NBC’s ‘Constantine’ TV Series Scares Up New Hellblazing Details
NBC's forthcoming 'Constantine' adaptation gave us a first look at the titular "Hellblazer" in an official promo shot of Matt Ryan's demon-fighting detective, though the front has been rather quiet since. Now, new details have emerged about the pilot episode, including the presence of voodoo villain "Papa Midnite," and what brings 'Constantine''s various companions in to the fold.
ShockTIlYouDrop managed to obtain the pilot script for the DC-based adaptation of NBC's 'Constantine,' noting ten important points about the tone of the series, its characters, and the setup that put the story in motion. It seems we will indeed meet comic character Papa Midnite, though casting for the role has yet to be announced. We've cherry-picked a few points of interest from STYD's list, though you can read the entire piece for yourself at the link above:
When we first find John, we learn he has voluntarily checked himself into a psychiatric clinic. He's haunted by an incident in which he lost a 9-year-old girl to a demon who has dragged her soul to hell. This incident has a significant impact on his life and it's hat is driving him. He checks himself out of the hospital after six months to find something sinister is afoot in the realm of the supernatural.
We won't see John in his classic trenchcoat right away, but he gets there.
Liv Parsons, a young woman who works at a rental car facility, gets caught up in John's world when she discovers something is after her. Liv's deceased father, Jasper, knew John and John owes a debt to him.
Papa Midnite – an imposing Cuban man who can dream the future – is ailing when we first find him. He's doing a lot of cocaine because he has to stay awake.
Neil Marshall will helm the pilot episode of NBC’s ‘Constantine,’ which will be written and executive produced by ‘The Mentalist’ executive producer Daniel Cerone along with DC feature writer David S. Goyer. ‘LOST‘ and ‘The Matrix‘ franchise star Harold Perrineau will portray Manny, an authoritative angel assigned to watch over Constantine, while ‘True Blood‘ vet Lucy Griffiths will play Liv, the female lead who teams with Constantine after she is marked for death by a powerful demon.
Additionally, ‘True Detective‘ star Charles Halpert will take the role of Constantine’s comic sidekick Chas, the detective’s oldest friend and staunch companion, who possesses powerful survival skills that might possibly be supernatural. Worth noting is that the 2005 adaptation cast a young Shia LaBeouf as a re-imagined take on the character, while NBC’s version skews much closer to the original comic character.
NBC's 'Constantine' doesn't yet have a formal pickup, but in the meantime, what do you think? Does the new adaptation sound like a better live-action incarnation of the character than Keanu Reeves' 2005 venture?