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HBO Max's CONSTANTINE from Bad Robot (TBD)
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A new report from DCU Direct indicates that J.J. Abrams will produce a new live-action Constantine film for Warner Bros. to debut on HBO Max. This report comes on the heels of rumors of the studio developing a Zatanna solo film. As these reports continue to come in, it appears that Warner Bros. plans to use HBO Max to build the roster of Justice League Dark through standalone films before assembling the team in the announced streaming series.

 

More interesting than the development of the film is the inference that the studio may actually be courting Keanu Reeves to return in the role of John Constantine, 15 years after he first appeared in the role. Following the news of the studio’s interest in bringing Michael Keaton back as Batman in the upcoming Flash solo feature, the possibility of Reeves coming back is certainly intriguing.

 

Should Abrams truly be building the team through solo films, it’ll be interesting to see if Swamp Thing, Deadman or other characters associated with the team find their way into individual projects as well. Stay tuned as news continues to develop around these projects.

 

Edited by Bosco685
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5 minutes ago, bpc3qh said:

If Matt Ryan isn't playing Constantine, it's not worth watching.

I'm more concerned about the J.J. Abrams mystery box bull:censored:.

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I'll watch it, but I 100% hate the fact Abrams is attached, but hope it just turns out he is there for name recognition only and his involvement is limited. One of the worst 'big' directors I can think of in recent memory.

Also fully support Keanu taking the role again. For many reasons I prefer him over Matt Ryan (who was alight, but it still felt like a cheap cosplay trying way too hard to be as comic accurate as possible), but I think this is an especially smart move as it is an easy way to connect these new movies to older movies - giving the appearance that the DC Cinematic Universe had at least a sliver of forethought and planning put into it (even if it didn't). 
 

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15 Years Later, ‘Constantine’ Director Francis Lawrence Still Wants to Make a Sequel

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Constantine is already aging like a fine wine. 15 years after the release of the supernatural action movie, based on the Vertigo comic book series, it’s only grown more beloved among fans. While nostalgia may play a part, the film itself is an artful and character-driven comic book that is unlike most major blockbusters. Constantine is an anomaly. A sequel to the modest hit was talked about for years, but it never came to fruition.

 

Nonetheless, filmmaker Francis Lawrence, Keanu Reeves, and producer Akiva Goldsman still want another crack at the chainsmoking, anti-hero demon fighter.

 

We recently spoke to Lawrence about Constantine for its 15th anniversary (look for the full interview soon). The filmmaker explained why a sequel didn’t happen, and why it still may not happen, but that the original team behind the film are still keen to make it one day:

 

“I think we all wanted to do it. It was successful enough. We wanted to make a responsible, more R-rated movie. By responsible, I mean we’d make a movie that wouldn’t cost quite as much as the original, which we thought was going to be PG-13. We worked on the sequel for a while. It was tricky to come up with where to take it. What I really liked about the first one was it was a really personal story, so I thought it’d be a mistake to get caught up in the supernatural gobblygook. The idea of a personal story was really interesting, and that was the hard thing to come across. We have been talking about it recently. It’s always stuck with all of us because we all love the movie, and especially realizing there’s a real cult following for this movie, it’d be fun to make. Keanu, Akiva, and I have actually talked about it."

 

"Unfortunately, I don’t even remember who has it, but with all these shared universes that exist now, with Constantine being a part of Vertigo, which is a part of DC, people have plans for these shared universes. You know, possibly different Constantines and things like that. Right now, we don’t have that character available to us for TV or movies, which is a bummer. We all investigated it, but I think it’s kind of crazy when you have Keanu, who would love to do another Constantine, and us wanting to do another Constantine, and people are like, “Uh, no, we got other plans.” We’ll see what happens.”

 

A Constantine sequel all these years later with Reeves’ triumphant return reads as a surefire hit on paper. After 30 years of making movies, Reeves is more popular than ever. With the success of the John Wick franchise, Reeves’ stock and the lovefest surrounding him is at an all-time high.

 

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Our sources have revealed that HBO Max is working with JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions company to make a new series centered around the DC hero Constantine. The logline describes the show as a darker reinvention of the character, that will be different from any previous project based on the character. It will be less focused on religion, and more focused on the horror elements from the Constantine comics.

 

The production is currently searching for an actor for the lead role, with the hopes of casting a BIPOC actor in their late 20’s, similar to a young Riz Ahmed. The show will also be written by Guy Bolton.

 

As is the case with these casting calls, HBO Max and JJ Abrams don’t appear to be specifically targeting Riz Ahmed. However, using his look as a starting point should make for an exciting new version of one of DC’s most notable anti-heroes.

 

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It looks like a new John Constantine will soon be on the way. As part of the new Justice League Dark universe currently in development at HBO Max, fans should be able to expect a standalone Constantine reboot series as part of the streamer's upcoming offerings. That is, of course, according to the scoopers at The Illuminerdi, who managed to get their hands on a casting grid for the show.

 

Of note, it appears the character will be recast entirely instead of using a version of the character previously played by actors like Keanu Reeves or Matt Ryan. Last year, rumors began to circulate suggesting a direct sequel to Reeves' Constantine feature was in the works. Instead, as the initial report suggests, producers are looking for a BIPOC actor in his 20's to play the eponymous lead.

 

The grid reportedly lists Rogue One star Riz Ahmed as someone the production is interested in, though it's not clear whether the Venom alum is an archetype for casting agents to prospective agents or if the studio is considering the actor for the role.

 

JJ Abrams and his Bad Robot banner are said to be executive producing the project under the filmmaker's cushy new deal with WarnerMedia.

 

“WarnerMedia and AT&T are delighted to launch a long-term collaboration with our world-class partners and colleagues J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath," CEO WarnerMedia John Stankey shared in a statement first announcing the deal. "We are extremely excited about the potential to deliver remarkable and memorable stories and characters across multiple platforms to audiences around the world. J.J., Katie and all of Bad Robot bring extraordinary vision, exquisite filmmaking, and exemplary industry leadership to this endeavor and our company. Across all forms of content, we are uniquely positioned to offer our creative partners a multitude of platforms to realize their artistic goals and ambitions, and to ensure that their stories have the best possible opportunity to connect with the right audience.”

 

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14 minutes ago, the blob said:

Well there are a zillion SE Asian actors with a good British accent if they want that

I've got three afro-British nephews with British accents.  Though they are from the midlands so I'm not sure if I'd say they have 'good' British accents.

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8 minutes ago, thunsicker said:

I've got three afro-British nephews with British accents.  Though they are from the midlands so I'm not sure if I'd say they have 'good' British accents.

Ok. Good to know. I was thinking of the izombie/bly manor guy

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We at Knight Edge Media can exclusively confirm that casting is also underway on the project. Bad Robot is presently looking for two Cambodian actors, Akara and Pich, in partnership with HBO Max. Productions also use fake character names throughout casting to keep the real character a secret:

 

[AKARA] – Female, 10 years old, of Cambodian heritage. The emotional heart of our story. SERIES REGULAR. SPEAKS ENGLISH WITH AN ACCENT. THIS ROLE WILL ALSO SPEAK KHMER, SO PLEASE NOTE LEVEL OF FLUENCY.

 

[PICH] – Male, 60+ years old, of Cambodian heritage. Akara’s stoical grandfather. Though he doesn’t look it, he is at times stunningly strong despite his age. POSSIBLE SERIES REGULAR. SPEAKS ENGLISH WITH AN ACCENT. THIS ROLE WILL ALSO SPEAK KHMER, SO PLEASE NOTE LEVEL OF FLUENCY.

 

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Constantine will once again grace fans screens, but this may not be the John Constantine that fans expect. HBO Max is bringing the warlock back to the small screen, but this time with a more horror focused tone.

 

According to our sources Warner Bros. is circling Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù to play John Constantine in the new HBO Max series. Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù is an exciting possibility with the British Nigerian actor having experience in film, television, and on stage. With this series focusing on horror and the warlock often finding himself embroiled in supernatural mysteries, Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù could be the perfect actor to take on this beloved role. With experience in horror from the film His House and action with the British action crime drama series Gangs Of London.

 

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WBD President and CEO David Zaslav spent time with Abrams before the close of the merger earlier this year and is a fan. The issue is that not enough of his creations have been realized. Part of this is down to timing, some of it is down to money. On the feature side, Abrams is coming off a major deal at Paramount, where he launched Cloverfield, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek. The rub: he is still involved in these franchises, particularly with another Cloverfield movie in the works and a Star Trek sequel poised to start production later this year.

 

One HBO Max project that sources point to as being on solid ground and moving along is Constantine, a darker reboot of the DC Comics character from British writer Guy Bolton. The project is set around a diverse lead, rather than the one played by Matt Ryan in the 2014 NBC series and The CW’s Arrowverse, or the 2005 Keanu Reeves feature film.

 

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Matt Ryan was pretty good I thought.

 

No reason to change surely,unless to tick the 'diversity' box again?

 

Sometimes it's perfectly OK to leave the encumbent in place.

 

Just for once - maybe the best person should play the role, regardless of race,religion or colour or gender.

 

Matt Ryan seemed to me to be 'the best person'

 

2c

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