Battle Royale the TV Series?

The cult classic is being looked at as a TV series.

LA Times reports

In the last few weeks, the CW has had talks with the project's Hollywood representatives about the possibility of turning the property into an English-language show, said a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak about it publicly. The talks were preliminary, but if a deal could be reached, the network would acquire rights to Koushun Takami’s underlying novel, then unpack and expand on it for an hourlong dramatic series.

Asked about the CW talks, Joyce Jun, a Hollywood attorney representing U.S. rights to the title, would say only that "there is no deal in place." A CW spokesman confirmed only there had been some discussion but declined to comment further.

I'll give CW credit, they can do some Teen TV; but in order to keep it real it has to be done on cable. I mean, have you seen Battle Royale? I'm not sure the CW can do it justice.

Maybe Showtime or FX should go after this property.

My (Vague) Review: Arrow

During Comic-Con, I got to see the pilot for Arrow, CW's latest DC Comics series. It's based from Green Arrow and according to the series, the story comes from Green Arrow: Year One.

From what I saw... it was cute, it has CW written all over it, but it's cute. Here's my bullet-point review.

• In the first 10 minutes, we see how hot Arrow is
• The theme of the show is very Gotham-ish, basically Batman Begins with Green Arrow
• Arrow or Ollie was a rich boy boy before his transformation 
• The action scenes were very good, Ollie proves to be a force to be reckoned with 
• His sister is called Speedy, I wonder if this something to come
• Ollie is avenging his father, he knew something big was coming
• Stephen does a great job playing Arrow/Ollie, I hope he can carry the series
• I don't like how they set this up to be look like a younger version of Batman
• The horrid song, Levels found its way in a scene
• Not really feeling Dinah Lance
• The mother knows more than she says she does
• Over all the pilot was cute, on the fence if I will be a watcher, but it was solid 
• China White will be in these season

Hot Poster: Beauty and Beast

This is a pretty beast. According to the story, his beast in within. It's an interesting concept, but I hope the CW can carry the story.

First Look at The Carrie Diaries

via THG

New Trailer: Arrow

 The synopsis

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.

First Look at CW's Arrow and Beauty and the Beast

First Look: The young Carrie Bradshaw for 'The Carrie Diaries'

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New Promo: Ringer

I frakking love this show

Meet the CW's New Green Arrow

CW picked their new Green Arrow for the 'Arrow' series; it's Stephen Amell.

In the Warner Bros TV-produced project, described as a modern retelling of the story of DC Comics character Green Arrow, he will play the vigilante superhero who fights crime using archery, martial arts and technology under his secret identity as Oliver Queen, a wealthy playboy and billionaire industrialist-turned-outspoken politician in Star City.

So are they trying do a Dark Knight version of Green Arrow? I guess so.

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The Cast List for the 'Green Arrow' series

So we know that CW will have Green Arrow or 'Arrow' on their roster, but who are the main cast and what are they looking for?

I have the info, thanks to TV Addict.

 
OLIVER QUEEN
What They’re Looking For: A 27 year old reformed bad boy, who after having spent five years shipwrecked on a tiny, brutally dangerous island in the South China Sea returns to town a different man. Or to be more specific, a tortured, thoughtful master of the bow with a ferocious determination to make a difference.

DINAH “LAUREL” LANCE
What They’re Looking For: 28 years old, smart sexy, Laurel is a legal aid attorney determined to use her life as a one-woman war against the 1% following the death of her younger sister Sara. A sister, who as luck would have it, just so happened to have died aboard Oliver’s yacht.

TOMMY MERLYN
What They’re Looking For: 28 years old and devil-smooth, Tommy is a trustafarian like Oliver, a spectacularly rich young man whose life revolves around parties, clubs, liquor and lots of anonymous sex. Unlike Oliver, he can’t seem to understand his former best friend’s sudden change of lifestyle and direction.

MOIRA QUEEN
What They’re Looking For: 48 years old, a beautiful woman, Oliver’s mother Moira is a very wealthy woman who is not used to being shaken. Having remarried during the five years that former husband Robert and Oliver were both presumed dead, Moira has had free rein over the Queen billions. Not surprisingly, she’s deeply interested in learning whether or not Robert will also return unexpectedly, to ruin her present marriage and go over the books with a fine-tooth comb.

JOHN DIGGLE
What They’re Looking For: 35 years old, African-American, Diggle is really, really big, a former military man who served with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan, and has been a bodyguard for hire for the last four years. Hired by Moira to be Oliver’s chauffeur and protector, Diggle soon finds he is trapped in a battle of wits, as Oliver repeatedly eludes his protection. But in fact, Diggle’s primary conflict is one of loyalty — he has to show that he’s working for Oliver, not Moira, before Oliver will give him a smidgen of trust.

THEA QUEEN
What They’re Looking For: 17 years old (suggest 17-22 years), Oliver’s Lolita-esque sister, Thea was a 12 year old girl when he went on his infamous yachting voyage — but now she’s a celebutante who’s testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Thea loved her big brother with all her heart, and is delighted to have him back in her life — but she’s spreading her wings, and is unprepared for Oliver to become the Bad Cop in the family, restricting her access to boys and drugs.

Another one? Now, ABC orders a version of 'Beauty and the Beast'

Last week, CW ordered a reboot of the 80s version of 'Beauty and the Beast'. Now, ABC has ordered another version as well.

The female-skewing network is moving forward with its reimagining of the classic fairy tale set in a mythical, dangerous world where a beautiful and tough princess discovers an unlikely connection with a mysterious beast.

Human Target scribe Jonathan E. Steinberg (Jericho) will pen the project with Gary Fleder (Life Unexpected) and Mary Beth Basile (October Road) attached to executive produce the ABC Studios project through their Mojo Films shingle.

Um, why? Two shows with the same name and similar tones? Doesn't seem like a smart move from ABC. No ma'am.

CW Greenlights 3 Shows, 1 of them will possibly Fail

I have a love/hate relationship with the network CW. They canceled my favorite show 'Girlfriend', but they have 'Ringer' and I love 'Ringer'... And I maybe, possibly, (I do actually) like 'Vampire Diaries'. But yesterday, news got out about their new picks for the fall of 2012.

Check them out:

Arrow tells the story of a wealthy playboy who acts as a hooded superhero at night, fighting crime with his enhanced arrows.  According to THR, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim (Green Lantern) are producing alongside Andrew Kreisberg (Fringe).  The official pilot order comes just one week after news broke that Arrow landed at The CW.


Carrie Diaries is based on the book of the same name by Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell; the first book in the series was published last year.  Told from Carrie’s point of view, the narrative follows “the aspiring writer through her relationship with Sebastian Kydd and rivalry with popular girl Donna LaDonna.”  Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage and Len Goldstein (Hart of Dixie) are producing.  Former Sex and the City writer/producer Amy B. Harris will be the showrunner.


The CW’s new take on Beauty in the Beast is described as “a modern-day romantic love story with a procedural twist.”  Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper (Brothers and Sisters) are attached as the head writers, to produce alongside Paul Witt, C. Anthony Thomas, Ron Koslow,  and Bill Haber.

The Carrie Diaries will be a tough one. Do we want to see Carrie, before she was NYC Carrie? The Beauty and the Beast reboot? It could work, if it was on cable. And Arrow? Nope, it want work, I know it.

Good News: Green Arrow TV Show in the works! Bad News: No Justin Hartley!

CW may be bringing the Green Arrow as a series. They will try to make it like a Batman brooding hero thing. But here's the kicker to this story... Justin Hartley won't be in it.

Hartley is not involved in the new project, however. Here’s who is on board developing the show: Executive producers/writers are Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters) and Marc Guggenheim (FlashForward), who also both worked on last year’s Green Lantern film, along with Andrew Kreisberg (Vampire Diaries, Fringe — plus he’s worked on the Green Arrow comic book). Berlanti Productions is producing in association with Warner Bros. Television.

CW is close to ordering the pilot. But if this reboots the character away from the established version in Smallville, I'm not sure the fans will flock to it.

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Who Asked For This: Deadman the Series?

Since Smallville is gone, I thought CW would get another STRONG DC comic show on the air. Well, they threw around 'The Graysons' and 'Raven', but the possible winner is... Deadman?

With Smallville ending its 10-season run this past May, the CW has made launching a new superhero franchise based on a DC property a priority. The network’s first effort this development season is Deadman, a drama based on the DC Comics books by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino, which will be written and executive produced by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke. 

The project is about the spirit of a murdered man, Boston Brand, who lives on as he inhabits other people’s bodies and helps them solve crises in their own lives. It is produced by Warner Bros. TV, which handles the mining of the DC catalog for TV series.

Deadman? Nobody wants to see Deadman. Let's roll the dice again, please.

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CW could bring other DC Comics Heroes to the Small Screen

Mark Pedowitz

During The Television Critics Association Summer 2011 Press Tour today, The new (hopefully better) CW president, Mark Pedowitz, would like to bring other DC Comics hero to the tubes.

Variety wrote this bit of info:

Citing the existence of DC Comics in the Warner Bros. family, Pedowitz said he's actively looking to add a superhero-themed series to add to the schedule. He'll have some competition in that regard given ABC entertainment president Paul Lee has previously stated the same intention, drawing from the stable of Marvel, which is also owned by the network's parent company, Walt Disney Co. 

Well, I can only think of one in particular... But there are other DC Comics characters CW could do, with the right writers and producers of course. Any ideas?

Sneak Peek of Sarah Michelle Gellar's New Show 'Ringer'

OMG it's SMG!

CW wants a Musical Teen Drama like 'Glee'... Good luck with that

Good Grief! CW wants horde in on the Glee train by making their version of a teen musical drama.

From Deadline

The CW has bought the music-themed hourlong Prickly Spheres, from writer Matt Goldman as well as Jeff Kwatinetz's production/music management company Prospect Park. The project centers on a talented teen who forgoes classical music scholarship to Julliard to joins a new indie alternative rock band whose quirky but talented members are barely adults themselves. Vision Art-repped Goldman and Kwatinetz are exec producing with Rich Frank and Paul Frank. This is the second music-driven project in the works at CW in addition to Todd Graff/Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas' Acting Out.

I'm jumping the gun here, but this is a FAIL in the making.  They would be better off remaking Satisfaction

SATISFACTION: Movie Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: Satisfaction, Trini Alvarado

CW is thinking about giving Teen Titan RAVEN her own series

WTF? Are they serious? Well, Hell it's the CW, they would greenlight a show about Peter Pan as a sexy boy whore. Anywho, here's the story...

The CW is looking to adapt "Raven," a half-demon also known as Rachel Roth, into a series. Diego Gutierrez, who most recently served as co-exec VP on "V," is writing and will exec produce.

Project has a script order at the CW through Warner Bros. TV and DC Entertainment. 

In DC Comics mythology, Raven -- created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez -- is the daughter of a human and a demon who has empath abilities to read emotions and divine secrets. 

Raven, who's able to teleport herself and enter the minds of others, uses her skills to fight crime while trying to keep her dark internal elements in check. 

"Raven" reps the latest attempt by the C-Dub to find a suitable comic-themed replacement for "Smallville," which is set to retire at the end of this season. 

I love Raven, well George Perez's Raven. She is a fascinating person and has great character depth. But can the CW give us the Raven that some of us old school comics geek love? I doubt it, again this CW; they f**ked up Birds of Prey and almost ruined Dick Grayson.

However, Diego is working on this and he has 'Buffy' cred, so maybe...Maybe this has a shot. But I wonder, why wouldn't CW just do the Teen Titans?

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