Season five of The CW’s Arrow, the comic book-inspired series that launched The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, will premiere on October 5, 2016. Cast members from Arrow once again took part in a panel at the San Diego Comic Con followed by roundtable interviews in which they chatted about what viewers can expect from the upcoming season. Sitting down to talk about season five, Emily Bett Rickards (‘Felicity Smoak’) provided the scoop on what’s happening with Felicity and Oliver (played by Stephen Amell) without giving away any spoilers.
Emily Bett Rickards Interview:
Where do we pick up the relationship between Oliver and Felicity?
Emily Bett Rickards: “I do believe that their communication is getting better and I think that that has a lot to do with them being in a new type of relationship past the break-up and having to work together and having a common goal and trying to decide things and trying to improve the city, and not only that themselves and their relationship. So, it’s interesting how we left off with the bunker being destroyed and both just standing strong in a place that they have inevitably destroyed themselves and how their relationship had also been kind of destroyed and broken. How they had done that to themselves and they’re still standing strong I think was a really good example about where they’re going to go because they end up staying in it and they clean it up, and they start moving around each other obviously in a different way. Their dance will be a little different but I think it’s growing.”
Is there still that ongoing element of not being able to fully trust one another?
Emily Bett Rickards: “I feel like they have trust. I feel like they want to think the best of one another and that can sometimes be a problem because you end up finding out how much your boundaries move. I think they’re both very strong-willed and they both have very strong boundaries. It’s trying to figure out where they can let each other back in, so I don’t know if it’s about trust. They both trust they would save each other’s lives, but do they trust each other with their emotions and their heart? That’s different.”
Felicity lost her job at the end of last season. What’s she going to be doing now?
Emily Bett Rickards: “She owns the company, right, because Ray signed it over to her and then she tried to give it back to Ray and he didn’t want it. So, she was CEO of the company and got fired for being CEO. Correct me if I’m wrong – I’ve never been a CEO – I believe that that is possible that she probably still owns the company. So in terms of a day job, we haven’t really seen much of that.”
How will Felicity be helping to ease Curtis into being Mr. Terrific?
Emily Bett Rickards: “Well, I think when Curtis came to Felicity and Oliver being like, ‘Hey, maybe I can be a part of this,’ because that’s easily what he did when he came into the lair last season. And he’s like, ‘I don’t want to be any part of this. I don’t want to do this,’ but this idea of him becoming Mr. Terrific is awesome. He’s going to get in the suit. But it’s sort of him balancing out and finding out what he can do because you don’t go from zero to 100 in being a superhero. You need training. He might have the drive and the goal to go towards it, but you have to have the technical training.”
Watch the full Emily Bett Rickards interview:
(Interview by Fred Topel. Article by Rebecca Murray.)
The CW’s new series Riverdale is based on characters from the popular Archie comics and stars K.J. Apa as Archie Andrews. When the cast hit the 2016 San Diego Comic Con they’d only shot the pilot episode, with filming expected to begin on the rest of the first season this September. Series star Apa wasn’t familiar with the Archie comics prior to auditioning for Riverdale, but he’s quickly become a fan. And during interviews at Comic Con, he talked about getting the role and tackling the lead character.
The Plot: As a new school year begins, the town of Riverdale is reeling from the recent, tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom — and nothing feels the same… Archie Andrews (Apa) is still the all-American teen, but the summer’s events made him realize that he wants to pursue a career in music — not follow in his dad’s footsteps—despite the sudden end of his forbidden relationship with Riverdale’s young music teacher, Ms. Grundy (Sarah Habel). Which means Archie doesn’t have anyone who will mentor him — certainly not singer Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray), who is only focused on her band, the soon-to-be-world-famous Pussycats. It’s all weighing heavily on Archie’s mind — as is his fractured friendship with budding writer and fellow classmate Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse).
Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) is anxious to see her crush Archie after being away all summer, but she’s not quite ready to reveal her true feelings to him. And Betty’s nerves – which are hardly soothed by her overbearing mother Alice (Mädchen Amick) aren’t the only thing holding her back. When a new student, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), arrives in town from New York with her mother Hermione (Marisol Nichols), there’s an undeniable spark between her and Archie, even though Veronica doesn’t want to risk her new friendship with Betty by making a play for Archie. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch)… Riverdale’s Queen Bee is happy to stir up trouble amongst Archie, Betty, and Veronica, but Cheryl is keeping secrets of her own. What, exactly, is she hiding about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there are dangers in the shadows…
K.J. Apa Interview:
Did you know much about Archie before being cast?
K.J. Apa: “I didn’t. I wasn’t too familiar with the Archie comics or the whole Archie world before I started on this project, but my dad was. I gave him a call before I went into my audition and he told me. And, I did some research and got updated.”
Have you read any Archie comics since getting the role?
K.J. Apa: “Yeah. I have to read a lot of comics. (Laughing) It’s a tough job. I love the adaptation by Fiona Staples and Mark Waid, the most recent one. I think they did a great job with that.”
What’s your favorite relationship within the series?
K.J. Apa: “I love the dynamic between me and Cole’s character, Cole Sprouse who is playing Jughead. That’s a really unique friendship that we have there. In the first episode we don’t really see them talking too much because something’s happened between them, but I do like that dynamic that we have.”
Do you think it’s possible to portray the relationships between Archie and Veronica and Archie and Betty without coming across as a player?
K.J. Apa: “I think for sure, definitely. That whole love triangle is timeless. It’s something that’s never going to end. He’s always going to choose one probably, and at the end of the season Archie is going to make up his mind. (Laughing) But, it probably won’t last.”
So you have the whole season mapped out from the start?
K.J. Apa: “We actually don’t. We don’t even know…because you know the whole murder mystery that we have going about who killed Jason Blossom and we don’t even know who it is. Our writer, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, hasn’t disclosed any of that information.”
Is Archie’s red hair a wig?
K.J. Apa: “No, I dyed my hair for the role. I wish I had a wig. I’ve been dyeing my hair so much since I’ve been filming.”
Tell us about the other woman in Archie’s life, Miss Grundy, played by Sarah Habel. How is that going to play out?
K.J. Apa: “That’s a tough one. I mean, Miss Grundy is so useful for Archie in terms of his music because after the summer Archie discovered his passion for music and the only way that he could progress in that way was by getting lessons and stuff from Miss Grundy. That turned into something that I don’t think anyone was expecting – a little romance there. But, yeah, that’s something that’s going to go on throughout the season.”
If you had to play detective at this point, who do you think is the murderer?
K.J. Apa: “A shot in the dark? If I was to know who the murderer was, if I was to guess, I’d probably go with Cheryl (played by Madelaine Petsch).”
Can you talk about the relationship that Archie has with his father, played by Luke Perry? In the pilot there’s a little tension between the two. Will that carry on throughout the season?
K.J. Apa: “I don’t think so. I just think that was a great platform to start on. And by the way, I love working with Luke Perry. It was amazing. Obviously I knew who he was before so meeting him was great. He’s really great. He’s like the father figure on set for us. But, yeah, I don’t think that same dynamic will carry on throughout the series.”
(Interview by Sandy Kraisirideja. Article by Rebecca Murray.)
The CW’s revisiting the popular film Frequency, released in 2000 and starring Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid, with a new series featuring Peyton List and Riley Smith. In a gender-swap, List takes on the role Caviezel played while Smith is on board in the series’ version of Quaid’s role from the feature film. Frequency will premiere on October 5, 2016 at 9pm ET/PT and in support of the show’s upcoming debut, List and her co-stars presented info on Frequency during the 2016 San Diego Comic Con. List also discussed the series during roundtable interviews, saying she’s excited for audiences to get to know the characters. “I hope they take to them. I think that they’re relatable people,” explained List. “I think they’re pretty ordinary people that just doing their best to live life. They’re trying to succeed at life. Sometimes it’s not always pretty but that’s life.”
The Plot: “Detective Raimy Sullivan (List) has always wanted to prove that she is nothing like her father. In 1996, when Raimy was eight years old, NYPD Officer Frank Sullivan (Riley Smith) left Raimy and her mother, Julie (Devin Kelley), behind when he went deep undercover, got corrupted, and got himself killed. Or so the story has always gone. Few people knew about the secret undercover sting operation Frank was really charged with, led by Stan Moreno (Anthony Ruivivar), who has now risen to Deputy Chief of Police. Frank’s former partner, Lieutenant Satch Reyna (Mekhi Phifer), is now Raimy’s mentor and friend, and he has urged her to let go of the hurt and anger she still feels about Frank’s disappearance and death, but the old pain still lingers. Raimy can barely bring herself to discuss Frank, even with her devoted boyfriend, Daniel (Daniel Bonjour), or her childhood friend, Gordo (Lenny Jacobson).
Now, twenty years later, Raimy is stunned when a voice suddenly crackles through her father’s old, long-broken ham radio – it’s Frank, somehow transmitting over the airwaves and through the decades from 1996. They’re both shocked and confused, but Raimy shakes Frank to the core when she warns him that the secret sting he is undertaking will lead to his death. Armed with that knowledge, Frank survives the attempt on his life. But changing history has dramatically affected Raimy’s life in the present – and there have been tragic consequences. Separated by twenty years, father and daughter have reunited on a frequency only they can hear, but can they rewrite the story of their lives without risking everyone they love?”
Peyton List Interview:
Did the fact that they switched up the gender appeal to you, not just because you could play the part?
Peyton List: “Yeah, it did. It did really appeal. It’s funny. When you stop and think about it there aren’t a ton of those father and daughter relationships being portrayed on TV right now. I think it’s kind of special that we get to explore it. I think it really appealed to me because you really see who they truly are. You see them at their worst, you see them at their best. I think the fact that they’re trying to relate as people that are the same age but they’re related – one person has to be the parent and one person has to be the child. Is that always Frank being the parent and Raimy being the child or does it switch? Who are you at your core? There’s a lot of things that appeal to me about it.”
So when her second set of memories come up is that kind of like what you deal with as an actor because you get all of their backstory memories plus your own?
Peyton List: “Yeah. I mean sort of the same thing, especially when you do shows that give you backstory as you go along. You can be four episodes into a show and they’re like, ‘Oh, by the way this is what happened when you were 10.’ And you’re like, ‘Oh…didn’t see that coming but I was playing it all along, I think.’ You do have that sort of with this show the memories hit you as you have in real time changed, in 1996 as it changes. I think the memories come when they come. You recall it when you recall it. I feel a little bit bad for Raimy because I don’t know how overwhelming that is but it’s a really interesting concept.”
You and Riley Smith are playing a different dynamic than you’d expect, playing father and child rather than brother and sister. Can you talk about that?
Peyton List: “Well it’s interesting. Having known Riley for 10 years – I’ve also known him through so many different phases of his life as we grow as people. When he initially read this show he was in love with it. Like, ‘It’s the one!’ I was excited for him because it’s a new chapter for him to play a father and to take on that role. You know, for us it was a huge benefit of knowing each other and working on all these auditions that we work on together, breaking scripts down together and all this stuff, we are so comfortable being vulnerable and being like you are with a family member because that’s what Raimy and Frank have. They kind of are who they are and they say what they think. I think that’s not like a wall that we have to break down, Riley and I. It’s already down. So, I think that helps. I think that helps the chemistry. I feel so safe with him. I feel like I totally trust him as an actor and I hope he feels the same way.”
If you had the opportunity to travel to another time or communicate with someone, who would you talk to or where would you go?
Peyton List: “I don’t know where I’d start. I don’t even know where I’d start. I would do it, and I’ve seen enough of the things where you’re going, ‘Don’t mess with time! You can’t be seen. You can’t breath.’ But I’d totally want to do it. I would just want to see all over the world at different time periods, different forces in history. You know, like dynasties rise and fall. The Roman Empire. I would just do everything.”
Would you go back to 1996?
Peyton List: “’96 was an okay year for me. School was kind of getting hard at that point. I don’t know. I remember liking music. I should never wear those clothes again. It was a bad time for clothes for me. A lot of like velour and white stripes and platform Sketcher shoes or something. […]1996 I think for all of us is a bit more accessible. In the original movie it’s 1969 and I know what the ’60s are but I don’t have access to it like I do with 1996. I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I remember what was the number one hit on the radio back then.’ Don’t ask me – I don’t actually know.”
Watch the full Peyton List interview:
(Interview by Fred Topel. Article by Rebecca Murray.)
Apparently Hollywood’s not quite finished with the idea of bringing more Chronicles of Narnia books to the screen. TriStar Pictures, the C.S. Lewis Company, Entertainment One, and the Mark Gordon Company are teaming up on a new Narnia film based on C.S. Lewis’The Silver Chair. David Magee (Life of Pi, Finding Neverland) has been tapped to adapt the novel for the screen, with Mark Gordon, C.S. Lewis’ stepson Douglas Gresham, Vincent Sieber, and Melvin Adams producing.
The official announcement did not provide any details on the cast or confirm whether any of the actors involved in the first three Narnia films – The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader – will be involved in The Silver Chair. The press release did say those involved in the production are taking a “fresh approach to capture a broad global audience.”
“Developing this project with The C.S. Lewis Company has been immensely exciting and a real joy. We are so pleased to team up with our good friends at TriStar and our partners at eOne to introduce this new, magical chapter of the Narnia franchise to fans around the world, both old and new,” said Gordon.
“It’s been both fun and exciting to work with Mark Gordon and David Magee to develop the next Narnian movie, and now it’s a thrill to welcome Tristar to our Narnia family. I greatly look forward to plunging again into the joys and challenges of once more bringing Narnia to the screen, this time with the wonderful story of The Silver Chair,” said Gresham.
The Book’s Plot: Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, a noble band of friends is sent to rescue a prince held captive. But their mission to Underland brings them face-to-face with an evil more beautiful and more deadly than they ever expected.
What can we expect when NBC’s Grimm when it returns for the sixth season this fall? According to Bitsie Tulloch, Grimmsters should be ready for the possibility Eve has lost her powers right when the fight’s heating up with newly elected Mayor Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz). Tulloch and her Grimm co-stars including fiance David Giuntoli once again participated in the San Diego Comic Con where they discussed season six while keeping things as spoiler free as possible. Chatting about the upcoming season, Tulloch told us Eve is still around as we pick up season six.
Bitsie Tulloch Interview:
Was that a fun arc to play last season?
Bitsie Tulloch: “It was really fun. I loved it. It was more difficult for me than at least… You know, I’ve really been able to play three characters on Grimm, so I consider myself really lucky. Warm Juliette, evil Juliette, and then Eve, and Eve has been the hardest because I’m loud, I’m expressive, I’m warm and Eve is cold and calculating and robotic. You know, really there’s a tremendous amount of conservation of energy. But I watched some great movies for inspiration – Ex Machina, the Luc Besson Nikita. I went into it and Norberto Barba was really great about coaching me, and it ended up being super fun. It was funny because I started training to put muscle mass on, so I was thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to be doing fight scenes right and left,’ but Eve is so powerful all she has to do is look at someone and make their head explode so there was very little actual fighting.”
This next season will we still be seeing Eve or are you back to Juliette?
Bitsie Tulloch: “It’s Eve. It’s a continuation of where five left off so we don’t know that it’s Juliette yet. We know that it’s Eve and she might be feeling some feelings and some guilt. That’s probably one of the main storylines that’s going to get resolved throughout season six.”
That will be an interesting arc for you to play, putting those two together and kind of almost fighting for her soul.
Bitsie Tulloch: “I love that. Like, there being a push/pull almost like a Jack the Ripper thing going on. Like, ‘Who is it going to be?'”
And you obviously want her to end up with Nick, right?
Bitsie Tulloch: “You know, I’ve said this before. Eve doesn’t need a man, just so we are all clear. I know there’s a lot of ‘shipping’ and some people like #Nadalind, people like #Nickette. From my point of view Eve doesn’t need a man so if she ends up single or with someone else, then more power to her.”
In season six they’ll all be going against Renard. How pivotal a role will Eve play in that?
Bitsie Tulloch: “Well, at this point Burkhardt and probably Eve…we don’t know yet if she’s lost all of her powers. So, from the knowledge that the fans have, Eve is still as powerful as Renard going forward. But she also might lose her powers – that’s why you guys all have to watch.”
Even if she does lose her powers, she’ll still be able to be part of the fight, right?
Bitsie Tulloch: “She’s very much included in the gang going forward.”
How do you feel about having a shorter season?
Bitsie Tulloch: “Honestly, we are so grateful to even be going into a sixth season. That doesn’t happen that often anymore. And by the end of season six, we will have shot 123 episodes of television and I’ve nothing but gratitude. I know David, my love, is exhausted so he’s kind of like, ‘All right, I’ll take it,’ you know? And he’s also really excited about directing so it’s all good.”
Are you looking forward to having him direct?
Bitsie Tulloch: “I really am. He’s very prepared. He’s been shadowing on set for almost two years. Any day off he’s been reading books; he’s taken meetings. He really is ready for this. He was in pre-production all last week and he’s doing pre-production all next week, and then he starts shooting on Monday.” (Note: the interview took place on July 23rd.)
And that adds a new element to the series.
Bitsie Tulloch: “Well they had to logistically because in a typical Grimm episode, he’s primarily in most of the scenes. So it’s a really cool way they wrote him out that I can’t wait for people to see and I also can’t talk about it!”
CBS will launch the 2016 reboot of the action series MacGyver on September 23rd at 8pm ET/PT. The original MacGyver starred Richard Dean Anderson as a guy who could get out of any situation by using whatever miscellaneous items – paper clips, toothpicks, etc – he found. The new series starring Lucas Till in the title role will also be filled with MacGyverisms, according to executive producers James Wan and Peter Lenkov. During our interview at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, Wan and Lenkov talked about how the two shows compare and what made Lucas Till the right guy to lead the cast.
The MacGyver Plot: “MacGyver, a reimagining of the classic series, is an action-adventure drama about 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver, who creates a clandestine organization within the U.S. government where he uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives. Joining his team on high-risk missions around the globe is maverick former CIA agent Jack Dalton and Patricia Thornton, ex-field agent turned director of operations and Riley Davis, an unpredictable computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder. At home, MacGyver is entertained by his ambitious roommate, Wilt Bozer. Under the aegis of the Department of External Services, MacGyver takes on the responsibility of saving the world, armed to the teeth with resourcefulness and little more than bubble gum and a paper clip.”
James Wan and Peter Lenkov Interview:
Why do you think now is the right time for a new MacGyver TV series?
James Wan: “I actually think more than ever this is the perfect landscape to bring a show like this. He’s such a different hero in a lot of ways. In a lot of ways he’s like an anti-hero. I don’t mean in a Clint Eastwood kind of way. He’s a guy that doesn’t use guns to solve problems and in the climate that we live in today, it’s kind of refreshing to see an action hero who uses violence only as a last resort to deal with things. He likes to solve his problems with his brains, and find ways to kind of engineer his way out of these predicaments that he gets himself into. So, I think that’s kind of cool.
As Peter has pointed out in the past that with a lot of the cop shows out there, a lot of the action shows out there, it is just so violence-heavy. Again, whereas we do have violence in our show but it’s more action-driven and action in a fun-hearted way.”
Will people recognize the tone from the original or is this something completely different?
James Wan: “I think that tone is very important, that we never lose that tone in this new version. That tone’s very important to us, but of course you know we’re now living in a different time. That show played today would be very different, you know what I mean? You take that show directly out of the ’80s and put it in 2016, I don’t know if it would resonate as well given how much diet of action stories that we’ve seen today. But keeping the tone and that spirit and that philosophy like the original is very important to us.”
Is the tongue still very much in the cheek?
James Wan: “I think so.”
Peter Lenkov: “Yes, I think so. But I think we approach everything with the same… Look, there’s a lot of ingredients in the show – a lot of humor, a lot of heart, a lot of action, adventure, MacGyverisms – but yes, tongue in cheek.”
Is there an element of nostalgia to the new show as well?
Peter Lenkov: “I think so. A lot of reboots don’t work. They don’t work for a number of reasons, but I think this one belongs on TV today because of the character. I think James explained why. […]The fact that we rely on technology and all those things, it’s almost like retro. It almost goes back to a certain way of thinking that allows people to be creative again, not rely on technology, not rely on apps, smart phones, or PDAs.”
He’s not going to be Googling his way out of this?
Peter Lenkov: “No. He is a little bit like a Luddite in that way. There’s a little bit of that retro quality and I think it actually works today.”
James Wan: “I actually think the show’s more relevant today in a lot of ways because we’re such a technologically-driven society today. We so rely on technology it’s kind of cool to see an action hero who doesn’t use any of that stuff. Peter has a great line in the pilot script where MacGyver is talking to a hacker and he tells this hacker, ‘Well, you know how you hack computers? Well, I hack everything else.’ I think that’s such a great line and I think that sums up who MacGyver is in this show, that basically retains the spirit of the original but gets to put it out there through the filter of a very sort of modern sensibility.”
Who comes up with the inventions, the MacGyverisms?
Peter Lenkov: “Well, you know what we do is that always story comes first because you’re not going to write to a MacGyverism. You write to a situation and then you try and figure out how to solve it. Sometimes you’re reverse engineering a situation using whatever you would find in that situation. So, we create a solve and then we send it to our tech advisor. We get notes and we get it back. The tech advisor exists because we want to make it as real as possible. But it’s really using our imaginations. It’s very much MacGyver. It’s like we try and get into a situation and try and solve it in a very unique way. A lot of it is research, a lot of it is relying on a tech advisor. A lot of it is just being creative. And that’s where they come from. It’s the fun of writing the show.”
James Wan: “I guess for Peter too it’s important not to be driven by the set piece. It should be driven by the characters and the amazing chemistry between Lucas Till and George Eads. Those guys are so much fun. When I’m directing them on the set, I’m cracking up half the time just because the sh*t that they talk to each other and throw each other, it’s so amazing. I like that and I think that’s kind of unique.
But I will say this, I’ve met and I’ve had many meetings with the original creator of MacGyver, Lee Zlotoff, and he did say in later episodes what they would do is they would go to Cal Tech and they would talk to the students, the kids at Cal Tech, and he would go, ‘Okay, what would you guys do for us that would be a cool MacGyverism that we could do on our show?’ These kids would come up with all these crazy scientific things, and then they would write the episode to those things. I don’t think we’re doing that.”
Peter Lenkov: “We may. Who knows?”
James Wan: (Laughing) “We may down the line!”
James, how hands on are you with the show given all of your film projects?
James Wan: “I mean, I don’t have to be as hands on because Peter is so incredible at what he does. This is a guy who rebooted Hawaii Five-O, who took another classic old property and made it really successful in our time. I feel very fortunate and I feel very lucky that Peter is running this. But Peter knows that I’m such a big fan of MacGyver. I’ve been wanting to do this back when it was a feature project. I’ve been chasing it for a long time and so the opportunity…I feel lucky that my schedule’s finally cleared up, that I can actually come back. When I read Peter’s pilot for this, I was blown away. I was like, ‘You know what? I’ve got to come back. I’ve got to find a way to make this somehow.'”
How important was it to make the lead character younger in this version?
Peter Lenkov: “It wasn’t, really. Somebody else asked that question and it’s interesting because we never looked at it as going for age; we looked at best actor for the role. I think when James was casting this he just found the right actor. It’s all that. It’s all chemistry. It’s all driven by the right face out there on screen because you’ve got to believe he’s MacGyver. I think despite the fact that he looks a little young, he is MacGyver. When you see him on screen you are going to say, ‘Oh yeah, I get it. I know why they cast him.’ You have to watch the first episode to see and once you see him in action, once you see him as MacGyver, you’re going to be hooked. So, it was not age-driven. It was best actor won the role.”
James Wan: “So the good thing is hopefully, if we are fortunate enough to have many seasons, he’ll eventually grow into it.”
How difficult was it to find the right MacGyver?
James Wan: “We looked at so many people. I mean, I felt for me trying to reboot this early on the hardest part was how do you get over people’s perception of who MacGyver is? Everyone sees MacGyver as Richard Dean Anderson. He’s so synonymous to this character, right? And so we looked at a lot of people. I was just watching this going, ‘Oh man, this is never going to work. We’re never going to find (him). All the original fans are going to hate us.’ Then finally Lucas just showed up beaming with charisma. His hair was kind of long as well so he had a bit of that mullet thing going on, too. And so I just fell in love with this guy. When we saw him, we all – the studio, producers, we all just go, ‘I think we’ve got our MacGyver.’ He and George are the most important thing with moving this show ahead.”
And you were both fans of the original series?
James Wan: “Oh, hell yes. I was such a big fan that when I was in my teens I went and bought a red Swiss Army pocket knife. I’ve had that since I was a teenager.”
Is Richard Dean Anderson going to be involved at all?
Peter Lenkov: “We’re hoping. That’s the plan. He knows we want him, so that’s the plan.”
James Wan: “We’ve got to get him out of retirement!”
Watch the full James Wan and Peter Lenkov interview:
Aimee Garcia (Dexter) joins the cast of Fox’s hit series Lucifer for the show’s second season. Garcia will be playing a forensic scientist who isn’t afraid to challenge Lucifer (played by Tom Ellis). Sitting down for interviews at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, Garcia explained how her character, Ella, will be interacting with Ellis as Lucifer and she provided a little insight into Ella’s personality.
Aimee Garcia Interview:
What can you tell us about Ella?
Aimee Garcia: “Ella is da bomb! Ella is completely uninhibited. She’s fearless, she’s free. She’s a forensic scientist. She’s brilliant. Because she is so smart, sometimes she speaks non sequitur because there’s so much synaptic activity going on in her grey cell matter that it’s firing on all cylinders and she’s five steps ahead of everybody else. And, she really dances to her own beat. It would not be unusual for her to sing at a crime scene or break out into a (groove) in her lab.
She’s very playful. She’s very fun, and I think she’s very intriguing to Lucifer because she’s a woman of faith. She is so confident in her relationship with the Big G and he is so un-confident in his relationship with the Big G. I always liken it to like the writers say, ‘Like a rock star,’ where a rock star is an inspiration to people he doesn’t know globally but maybe not the best father to his own kids. So in the same way, God is an inspiration to people he hasn’t met – including me. He’s probably changed my life and become a rock, but for his own kid he’s apparently not the best dad and abandoned his kid. So, Lucifer is so intrigued because she has no… She’s so confident and all the other characters, like Chloe’s really guarded and defensive. She’s like this detective who’s a single mom or she’s having troubles in her marriage. I feel like (Ella’s) just the opposite of her. She’s very confident and her compass is very…she knows where her North Star is. But, she’s also very playful and fun. I would say she’s the light in this kind of dark world. She offers a little goof and she’s fun.”
How does Lucifer react to her? Will we see a lot of clashes?
Aimee Garcia: “No. He’s mystified. For example, she’s the kind of person who will just hug him. And the writers are so lovely. They’re like, ‘Just follow your instincts behaviorally, if you feel like doing something.’ On the last take on Tom (Ellis’) coverage I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to hug him and I’m not going to tell him.’ We did it and he’s in this suit and this very good posture, and he has almost like a regal feel to him as Lucifer. I just come up, completely invade his space, give him a hug. Tom continues the scene completely confused and a little bit uncomfortable, but he continues. Then it was, ‘Cut,’ and I was like, ‘Am I going to get fired?’ And then he’s like, ‘I loved it.’
So, she has this childlike quality about her and she doesn’t treat Lucifer with kit gloves and doesn’t walk on eggshells around him. She completely invades his personal space at all times. Every scenes she’s like (touching him), ‘I got you, bud. It’s cool.’ Or, she’s like, ‘Luc,’ and he says, ‘Ifer.’ She has no boundaries and no sense of space. Lucifer doesn’t even know what to do with her but there’s some fun stuff coming up which I’m not allowed to talk about but I’m like giddy inside. So, yeah, I’m really excited.”
Mike Colter stars in ‘Luke Cage’ (Photo Credit: Myles Aronowitz/Netflix)
Netflix just unveiled the first official full trailer for the upcoming action series Luke Cage starring Mike Colter in the title role. The series is based on the Marvel comics and is the third collaboration between Marvel and Netflix, joining the streaming service’s Jessica Jones and Daredevil. Luke Cage is set to premiere on September 30, 2016 at 12:01am PT, with all 10 episodes available then for those into binge-watching.
The Plot: After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) becomes a fugitive trying to rebuild his life in modern day Harlem, New York City. But he is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city – forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury. The cast also includes Mahershala Ali (Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes), Alfre Woodard (Mariah Dillard), Simone Missick (Misty Knight), Theo Rossi (Shades), Frank Whaley (Rafael Scarfe) and Rosario Dawson (Claire Temple).
Gotham‘s Michael Chiklis wouldn’t give away much about what’s in store for Captain Barnes in season three of the popular Fox series, but he did tease that huge changes he’s excited about playing are coming in the third season. Chiklis kicked off our interview at the San Diego Comic Con while at the same time trying to arrange a time and place to meet up with his daughter who also made the trek to San Diego for the sold-out convention. After passing off his phone so the arrangements could be confirmed, Chiklis told us his daughter is a comic book fan who just graduated from college and that he was the commencement speaker. How cool is that?!
Getting down to business, Michael Chiklis provided a little insight into the upcoming third season of the gritty drama which will premiere on September 19, 2016.
Michael Chiklis Interview:
How much of Vic Mackey from The Shield is part of Captain Barnes?
Michael Chiklis: “He was sort of the antithesis of that. What’s going to happen this year with my guy is very much the reason I took the role, in all honesty. But the wonderful thing about television series is you get to spend quite a bit of time setting the pick, or a series of picks, that you don’t have to play out instantaneously, right? So, I knew what’s coming was going to come in the next season, so it allowed me to really establish that I’m playing a law-and-order zealot, the antithesis of Vic Mackey, absolutely strident, unyielding with regard to the law. And the inherent tension between Ben (McKenzie’s) character and mine would be that Ben is being pulled into the Vic Mackey of it all, descending into darkness, and I’m trying to pull him out of it with less and less effectiveness. And then I get terribly injured and now I’m a depleted, injured, weakened guy watching this happen, still trying to keep up the good fight, and then something crazy happens. That I can’t tell you about.”
How many episodes will it be before we see this craziness?
Michael Chiklis: “The beginning of the craziness is the fourth episode. The very beginning of my craziness… I cannot tell you what happens, but I can tell you this it will change my character inexorably. It will completely change his relationship with Gordon and everybody. It’s the reason I was like, as an actor, ‘Okay, I’ll do that. That’s interesting to me.’ So, I’m excited. Now the payoff is starting to present itself for the groundwork we’ve laid. Because a lot of people have been sort of like, ‘What’s happening here? I know something’s going to happen.’ You know what I mean? Yeah, something’s going to happen!”
You’ve worked in the genre before. What sets this apart for you?
Michael Chiklis: “I think it was the concept, honestly. Just when I heard the concept of this show, I was like, ‘That’s smart. That’s cool.’ Take a sort of secondary character from an existing pantheon of characters and focus on him 20 years before, so that we can look at (it) all. I just thought it was brilliant, really, from a conceptual standpoint. It also gave us an opportunity to look at characters in their conception and also gives you the latitude to create a number of new characters.”
The Flash‘s Candice Patton believes fans of the comic book-inspired The CW series are going to love the Flashpoint storyline coming up on the show’s third season. Patton and her fellow The Flash cast members were a big draw at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, presenting a panel with a Q&A for fans of the show as well as participating in interviews in support of the upcoming season. Season three will premiere on October 4th and commenting on the upcoming Flashpoint storyline, Patton said, “I love Flashpoint. I love what they’re doing with it. It’s our different take on it. I’m really pleased with what the writers have come up with. I think fans will be equally as pleased. It’s all of your favorite characters but with a slightly different twist. And Nora and Henry are alive and well. Barry’s never lived with Joe and Iris, so things are quite different.”
Candice Patton Interview:
How much of the relationship between Barry and Iris has changed?
Candice Patton: “It’s changed a lot. It’s changed a lot because having not grown up together it’s a different dynamic. They will find each other in Flashpoint. You will see them interacting, but it’s very different. I hope fans are still pleased by that. There’s good stuff in general in store for Barry and Iris this season. Fans can rest assured.”
You and Grant Gustin have worked together for two years, but this season you have to act differently toward each other even though you’re playing the same characters. How is that to play?
Candice Patton: “It’s pretty normal for us on The Flash. We’ve done the Earth-2 stuff; we’ve been playing versions of our characters and interacting as different versions so it’s pretty normal for us. And, it’s fun. It’s probably the best part of my job the fact that I’m on a show where I get to expand and play, and not always play one version of Iris West. It’s great.”
Will you be doing any cross-overs to the other DC shows?
Candice Patton: “I don’t know. I wish they would tell me. I feel like I’m the only actor on The Flash who has not crossed over with anybody. It’s a shame. I hear it’s a lot of hard work though, so maybe I shouldn’t be complaining. It’s probably inevitable with the four-way cross-over I would go somewhere. I think the most sense would be at Catco so that’s Supergirl. I’m hoping that’s a possibility. I would never turn down the opportunity to work with Calista Flockhart. Hopefully they can figure out how to arrange that.”
Candice Patton: “I have not yet worked with Tom. I have not yet worked with Tom – I can say that much. But he is around and we’ve just started. He’s a great addition to our cast. I think people are going to love his character. I think he’s going to elevate our show, so I’m excited to have him.”
How is the West family unit in the upcoming season? Are they in a good place?
Candice Patton: “Yeah. I think the West family…I think what I can say is the West family is a tight unit and no matter what happens, they always find a way back to each other. We’re really all we’ve got. The West family is strong and will stay strong.”
Does Iris interact with Wally in the Kid Flash outfit at all?
Candice Patton: “Yes, she does. She’s very much a part of that realm in the Flashpoint.”
What did you think seeing him in the suit?
Candice Patton: “Awesome. I think anytime we have speedsters on the show it’s cool. I know Keiynan (Lonsdale) was so excited to suit up. He looks great in it. I think they did a great job with the Kid Flash suit.”
Have you ever requested your own suit?
Candice Patton: “I’m always dropping hints. I was asking Todd (Helbing) and Aaron (Helbing) the other day, ‘So, have you ever thought about putting Iris in a suit?’ And they’re like, ‘Do you want to do that?’ I’m like, ‘Maybe not permanently, but maybe for like one episode.’ So, I don’t know. If I were on a different Earth or a different timeline, I would love to suit up. I don’t think it makes sense for her to stay in a suit, but just for something fun for the fans – or mostly just fun for me because I love leather.”
How many scripts have you read so far?
Candice Patton: “I’ve read four. They’ve released four to us.”
And Flashpoint carries through at least four episodes?
Candice Patton: “What I will say is Flashpoint has an effect throughout the entire season. I won’t say how long Flashpoint is, but Flashpoint… Barry going back in time and creating a flashpoint definitely has an effect throughout the entire season.”
How does it feel to be in a third season?
Candice Patton: “I feel old. It feels good. I feel like a pro at Comic Con. I remember doing this the first season and feeling so nervous and scared, and now it’s old hat. But, it’s good. We’ve stood the test of time which I think is the best thing I can say. We’re in a show that people still enjoy and are excited to see. As an actor usually you’re just trying to get a job and pay your rent, so this is icing on the cake the fact that I’m on a successful show, I’m playing an iconic character, and that fans around the globe…when I travel around the world and see how many people are responding to the show, it’s incredible.”
Are you working with any different actors in the Flashpoint storyline?
Candice Patton: “Yes. I have a lot more screen time with Grant which is really great. I love seeing our dynamic when we’re all together. I think there will be a lot more stuff with Keiynan, too, which is really great. I love West family stuff. And Iris will still very much be a part of #TeamFlash in S.T.A.R. Labs. She’s very much in the mix, which I’m happy about.”
Watch the full Candice Patton interview:
(Interview by Fred Topel. Article by Rebecca Murray.)
