Constantine Goes To NBC

[S. Griffin]

Well, it looks like Tennant's out of the running (if he was ever in it at all), and strangely it looks like he will be coming to the U.S., albeit for a limited series...an American remake of Broadchurch for Fox
http://tvline.com/2013/10/02/broadchurch-us-version-david-tennant-cast/

[Crazy Jetty]

Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grims, Walking Dead) wouldn't be a bad choice, if AMC killed him off.

Matt Smith also is free now. He could be an interesting choice, and it'd be interesting to see him play a character that isn't acting like a crackhead.

Also, the guy who played the autistic kid in syfi's Alpha's might not be so bad, with some make up to season him up a bit.

[S. Griffin]

Smith and Ryan Cartwright (the name of the dude from Alphas) are too young. NBC will probably go with somebody in their early thirties like them, but ideally John should be late-thirties to early-forties.

Also, if you want to see Matt Smith not act like a "crackhead" (I assume you don't like his Doctor) try to find a movie called Bert & Dickie, it's a little boring at times and VERY English but generally pretty good, and Smith shows that he can play another character and do it well.

[Caleb]

Lincoln's one of the first people who popped into my head, actually. Slap some blonde hair and let him speak in his normal voice, and he'd be a great Constantine. But no way AMC is gonna let go of Walking Dead until it starts to tank in the ratings, and with Rick being the consistent "Safe" character (in the comics as well), it's sadly (very sadly) wishful thinking. I mean, The Walking Dead's mission statement is "Who can we kill this week?", but I'm pretty sure Rick's never on the table.

I saw the news about Tennant in the Broadchurch mini. Maybe he could be a viable choice for Constantine?

[S. Griffin]

I saw the news about Tennant in the Broadchurch mini. Maybe he could be a viable choice for Constantine?

Presumably these shows (and the filming thereof) would overlap. When he's done with Fox, Tennant will return to London, his wife and three children, and likely the second season of BBC's Broadchurch.

[Crazy Jetty]

Smith and Ryan Cartwright (the name of the dude from Alphas) are too young. NBC will probably go with somebody in their early thirties like them, but ideally John should be late-thirties to early-forties.

Also, if you want to see Matt Smith not act like a "crackhead" (I assume you don't like his Doctor) try to find a movie called Bert & Dickie, it's a little boring at times and VERY English but generally pretty good, and Smith shows that he can play another character and do it well.

Thanks for Cartwright's name!

Yeah, I know he's been in a few things that are rare over here.
Also, it isn't that I dislike his doctor... I just get tired of him. I go back and rewatch Tennent or Eckleston, and I never get tired of their performances. While 11 is pretty fun in first viewings, repeated viewings make me wish he'd calm down a bit.

[Caleb]

I saw the news about Tennant in the Broadchurch mini. Maybe he could be a viable choice for Constantine?

Presumably these shows (and the filming thereof) would overlap. When he's done with Fox, Tennant will return to London, his wife and three children, and likely the second season of BBC's Broadchurch.

True. It's mostly wishful thinking. I really don't want to have Gap Model Constantine.

[S. Griffin]

For another age appropriate and possibly more easily gettable actor, I'm gonna throw Richard Coyle's name out there. Coyle played Tus in Prince of Persia, Frank in Pusher, the petitioner in Fable III, and Simon in seven episodes of Covert Affairs. He's forty-one years old, a good actor, not too handsome and not too ugly, and while not from Liverpool, is from Sheffield, so he'd still naturally have a North-England accent (Ideally it'd be harsher, but I doubt most Americans would understand a thick Liverpudlian accent, like the one John Constantine would have and Red Dwarf's Craig Charles does have). Covert Affairs is on USA, which is owned by NBCUniversal, so NBC wouldn't be a leap, unless he somehow refuses to work for them now. That show primarily shoots in Canada, so North America is presumably not out of the question. NBC could even insist on filming Constantine in Toronto, rather than L.A., like so many shows do, so unless Coyle refuses to work there again, or is only willing to fly across the pond to work for limited stints, he seems like a very accessible possibility.

[S. Griffin]

First official pic of Welsh actor Matt Ryan as Constantine:

http://www.ksitetv.com/news/wbtv-releases-an-official-image-of-matt-ryan-as-constantine/29421
He might not get to hang on to his cigarettes, as expected, despite the smoke clearly visible in the photo, but it's nice to read that NBC and WB are do indeed appear to be hanging on to his Liverpool background, as earlier press for the show described Constantine as a "Londoner."

For those saying "His hair isn't blonde enough," the following unofficial pic might help:

It's not perfect, but considering Ryan's natural hair color is almost black, the look is more than workable. I still wish they'd grabbed someone in his late '30s instead of early '30s, but I know Ryan can act (not sure about a Scouse accent, though), and I trust Goyer, Cerone, and Marshall can deliver when it comes to the pilot and the show itself. NBC still scares the **** out of me, so I guess we'll see what happens...

Also worth noting, NBC is an a unique situation regarding the pilot, as the contract with WB stipulates that NBC must air the pilot and possibly greenlight a series (this part is fuzzier, as the info on this aspect seems to change or disappear depending on what and where someone reads about it) or NBC will have to pay stiff penalty fees to Warner Brothers.

[Avalon]

Neat! I like this choice! Thanks for the pics, Griffin!