Constantine
NBC made the pickup earlier this week for the DC Comics property Constantine and now they’ve got their first promotional video out for it ahead of the upfront this coming week. The two and a half minute piece gives us a good look at what’s to come as we see Matt Ryan taking on the title character and some of the graphics, which are what you’d expect for a pilot work that hasn’t fully set in for its team and what they’re going to do – i.e. we expect it’ll grow and get better as a full series order works its way out there. It’s also notable that they do list it as being based on the comic book series and that they actually call it by the original title of Hellblazer. I can’t say I ever thought this kind of series would see the light of day.
This gives NBC its only comic book based show, something that it felt it needed to be competitive as more of them are showing up on primetime networks in addition to cable networks. This marks the fourth DC Comics series to go to TV this season with iZombie, The Flash and Gotham out there alongside third season series Arrow this fall.
Constantine stars Matt Ryan as the lead character alongside Lucy Griffiths, Harold Perrineau and Charles Helford. It comes from Daniel Cerone and David S. Goyer with Neil Marshall directing the pilot.
Plot Concept: Seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine (Matt Ryan, “Criminal Minds”) specializes in giving hell… hell. Armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and his wickedly naughty wit, he fights the good fight — or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he’s decided to leave his do-gooder life behind, but when demons target Liv (Lucy Griffiths, “True Blood”), the daughter of one of Constantine’s oldest friends, he’s reluctantly thrust back into the fray – and he’ll do whatever it takes to save her. Before long, it’s revealed that Liv’s “second sight” — an ability to see the worlds behind our world and predict supernatural occurrences — is a threat to a mysterious new evil that’s rising in the shadows. Now it’s not just Liv who needs protection; the angels are starting to get worried too. So, together, Constantine and Liv must use her power and his skills to travel the country, find the demons that threaten our world and send them back where they belong. After that, who knows… maybe there’s hope for him and his soul after all.”