Constantine, the adaptation of the popular, long-running DC Comics series Hellblazer, has survived pilot season and been ordered to series by NBC. The character has been around since 1988, and was adapted into a surprisingly good movie in 2005. This new take on the character (played by Matt Ryan) has him working as a supernatural detective protecting the world from dark forces, so its ideal for the mystery-of-the-week plot that networks prefer but also open to season-long arcs. Daniel Cerone (Dexter) and David Goyer (Man of Steel) will serve as executive producers, although I imagine Cerone will handle the day-to-day showrunning duties since Goyer is the de facto coordinator of the DC movie universe. I have high hopes for the series, and at the very least, NBC will probably give it some time to breathe. Now I'm curious to see if they'll keep him a chain-smoker. It would be kind of funny if NBC said no to smoking, but continued to say yes to the spectacularly gory shit that goes down on Hannibal.
Hit the jump for the press release. Constantine also stars Lucy Griffiths (True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost), and Charles Halford (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).
Here's the press release:
Based on the wildly popular comic book series “Hellblazer” from DC Comics, 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. The cast also includes Harold Perrineau and Charles Halford. Writer Daniel Cerone (“The Mentalist,” “Dexter”) serves as executive producer with David S. Goyer (“Man of Steel,” “The Dark Knight Rises”). “Constantine” is produced from Bonanza Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. The show is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment.