’t tell him anything. “Of course you didn’t,” the Count replies. “You don’t know anything to tell.” Just when the thug believes he’ll get out alive, the Count stabs him with his special concoction of vertigo, which makes his brain go wonky and makes him believe he’s in awful pain. The Count hands him a gun and gives him a choice: the thug can shoot and kill the Count…or he can shoot himself, thus ending the misery. The Count steps back, prepared to take a bullet, but obviously knows from experience that the victim will off himself. The smile that crosses his face as the flash, bang! goes off? Pure, delicious villainy.
And then there’s this guy: the Dark Archer, from “Year’s End.” (This is a serious spoiler, so go elsewhere if you don’t want to know.) The Dark Archer is just as good at archery and hand-to-hand combat as Oliver Queen, if not better. Their fight scene was easily the best one of the season, if only because we finally see Oliver fail at getting his bad guy – not only does he not get him, but he gets seriously hurt and has to run in order to survive. Not even Oliver Queen’s magic washboard abs can defeat the Dark Archer. I didn’t expect to find out who the Dark Archer was, but when the hood came off and the man revealed – well, I’m still thinking about this twist. Turns out it’s someone close to Oliver- his best friend Tommy’s dad, Malcolm Merlyn (played by John Barrowman). We already knew Malcolm wasn’t a nice guy (like, really not), but to be that good with a bow and arrow? I never saw the rich, suit-wearing, corporate guy under the hood. Especially the one that can take on Green Arrow and win (he even suggests the Hood change his name to Green Arrow – a nice nod to the comic). And he knows about Oliver’s book of names, the evidence his father gave him to go after the criminals destroying Starling City? The Dark Archer knows how to shake Oliver Queen to his very core, the belief system he’s had for the last 5 years to survive. Turns out, as we find a couple episodes later, Malcolm – back in his expensive suit – is still angry about Tommy’s mom being murdered in the street. We don’t know why or how he turned so dark (not yet – I can’t wait for Barrowman’s scenes there!), but Tommy does mention that his dad disappeared for a while when he was only 8 years old. It’s inferred that Malcolm Merlyn made his way to the island full of bad guys who train assassins. If you look deeper into the story as a writer, perhaps he even has some sort of higher agenda by becoming the Dark Archer (going after his wife’s killer(s), maybe?). He might just be plain bad because he’s anti-Arrow, but what a deeper story for the character, right? We don’t know ulterior motives or future plans, and that’s what makes him so dangerous.
ARROW has plenty of other solid villains and storylines, but those are the three that stick out in my mind. I could easily do another piece on any of the other characters – I think the show’s that good and I hope it sticks around for as long as Stephen Amell continues to do upside-down crunches. What do you think makes a villain interesting? What traits do you love to read/write…and why should your hero fear him?
ARROW comes on Wednesdays at 8/7c on the CW Network.
Comics Portal: Me and my ‘Arrow’
Green Arrow (GA) is enjoying something of a renaissance these days!
While his new comic has changed hands pretty consistently, the new CW series Arrow has been doing well on television, garnering good-sized audiences and a strong fan base. I particularly enjoyed the recent discussion on the show that instead of being called “the Hood,” the vigilante should get a better name. “How about Green Arrow?” said John Barrowman’s character. “Lame!” responded Stephen Amell, who plays the titular character. Nice inside joke. If you aren’t a comics fan, you probably don’t care about lines like that, but if you are, it’s a fun bonus!
Based on the success of Smallville: Season 11, DC immediately started up an Arrow digital series, which comes out in print a certain amount of time after the chapters have been released online. (A great way to double dip, in my opinion.) Longtime Green Arrow comics writer/artist Mike Grell has been involved, a treat for fans.
Recently word came that rising star Jeff Lemire would take over writing on the Green Arrow comic that’s part of the New 52. I’ve been buying the book regularly anyway, but I’ll buy with more interest with him involved. (Hey, I’d do that no matter what comic he was working on!)
As a “seasoned” comics reader, I remember Green Arrow’s glory days. He was originally a Batman-like hero who even had an Arrow plane, an Arrow cave, and an Arrow car. Thankfully, he didn’t have an Arrow dog named Ace.
Neal Adams revamped his costumed in the late 1960s, then the artist joined Denny O’Neil to send the hero going across the country with Green Lantern in an attempt to make the Lantern’s book more “relevant.”
Green Arrow became more liberal politically as time went on, and we saw (and some of us even enjoyed) his occasional debates with Hawkman, who was perceived to lean more to the right.
When Smallville couldn’t bring on Batman because the character’s TV rights belonged to another company at the time, the show’s producers brought in Justin Hartley to play the Emerald Archer. Hartley had previously played Aquaman in a failed TV pilot.
After appearing on Justice League Unlimited quite a bit, Green Arrow became a semi-regular in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series on Cartoon Network.
Since the 1970s, Green Arrow has been romantically tied to Black Canary, who came to Earth-1 from Earth-2. They’ve teamed up in the comics several times, although Mr. Lemire has said in recent interviews that he would prefer to keep her out of the picture for now.
One similarity the actors Hartley and Amell share is their inability to remember to put their shirts on when the camera runs. Maybe we should take a collection of funds to buy shirts for those actors. (Just kidding! I know the ladies enjoy shirtless scenes no matter how often they make guys gag.)
Where will Green Arrow go from here? I hope his star continues shooting high and that he’ll carve out his own place in comics, TV and the movies.
CW’s Arrow Lands a Near Bullseye
Other than some minor digging when I read the show was on the CW schedule, and some familiarity with Oliver Queen from one of the few episodes of Smallville I have seen, I am a stranger to DC’s Green Arrow character. After last night’s debut of Arrow, I may have to amend that situation. If the rest of the season is half as good as the pilot, I have a new favorite show (and a realization I may have a thing for archery- Green Arrow, Hawkeye, Daryl Dixon, I sense a pattern here).
In a nutshell, billion dollar socialite party boy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was in a boating accident with his father (Jamey Sheridan) and presumed dead. But in reality, he spent five mysterious years on a strange Pacific island. Now he has been rescued and has returned home wanting to make amends. And making amends includes dressing up in a green hooded outfit, utilizing some super archery skills and high tech arrows, and taking out names from a little black book one by one.
What works about the pilot is the way the episode stacks the storyline. Plot and character development are shared with excellent timing. The Queens’ maid, Oliver’s best friend Tommy (Colin Donnell), Oliver’s sister Thea (Willa Holland), girlfriend Dinah Lance (Katie Cassidy) and Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) all react to Oliver in ways that tell us about his questionable past behavior without the need for more flashbacks beyond what happened during the boat accident. I love the nice bit of Hamlet thrown in when upon his arrival home he finds his mother has married a business associate of his father, Walter Steele (Resident Evil’s doomed, smooth voiced Colin Salmon) whom Oliver doesn’t seem to like or trust right off the bat. The added layer of family tension between Oliver, his much loved but troubled sister Thea and overprotective (or is she?) mother (Susanna Thompson) could make for its own CW show. Everyone seems to have a secret, some may even be bigger than Oliver’s.
The action is well done, quick paced. Mystery abounds and gives the impression the storyline will not run out of surprises anytime in the near future. I am not sure who in Oliver’s life we can trust. And I want to know what happened on the island! And there is a mix of humor to lighten the dark. Tommy’s rehash of what Oliver has missed in five years includes a rundown of the Superbowl champs “And Lost. They were dead the whole time. I think.” Oliver also has some physically engaging moments with his bodyguard Diggle (forced upon him by his mom) that give a laugh. I am curious to see how Oliver and Diggle’s relationship will grow and if Diggle’s intentions are ultimately good or bad.
I can’t say anything doesn’t work about Arrow but there is that gnawing bit of “Isn’t this sort of Batman’s story?” But we can all just suck up and deal because there are archetypes to a hero’s story and that is just the way it is; it’s new wine in old bottles, as they say. I also could do without the narration by Oliver, but it is not too intrusive. And while I am a Katie Cassidy fan (she was my favorite Supernatural Ruby) my initial impression is I didn’t feel any immediate chemistry between she and Amell. I hope we get to meet Dinah’s alter ego, The Black Canary, sooner than later and perhaps some vigilantes in disguise will heat things up between them.
From weightlossandtraining.com
Now for a brief interlude from my hormones. The ultimate moment for me was Oliver’s workout / training montage. I didn’t know people could do that and it didn’t look like stunt double, so Mr. Amell, hats off to you sir, nicely done. I warned Proffitt by texting “hang on to your ovaries” before she watched. Back to all seriousness now.
I am really looking forward to keeping up with Arrow and following Mr. Amell’s career. I hope no ill falls Paul Blackthorne’s character because he is one actor that needs to be brought to the front line instead of his usual supporting roles. (Yes, I am still holding a grudge for the cancellation of The Dresden Files.) I hope the CW treats it as more of a serious story for grown-ups and takes more of the Supernatural route, avoiding the young adult soap opera marketer of fashion and music route with a “this week’s episode of Arrow featured music by ____” closing. And who among us is not excited and anxious to see John Barrowman’s appearance? All in all, Arrow may just make up ever so slightly for the lack of a more major storyline for Hawkeye in The Avengers.
Geoff Johns to Write Episode of CW’s Arrow
The new CW show Arrow has been building excitement since it was announced. Now they have yet another feather in their cap. It has been announced that episode 107 of the series will be written by a team of writers including superstar of the comic world Geoff Johns. Johns is DC Entertainment’s Chief Creative Office and writer on legendary comic books such Superman, Green Lantern and The Flash just to name a few. Also writing on the episode will be fellow comic writer Marc Guggenheim who has worked on The Punisher, Aquaman and also The Flash. Andrew Kreisberg is the third member of the team and also boasts some impressive credits having worked Justice League, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Warehouse 13 TV series.
The title of the episode will be “Muse on Fire”. While we do not yet know what the plot of the episode will be, but Johns has said the we can expect to see the Huntress. The Huntress is a popular character and is just one of many who have been confirmed to be a part of the show. Stephen Amell takes on the role of the Green Arrow, Oliver Queen while Australian actress Jessica De Gouw will play the Huntress. Yesterday it was announced that Battlestar Galactica alum Tahmo Penikett will guest star as the Huntress’s father’s right hand man. A comprehensive list of confirmed characters can found here. Given all the characters that will be a part of the series and all the talent behind creating it The show is bound to be a success. Johns is as just as enthusiastic about writing the episode as we, the fans, are to see it.
The Arrow premiers up on October 10th and can be seen on the CW network at 8/7c.
CW’s ARROW Casts DC Comics’ The Huntress
The CW’s Arrow announced the arrival of another character this week and it’s a big one. Not only is it a classic DC Comics character, but Stephen Amell’s hero is getting a possible love interest!
Intended for a multi-episode arc in the highly anticipated fall action series, The Huntress will be played by Australian actress Jessica De Gouw.
Australian actress Jessica De Gouw will be playing The Huntress
The Huntress, introduced in 1947, is the star of her own series and like so many other superheroes, there’s been a few different takes on her storylines. Arrow will have a modern-day version who goes by the name of Helena Bertinelli, the daughter of a mafia boss who vows revenge after her family is murdered.
The official character description: “Helena is a potential love interest for Oliver Queen; a fellow vigilante, set on destroying her father’s organized crime empire. But Helena’s blind pursuit of revenge will put her on a collision course with the Arrow.”
Sources say for viewers to expect The Huntress to show up around episode six.
Arrow also acquired John Barrowman for an undisclosed role. While the Huntress is now confirmed, rumors are also floating about including Batman and Firestorm on the show.
Arrow premieres Wednesday, October 10th.
Source: EW.com
ARROW Acquires Torchwood’s John Barrowman
John Barrowman is headed to The CW for their new fall action-drama Arrow. Barrowman, well-known for his roles on Doctor Who and Torchwood, is signed on for a recurring role.
No one’s saying much, but so far it’s been revealed Barrowman will play a “well-dressed man” who is “as mysterious as he is wealthy … he is an acquaintance of the Queen family and a prominent figure in Starling City.”
Looks like it’s pure speculation for the next few weeks until the big reveal! Who do you think Barrowman will play? I’m going with a DC superhero (though there are so many there’s no telling who it could be), but perhaps they’d surprise us and peg him as a long-term villain.
Batman and Firestorm Coming to CW’s Arrow?
In the new CW show Arrow, billionaire Oliver Queen returns home after being marooned for five years on a remote island. He’s got a new agenda, fancy weapons, and judging from the previews I’ve seen, a smokin’ body ready to take the fight to the bad guys. But will he have any friends to help fight crime? Rumor has it we might be seeing not only Firestorm, but maybe even Batman.
China White (played by Kelly Hu), Deathstroke, and Deadshot (played by Michael Rowe) are already confirmed as baddies for the new series, which means Oliver Queen will certainly be keeping busy. Does that mean he might invite a little help into his city? Arrow writer Marc Guggenheim says it is possible we’ll get to see some of Oliver’s other superhero pals as the series develops.
Word is Emily Bett Rickards has been cast in the show as Felicity Smoak. As the stepmother of one half of the hero Firestorm, Ronald Raymond, and a part described as a recurring role, it’s more than possible we could see Firestorm in the show. This does, however, go against the show’s claims that “no one in Arrow has super powers.”
When asked if Batman might be brought in to help Queen, Guggenheim says, “My hope is that we can use him at some point. I think that plagued the Smallville showrunners more than it plagues us because, obviously, the Dark Knight Trilogy is over…My hope is that they’ll be available to us at some point. That would be awesome. No question, that would be absolutely awesome. But I don’t know. That’s above my pay grade.”
“I would say, ‘Probably,’” he answered when asked if superheroes would appear on Arrow in the future. “One of the things we want to do is roll the show out at the right pace. For the most part, I think we’ve taken the philosophy that things are happening sooner rather than later. I always feel like every time we get the note from the network, ‘Is this happening too soon?,’ I feel like we’re on the right track. I know as a viewer myself, I’m impatient. I want to see stuff. We’re not going to make the audience wait to see characters, plot twists, revelations. I think running out of great characters and great moments is a quality problem to have, and I just want to have them.”
(via MTV Splash Page, The Mary Sue and SuperHeroHype)
What do you all think? Are we still high enough from our Nolan’s Batman to be excited for a possible Arrow appearance or should it stay out entirely to keep the show balanced, as Batman’s appearance could take away from Oliver Queen as the head superhero? And if Firestorm is brought in, is there a way to keep magic powers out of it and stick with the “realistically grounded” superhero approach?
And in case you’re still on the fence about watching the show, here’s a preview so you can hope on board!
Deadshot Takes Aim at ‘Arrow’ TV Series
Looks like Oliver Queen is getting a dangerous addition to his rogues gallery this fall when the Arrow series debuts on the CW.
On Monday, Superhero Hype reported that Deadshot, DC’s most famous marksman assassin, will make his grand entrance in the third episode, which will be titled, “Lone Gunman.”
The website posted a quote series star Stephen Amell gave to another media outlet. Amell, who plays Oliver Queen, aka the titular Arrow, spoke of how Deadshot will fare when their characters meet.
“Unfavorably, for Deadshot, I would suspect. I can tell you that they are going to be after some of the same people. Oliver does have a code. Obviously, it doesn’t include ‘no killing,’ as we’ve established so far, but there is a code. I don’t think Deadshot has it. I don’t think he respects his methods, which puts him in Oliver’s sights.”
The article makes no mention of who will play Deadshot, though that news will likely come soon, since Arrow’s October 10th premiere isn’t that far away.
I’m pretty excited to see Deadshot portrayed in a live-action program, and I wonder how they’ll create the “real-life” version of his costume. This show already has Queen himself, and Katie Cassidy playing Laurel Lance (who could become the Black Canary), and now it has Deadshot. It looks like Arrow could be DC’s television showcase for its street fighter type characters, if it’s a success, which should be wonderful to see onscreen.
According to Superhero Hype, the show’s other stars and characters are Colin Donnell as Tommy, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, with Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance.
New Clip: The CW’s Arrow Has Action In His Sights
After half a decade trapped on an island, Oliver Queen is back on the mainland with more skills to show for it than your usual Survivor contestant. This hard-hitting clip from the CW’s Arrow shows that the DC Comics hero does not need archery equipment to target the bad guys.
The preview clip picks up after billionaire playboy Oliver Queen has been rescued from the island, and then abducted by masked men wanting to know if his father survived the shipwreck that stranded Queen on the island.
Although this is the first DC Comics property that the CW has successfully launched post-Smallville, it does not follow the Smallville version of the Oliver Queen character, portrayed by Justin Hartley.
The new Arrow* is played by Stephen Amell with other cast members including Katie Cassidy, Susannah Thompson and Paul Blackthorne. Our next window into the DC Universe opens Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 8/7c, prior to Supernatural on the CW.
*(Green sold separately.)
The CW Network Releases Footage From the Green ‘Arrow’ TV Show
Check it out!
The CW’s unveiled some revealing footage up the upcoming Arrow TV series, which is based on the adventures of DC Comics’ bow slinging superhero Green Arrow. Screen Rant posted a YouTube video of the footage on Friday.
The clip is about a minute-and-a-half long and features a buffed-out Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) training in his warehouse hideout. There’s equipment, abs, and of course, arrows and targets getting hit. The overall tone is very serious, and this seems like a Green Arrow (or just Arrow) who means business.
Here’s more information about the show from CW, courtesy of Screen Rant:
“After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory.
By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be – flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle – while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel’s father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver’s own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.
The series stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, Colin Donnell as Tommy, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, with Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance.”
Get Ready for a Full Season of Arrow and a New Beauty and the Beast Show, Courtesy of the CW
The upcoming TV season will have some treats for sci-fi and fantasy fans. According to Screen Rant, the CW network is ordering a full season of Arrow, based on DC’s Green Arrow superhero character, and a new Beauty and the Beast series, an update of the cult classic Beauty and the Beast show from the 1980s.
Arrow
If Arrow’s a hit, comic book fans will be pleased that another superhero is getting the live-action treatment in a quality program. The series will star Stephen Amell as the heroic archer, and Katie Cassidy will play Dinah Lance. (Let’s hope that Ms. Lance becomes the awesome Black Canary at some point, and not just stay a boring “regular” lady).
Here’s the blurb from the show that Screen Rant posted:
Billionaire playboy Oliver Queen returns home to Starling City after five years of being marooned on a remote island in the Pacific following a deadly yacht crash. Forever changed by his traumatic ordeal, Queen now seeks to make amends for his checkered past by becoming the bow-wielding vigilant Arrow - and by restoring the declining Starling City to its former glory. Queen’s new extra-curricular activities will put him in conflict with those he loves, including his mother Moria and his sister Thea, who are beginning to realize something is different about him – as well as the Starling police who are hell-bent on bringing the fledgling vigilante to justice.
Beauty and the Beast
The new Beauty and the Beast show was possibly created to capitalize on the current fairy tale craze that’s sweeping Hollywood. There are the Once Upon a Time and Grimm TV shows, and the movie studios are getting ready to release the second of two live-action films based on the Snow White myth, Snow White and the Huntsmen (Mirror Mirror, the first, was released this Spring).
And now we have this upcoming Beauty and the Beast retelling. It’s interesting to note that Screen Rant refers to it as a TV show, but its Internet Movie Database listing (linked above) pegs it as a TV movie, not a show.
In any case, it stars Smallville alum Kristin Kreuk as Catherine Chandler, the female lead who falls in love with the male lead, the Beast, played by Jay Ryan.
Here’s the Beauty and the Beast blurb from Screen Rant:
After witnessing the murder of her mother at the hands of two gunmen, Catherine Chandler grows up to become a smart tough-as-nails homicide detective. What drives Catherine is the fact that on the night her mother was killed she was saved by someone… or something. Officially documented as an animal attack, no one believes Catherine when she tells them it’s not that simple. While investigating a murder, Catherine is led to a doctor named Vincent Keller, who was reportedly killed years ago in Afghanistan. Discovering Vincent alive is not the only secret Catherine must keep: when enraged, he becomes a savage beast, with no control over his strength. Bonding together, the two work together to not only protect the streets but to solve the case of Catherine’s mother’s murder.
Katie Cassidy Joins Cast of CW’s Arrow
Katie Cassidy
Solidifying its status as a friend of the nerd, the CW will be shooting a pilot for Arrow this spring. The cast announcements are growing with every passing day. The latest and most exciting addition is CW favorite Katie Cassidy in the role of Dinah “Laurel” Lance. Right now we know that Dinah will have a romantic history with Oliver Queen/Green Arrow but there is no certainty as to exactly how the writers will interpret the full Green Arrow story. Fans of the DC universe know that Dinah, AKA Black Canary, was one of the founders of the Justice League of America, has a tumultuous relationship with Oliver Queen, and she has super powers. The character has been used by the CW (and the defunct WB) in Smallville and the short lived but loved Birds of Prey. But knowing Katie’s catalog of work, I know she is going to bring something new to the part of Dinah.
If you are unfamiliar with Katie Cassidy you must not be watching much TV or see many movies. Cassidy has
I wouldn't cross her, that scary look
been a model, reality TV show contestant, singer, muse, and an actress. Thankfully she seems to have chosen to focus on the acting, THIS was not her finest moment. Her oeuvre spans from bubble gum comedy to seedy teenage serials to horror to drama. She’s been an every day teen, a schemer, a victim, a demon and she’s been believable and likeable in every roll she has played. Katie can fight, stand her ground, exude effervescence and she has one powerful gaze. She can go from smiling and coy to shooting daggers with her eyes. And if you ask me, one super hero necessity is a fear inducing gaze. However, after the Wonder Woman costume debacle of 2011, I am kind of fearful of the outfit she could end up squeezed into for the Black Canary.
I blame the outfit for Wonder Woman not getting picked up
I don’t know if it was because I was never really a big Superman fan, but Smallville never really did it for me. But I have hope for Arrow because of the talent behind it. David Nutter is directing the pilot and his career spans back to the original 21 Jump Street, Game of Thrones and nerd favorites X Files, Roswell, and Supernatural. Arrow was written by the team of Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, both of TV’s No Oridinary Family and the recent The Green Lantern movie. Speaking of Supernatural, Katie rocked it as the first, and in most fans’ opinions, the best Ruby.
Rounding out Arrow’s cast is the hunky Stephen Amell as Oliver/Arrow, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Susanna Thompson as Oliver’s mother, Willa Holland as Oliver’s sister, and stage actor Colin Donnell as villain Merlyn. I will tell you now, it is looking like Amell and Donnell will be the Good Girls Gone Geek “Crushes of 2013”. I think Chris Hemsworth obsessed Proffitt will be team Amell and I will have to go for the dark, brooding Donnell.
Team Bex
Team Proff
Assuming the creative team stays somewhat in the story as we know it, I hope they can produce a canary cry that is not overly cheesy nor migraine inducing. The list of potential guest starring characters is exciting Tom Welling reprising his Superman/Clark Kent role, Wonder Woman, Batman, Plastic Man and more could make a TV burst. Hold tight to your chairs everyone, the Arrow pilot is scheduled to film this spring and I should be singing its praises *knock wood* this fall.
Have you checked out the Kickstarter page for “A CON-voluted Story”? Our very own Word of the Nerd team is involved with this awesome project! Show them some love!
CW’s ‘Arrow’ Casts its Green Arrow
I love it when a Canadian gets their due. If you have read through any of my other posts (I’m assuming you have read the rest of my articles…you should have….Because they’re awesome!) you will know that I once met a young Scott Speedman – Before his Underworld days – because his mother was one of my elementary school teachers. Well another of my obscure childhood acquaintances has hit it big. And by obscure childhood acquaintances, I mean: he was a family friend, and closer with my older brother. But I do have home videos to prove it!
Stephen Amell has reportedly signed up to play the lead role in CW’s new show Arrow. It should be noted that this show has no connection whatsoever to Smallville, and it will be based entirely on Oliver Queen and his exploits as his alter ego The Green Arrow.
For those of you unfamiliar with Stephen Amell’s work, it isn’t necessarily a surprise. He is a rising star and has made appearances on many shows, including: Private Practice, The Vampire Diaries, Heartland and 90210. More recently though, he was cast as Thomas Jane’s rival in the HBO series Hung, which was recently canceled by HBO to make room for their Dramatic shows (i.e. Game of Thrones, True Blood, and Boardwalk Empire).
The show itself is being handled by Marc Guggenheim and Greg Berlanti, both of whom, in one capacity or another worked on major shows and films like: Green Lantern, No Ordinary Family and CSI Miami. These two are acting as both producer and writer for the show.
I’m looking forward to seeing the way they bring this project to life. I was a fan of Smallville (the earlier seasons anyway), and really enjoyed watching a young Clark Kent grow into the hero we know from the comic books. I am hoping that this project is handled a little better than the later seasons of Smallville which became convoluted and over-saturated with nonsensical plot lines.
Green Arrow and Batman share a similar back story. Both of them were born into a very wealthy family, and both watched their parents die at a young age, helpless to do nothing. While Bruce Wayne began training to strike fear into those that pray on the fearful, Oliver Queen became a drunken playboy. That is until one day, when he fell off his boat in the middle of the ocean, clutching his favorite Bow (His childhood hero was Robin Hood, so it’s not that weird..) and washed up on a deserted island, where he became a master archer and learned to fend for himself. However, the island wasn’t deserted and was being used as a staging ground for a heroin operation. At seeing this, he used his new found skills to destroy the operation and capture the drug smugglers. Upon returning to his home, he decided to use his money and skills (he is proficient in many martial arts as well as being a badass with the bow) to fight crime as a vigilante – Much like Batman – thus becoming The Green Arrow.
So you can see how this would make for a good t.v. series. I can’t help but wonder how this is going to play out in the series. Is there going to be a lot of time spent on the island? Or is going to be mostly him as the Green Arrow, but with flashbacks to his origin? All in all I’m excited to see Stephen Amell in this role, as I know he has the acting “chomps” to handle the role properly, and he does resemble Oliver Queen/Green Arrow.
What do you think of this casting decision? Did you have anyone else in mind to play Oliver Queen? Are you excited for “Arrow“? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and remember…
NERD IT UP!!
Source: Superhero Hype, IMDB, Hollywood Reporter,
