‘Constantine’ Producers Say DC’s Occult World ‘Is Open To Us’
The producers of NBC's new series Constantine were very chatty about the series at the Television Critics Association meeting this weekend, on topics ranging from lead actress Lucy Griffith's departure from the series to whether the show will explore the magical corners of the DC Universe.
Blastr reported that Executive Producer David S. Goyer says that there's the distinct possibility that lots of DC's occult characters will show up on the show, while Variety quoted him as saying the show won't explore Constantine's bisexuality any time soon. Below are some highlights from the different reports.
On Lucy Griffiths' exit, producer Daniel Cerone said, "Pilots are great because they’re a bit of a litmus test, we get to figure out what works and what doesn't … Liv is a great character, she’s wide-eyed, she’s reactive, [but] we felt a bit hamstrung by her, frankly.”
Goyer further hinted that the character may die after appearing in the pilot.
As such, Liv, who isn't a comics character, isn't being recast; she's being replaced by Zed, a character who was featured in quite a few Hellblazer stories. She'll be played by actress Angélica Celaya and will "already have powers when she meets John."
Goyer also said the TV version of John Constantine will have an "addictive personality." He'll be a drinker and a smoker, despite previous reports that NBC's standards and practices department wouldn't allow actor Matt Ryan to smoke on-screen. He'll stub out a cigarette in the pilot, and the show won't "glorify" Constantine's smoking, apparently.
As for his sexuality, Goyer said there are no plans to explore that he's bisexual, because that's just "one interpretation" of the character.
Goyer added that the first season will include a loose adaptation of the Swamp Thing story in which John Constantine first appeared, "American Gothic." After that, he said:
The intention is that we've got DC's occult universe open to us and the fact that we have Doctor Fate's helmet in the pilot is a clear indication that we're going to be doing that. And we're introducing another character from the DC Universe within the first eight or nine episodes as well. [They'll appear] in a recurring way, and we'll see where it goes. But it's not just from Hellblazer. The occult world is open to us.
Constantine debuts on NBC this fall.