CW's "Arrow" series

Green Arrow Drama Nears Pilot Order At CW BY NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday January 12, 2012 @ 8:15pm PST

The CW is finalizing a deal for a pilot order to Arrow, an hourlong superhero drama based on DC Comics’ Green Arrow. It is written and executive produced by The Green Lantern co-writers Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and Fringe and Vampire Diaries alum Andrew Kreisberg. I hear that David Nutter is interested in directing the project, which takes the comic book character, created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and sets him in a new world with an original story that is not based on the comics, published by DC Entertainment. Arrow, produced by Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti’s studio-based Berlanti Television, was developed by Berlanti and Guggenheim who came up with the idea and wrote the storyline and then brought in Kreisberg to write the script. Kreisberg, who has comics experience, having written DC Comics’ Green Arrow and Black Canary among other books, previously worked with Berlanti and Guggenheim on their ABC drama Eli Stone. First introduced in an 1941 edition of More Fun Comics, Green Arrow is a superhero dressed like Robin Hood who is an archer using trick arrows, including glue, net, tear gas and even kryptonite arrows.

His secret identity is billionaire Oliver Queen. This marks the character’s return to the CW where it was a fixture on the Superman-inspired Smallville for several years. Portrayed by Justin Hartley, who is not attached to Arrow, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow was introduced in a 7-episode arc on the show in 2006, with Hartley joining the series as a regular in 2008. Also serving as a bridge between the two shows would be Nutter, who directed the pilot for Smallville. Developing a series based on a DC property to succeed the recently departed Smallville was a priority for the CW this development season. “We’re looking next year to do a superhero show if the right superhero comes to be,”

CW president Mark Pedowitz said at the summer TCA. In addition to Arrow, the network has in contention an adaptation of Deadman penned by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke. This is the CW’s second pilot order this season, following the pickup of mystery drama Cult last week. Arrow would mark the second pilot order for Berlanti and Guggenheim so far this season. Earlier this week, Fox greenlighted Guilty, a legal drama penned by Guggenheim and executive produced by him and Berlanti. Berlanti, Guggenheim, Nutter and Kreisberg, who serves as co-executive producer on Syfy’s Warehouse 13, are with WME.

A "Green Arrow" television series is being planned for The CW with Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg writing and executive producing, EW reports.

Dating all the way back to 1941 when he made his first appearance in "More Fun Comics" #73, Oliver Queen is a billionaire who leads a double life as expert archer and costumed hero Green Arrow. Over the years, Queen has been a member of the Justice League and even Mayor of his hometown, Star City.

Justin Hartley previously played a television version of the character on "Smallville", becoming a regular cast member in later seasons. It's not mentioned whether or not the new series will connect in any way, but it is noted that Hartley is not being sought to play the role at this time.

"Green Arrow" isn't the only DC superhero being planned for the small screen. Plans for a "Booster Gold" pilot were announced late last year with "Blue Beetle," "Deadman" and "Spectre" series still believed to be in various stages of development.

Of course, just because a network expresses an interest in a pilot doesn't mean that a series will see the light of day, as was the case with last year's proposed "Wonder Woman" series.

Apologist Puncher wrote:While I appreciate new threads, one on this very subject already exists....

non_amos wrote:Sorry. I wasn't aware of that. Now I am. My bad.

The CW has officially given the pilot order for the new "Green Arrow" television series, Deadline reports, though the emerald archer is losing his "green." The show will go with the title "Arrow."

First reported last week, the series will adapt DC Comics'character with a script from Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, who are also executive producing.

Dating all the way back to 1941 when he made his first appearance in "More Fun Comics" #73, Oliver Queen is a billionaire who leads a double life as expert archer and costumed hero Green Arrow. Over the years, Queen has been a member of the Justice League and even Mayor of his hometown, Star City.

"Arrow" joins two other pilot orders, "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Carrie Diaries," both of which you can read about over at ComingSoon.net.

webhead2006 wrote:I don't see much ofba problem with calling it arrow, yess ga would hhave been betterm or a slang name of his. But a show name is just a name.

thecolorsblend wrote:

webhead2006 wrote:I don't see much ofba problem with calling it arrow, yess ga would hhave been betterm or a slang name of his. But a show name is just a name.

Fuck's sake, the character's name is "Green Arrow". The title of the show will apparently be just "Arrow".

In B89, the movie wasn't titled "Bat". It was titled "Batman".

STM wasn't titled "Super". It was titled "Superman".

Names. They matter.

Plus, I'm sick of this annoying post-TDK trend of calling a superhero everyfuckingthing EXCEPT his name. It's okay to use the hero's name, guys.

webhead2006 wrote:Well what about smallville it was sv and not superman or what have you. I still don't see it being that bad. Plus take for exampple when the aquaman pilot was happening the show was going to be called mercy reef. Title from to when series could change.

webhead2006 wrote:Well what about smallville it was sv and not superman or what have you. I still don't see it being that bad. Plus take for exampple when the aquaman pilot was happening the show was going to be called mercy reef. Title from to when series could change.

webhead2006 wrote:I remember it was going by mercy reef at some point during its production.

webhead2006 wrote:Colors what I was getting at is during some points of production I remembered the mercy reef name floating around. In the end yes when it was released and so for it was titled aquaman. I was just trying to say at one point it was known as mercy reef.

The CW’s Green Arrow Pilot “Arrow” – Character Details (Spoilers!)
Craig Byrne January 23, 2012 15
And now some of the mysteries are solved!

Via casting breakdowns, GreenArrowTV has learned a little bit about some of the characters we’ll be seeing in The CW’s pilot Arrow.

Here are some of the characters we have to look forward to (subject to change):

Oliver Queen – It’s pretty obvious this would be the name of the main character, right? It sounds like he was believed dead for a few years before making a return home.

At some point Oliver is kidnapped and cuffed to a chair but gets himself loose.

The Arrow wears a green body armor that is “so dark it’s virtually black.” He has a bow and arrow, of course. He may have a mask covering the lower half of his face, distorting his voice. The costume also has a hood.

It sounds like this version of Oliver Queen is at least 25, and he is written very much like the Green Arrow was in his better Smallville appearances.

It also seems that we will see flashbacks to his time on the island and how he got there, and what led him to becoming a good guy.

Dinah “Laurel” Lance – Dinah’s using her middle name here. She and Oliver have not seen each other in five years, before his return to the city. “Laurel” went to law school. It doesn’t appear that she is the Black Canary (yet). She works with a firm called the City Necessary Resources Initiative.

Tommy was Oliver’s best friend before he disappeared for several years. He sounds like a bit of a frat boy. He notices Oliver has changed a lot in his years away. The character himself might have a tie to a Green Arrow foe from the comics. Tommy tells Oliver about what his funeral was like a few years earlier.

Sara – Back on the boat, Oliver had a history with a character named Sara, and that history may be the reason Laurel is not happy to see him when he returns to town. In fact, she’s downright angry.

Thea – A young relative of Oliver’s, around 18. He teasingly calls her “Speedy.”

Moira Queen – Oliver’s mom is still alive as of the pilot, but his father was killed on the boat, in the incident that originally sent Oliver to the island. In the years since, she has remarried a man named Walter who doesn’t understand Oliver’s sudden interest in the company, Queen Consolidated.

The city seems to be called “Starling City” rather than “Star City.”

DC Comics shoutouts include a “Mr. Grell” and “Danielle DiDio.” There’s also a bank account numbered 52.

How does it sound, so far?

Very, very good!

UPDATE: More details about the characters being cast for Arrow have now surfaced! Check them out here:
MORE Details From The Green Arrow Pilot Character Breakdowns
Craig Byrne January 24, 2012 0
The TV Addict today must have gotten a hold of the character breakdowns for Arrow, because he’s got a whole lot more detail than even what we had in our posting from yesterday…

Check out their original piece where they also offer some of their casting choices.

Here are more details that they were able to get:

- Oliver Queen is a “27 year old reformed bad boy.” He spent five years shipwrecked on a tiny, dangerous island. He returns to Starling City “a different man.”

- Dinah “Laurel” Lance is 28, and she’s “a legal aid attorney determined to use her life as a one-woman war against the 1%” following the death of her sister Sara.

- Remember the Sara character we mentioned in the previous post? She’s “Laurel”‘s sister, and she died aboard Oliver’s yacht. Oops. No wonder Dinah/Laurel is mad at him.

- The “Tommy” mentioned before, his last name is Merlyn. Like Green Arrow’s enemy. Described as “28 years old and devil-smooth.” He can’t understand Oliver’s change of lifestyle and direction. He likes parties, liquor, and sex… so “frat boy,” like we mentioned before.

- Moira Queen is very wealthy and “not used to being shaken.” She is in charge of the Queen fortune, and is worried that Robert Queen will return unexpectedly as well.

- John Diggle is a 35 year old African-American military man who served with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan. He’s hired by Moira to be Oliver’s bodyguard. Oliver repeatedly eludes his protection. The casting breakdown (or TVAddict’s piece) also said this: “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.”

- And here’s where the pitchforks came out – The TVAddict has confirmed that Thea is Thea Queen, Oliver’s younger… sister. She was 12 when Oliver and her father disappeared. Now she’s a “celebutante” who acts badly. She loved her big brother with all of her heart, and she’s glad to have him back – but now that she’s older and spreading her wings, she might not be ready for Oliver to be Bad Cop in her family and making sure she behaves. She is the only one who gets away with calling Oliver “Ollie,” and Ollie, in turn, calls her “Speedy.”

Stephen Amell Is Green Arrow: Lands Title Role In CW Drama Pilot ‘Arrow’
By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday January 31, 2012 @ 12:58pm PST

EXCLUSIVE: One of the highest-profile young lead roles this pilot season has gone to Stephen Amell. In a potential star-making turn, Amell has been cast in the title role of the CW drama pilot Arrow. 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. David Nutter is directing the pilot, written/executive produced by Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim.

Amell is a familiar face at the CW, where he has done arcs on The Vampire Diaries and 90210. He most recently recurred on HBO’s Hung and ABC’s Private Practice and was one of the finalists to replace Andy Whitfield as the lead on Spartacus. Amell is the second actor to portray the Green Arrow on the CW; Justin Hartley played the character on the Smallville for several seasons. Like Nina Dobrev, the breakout star of the CW’s Vampire Diaries, Amell hails from Canada. He is repped by SMS, Leverage and Canada’s Gary Goddard Agency.