Comics
The CW Needs To Save ‘Constantine’
Late Friday night it was announced that NBC had canceled the long-struggling “Constantine.” The news didn’t come as much of a shock. NBC halted the production schedule of the occult detective series, neutering the first season at a meager 13 episode run. However, after the news hit the insanely large fanbase took to the internet to save the show.
Granted, when it initially began Constantine definitely had some problems. There was a very uneven pacing to the pilot, a lack of confidence, and perhaps a jarring change of direction with episode two after a primary cast member left the show. But, after some time the show began to find a really unique voice. With John Constantine knocking on the door of the occult universe. This part of DC’s universe is ripe with storytelling promise and could potentially be very successful if given the right vote of confidence.
So here’s the thing. The CW is the right network for this show. Supernatural has just been renewed for season 11, but can’t conceivably run for much longer. So not only would Constantine offer a fantastic replacement for the series, but would be able co-exist in an already thriving world of super heroics.
Now let’s get something straight, John Constantine doesn’t play well with others. In fact, he’s a bastard known for ripping off the capes and tights crowd. He’s more concerned about himself. But, with Arrow playing the supernatural card pretty hard this year. It would be the perfect time to expand this universe with an occult detective.
From a story standpoint, it makes the most sense to have John in the background dealing with all the muck Ollie and Barry can’t quite get to. But from a logistics standpoint the CW would require much lower ratings standards than NBC. It could pair the show with any of it’s three existing comics properties (iZombie, The Flash, Arrow) or it could survive alongside Supernatural, The Originals, or The Vampire Diaries.
And let’s be honest, The CW needs a win in the horror department.
And Arrow star Stephen Amell has already agreed to guest-star on the show. As IGN points out. Amell eagerly told fans at Wizard World Philly, “The reason that I was going to guest star on Constantine, at least the idea that we were throwing around, was [Constantine’s] an expert when it comes to the Lazarus Pit, which is now something that is a part of, and will continue to be a part of, Arrow.”
Imagine how easy that crossover would come along if the shows were on the same network. So it looks like it’s your move CW to #SaveConstantine.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
You must be logged in to post a comment.