Jump to content

Aquaman (TV pilot)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Weedbag (talk | contribs) at 01:44, 21 March 2007 (spelling error). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Aquaman
File:Aquamantitle.jpg
The logo from the Aquaman pilot
StarringJustin Hartley
Denise Quiñones
Ving Rhames
Lou Diamond Phillips
Rick Peters
Amber McDonald
Daniella Wolters
Country of originUnited States United States
Production
Executive producerMiles Millar
Running time42 minutes
This article is about the 2006 television pilot episode. For the 1968 animated television series, see Aquaman (animated series)

Aquaman (also known as Mercy Reef) is a television pilot based on the DC Comics character Aquaman, developed by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar for The WB Television Network. Justin Hartley starred as Arthur "A.C." Curry (Aquaman), in his twenties, living in a beachside community in the Florida Keys and learning about his powers and destiny as the Prince of Atlantis.

The Aquaman pilot was highly anticipated, and the show would have debuted in the fall of 2006. However, following the merger of the WB and UPN, it was not picked up by the resulting CW Network. The pilot has since become available online through iTunes in the United States, where it would occupy the number-one spot on the list of most downloaded TV shows, as well as the Xbox Live Video Marketplace.

Production

Development

Development of the show followed a fifth season episode of Smallville entitled "Aqua", which featured the character as played by Alan Ritchson. As work progressed on the "Aqua" episode, it became clear that there was potential for a series for the character.[1] "Aqua" was the highest rated episode for Smallville that season. Though at the time, the "Aqua" episode was never meant to be a template for an "Aquaman" project.[2] Miller and Gough apparently at one point considered a Lois Lane series, though as Miller said, "[Aquaman] was the first idea where we really thought we had a franchise, where we could see 100 episodes".[1]

It is not known if the new series would have shared continuity with the Smallville episode or with Smallville in general. In an interview in January 2006 with Gough, in relation to if Aquaman would take place in the Smallville universe and if there would ever be crossovers, Gough thought perhaps there would be the possibility of a crossover at some point.[3] Aquaman is not considered a direct spin-off series to Smallville, and thus Ritchson was never considered for the role in the new series. Gough said in November 2005 that it "is going to be a different version of the 'Aquaman' legend".[1] He also said of the series that "the stories will come from the environment: ocean polluters, evil oil companies and other (threats to the) environment".[4] There were rumors that the shows' title would not be Aquaman. Working titles such as Tempest Keys and Mercy Reef were rumored to be the title.[4] The Mercy Reef title was associated with the pilot, but it would later go under the title Aquaman.[5]

Casting

Although the show had no official website, original casting calls were published,[6] and casting information was compiled by a fan website.[7] It was also not certain which of the characters would be series regulars, and which may simply be recurring or guest stars. [8] The role of A.C. was originally given to Will Toale - out of around 400 candidates.[9] In late February, Toale was replaced with Justin Hartley.[8] On the change, a CW spokesman said "Will is a talented actor with a promising career and we hope to work with him in the future. We have made the decision to go in a different direction with the Aquaman role and wish him the best of luck in all of his endeavors." [10] A young A.C. is played in flashback scenes by Graham Bentz. A character in the pilot named Nadia is described as a siren and will be played by Adrianne Palicki. Similar to vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, they are capable of assuming a human and a monstrous form, and it is implied by McCaffery that they are the weakest of the aquatic evils of the world which A.C. must face.

Some cast members had previously guest starred on Smallville; Quiñones played Andrea Rojas in the season five episode "Vengeance"; Palicki played Kara in the season three episode "Covenant"; Peters played Bob Rickman in the season one episode "Hug"; and Kenny Johnson, who played the Sherriff in the pilot's opening, appeared in the season five episode "Mortal" as a meteor freak. When the series was not picked up, Hartley was cast to play Oliver Queen for Smallville's six season. Oliver Queen's alter ego is the Green Arrow, who made his first appearance in the season six episode "Sneeze". McDonald would also play the role of Gloria, and Phantom Zone escapee, in season six episode "Wither". Although the Aquaman series has not been picked up, Ritchson did reprise the role for the Smallville episode "Justice".

Filming

Senior Airman Leo Castellano teaches two actors how to present arms

The show takes place in the fictional community of Tempest Key. Tempest Key is noted as being 25 miles off Mercy Reef,[11] which is the name of the town in which Aquaman grew up in the source comics after being abandoned by his Atlantean family. The pilot episode began filming in March 2006. While primary shooting took place at studios in North Miami, Florida, with exterior footage shot in Coconut Grove[12], some scenes were filmed on location at the Homestead Air Reserve Base in Homestead, Florida.[13] Aquaman used the 482nd Fighter Wing Airmen as extras while filming at the base along with several of their fighter aircrafts.[13] Some of the actors even received training from Senior Airman Leo Castellano on the proper way to present arms.[13] Much of the filming took place out in the ocean under water. Hartley filmed his under water scenes without a tank, breathing from the safety divers' tanks around him for the scenes out on the ocean.[14] Entity FX, who have done the special effects for Smallville since its second season, also worked on the Aquaman pilot.[15] The pilot was directed by Greg Beeman, who is also a producer on Smallville and has directed a number of episodes as well.

Cast and characters

  • Justin Hartley as Arthur "A.C." Curry: is the central character of the show, and in his day-to-day life he runs a dive shop. He is aware of his special abilities, but uses them for fun and to "get laid" before learning in the pilot episode of his destiny as the lost Prince of Atlantis.[8] Arthur can be seen wearing a green shirt and orange board shorts - these are Aquaman's traditional colors.
  • Denise Quiñones as Lt. Rachel Torres: is a fighter pilot who would be a potential romantic interest for A.C. In the pilot she is rescued from her fighter jet by AC, who swims her to shore and takes her to a hospital.
  • Ving Rhames as McCaffery: a lighthouse keeper and A.C.'s mentor. Unbeknownst to A.C., he is also an Atlantean.[7][16]
  • Lou Diamond Phillips as Tom Curry: a Coast Guard officer; he rescued the infant Arthur (then named Orin), Atlanna, and McCaffery from shark-infested waters while still a rookie. He then fell in love with Atlanna, subsequently marrying her and adopting her son.[7]
  • Rick Peters as Admiral Brigman: has been investigating the apparent resurfacing of people around Mercy Reef who were lost to the Bermuda Triangle, some, as much as 40 years ago.
  • Amber McDonald as Eva: A.C.'s business partner. Together they run a dive shop in Tempest Keys. The two are also close friends.
  • Daniella Wolters as Atlanna: A.C.'s mother; she was taken from him when he was young, and her disappearance has mystified A.C. ever since. She was the first to call him 'Orin'.

Plot

Template:Spoiler

File:ACswim.jpg
A.C. swims at superhuman speeds

The pilot begins with A.C. and his mother flying over the Bermuda Triangle. As they get closer, Atlanna's necklace begins to glow and a surge of light and energy erupts from the ocean. Cyclones bring their plane down. Atlanna is kidnapped by a Siren, but not before giving A.C. her necklace and calling him Orin. Ten years later, A.C. is being arrested for releasing dolphins from a marine park. Later, A.C. tells his friend Eva that he felt like the dolphins were calling to him. While he's working, he is approached by a lighthouse keeper who identifies himself as McCaffery. The Coast Guard picks up an unidentified man, floating in the Bermuda Triangle and pleading to warn Orin. Lt. Torres is sent to investigate the area. A.C. is also at the Triangle, and his necklace triggers another surge of light, which causes Torres to crash her jet. Brigman transports the John Doe to another facility, and persuades Torres to join his team. Brigman is looking for a connection between the disappearances of thousands of individuals, and their reappearance years later without ever aging a day.

That evening, A.C. meets Nadia and she convinces him to go swimming. In the water, Nadia reveals herself to not only be a Siren, but the one that took his mother. A.C. barely escapes with a little help from McCaffery. McCaffery explains that he, A.C. and A.C.'s mother were all exiles from Atlantis, and that A.C. is the prince of Atlantis. A.C. convinces Eva to leave Tempest Key for a few days, but it comes too late as Nadia injures Eva and captures Arthur. When he wakes up, A.C. finds that Nadia has also captured McCaffery and she is bringing them both back to Atlantis to be executed. After breaking free, A.C. destroys Nadia by putting a spear through her head. The next morning, McCaffery explains that there will be more creatures that will come looking for A.C. and that he should have started his training years prior. A.C. agrees to start his training, and McCaffery leaves him with Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2 to read. McCaffery informs A.C., who isn't too keen on having to read, that "it isn't about the ending, it's about the journey."

Gough said of future episodes of Mercy Reef, that the first 13 episodes had been planned out, and what may have later happened is that McCaffery is recaptured and taken back to Atlantis.[17] Stories regarding mythology were also planned to play a small role in latter episodes.[17] On the comics Gough said that "Unlike Superman, there really isn’t a set core mythology for Arthur Currie. There are a couple different versions of it. We went with the most classic one,".[17]

A.C.'s abilities

On Arthur's powers, Hartley said " It was at the point where he was beyond discovering his powers; he was breathing underwater. The interesting thing about it was, he didn't keep it a secret. He kind of used it to get laid and stuff. This is what he did. He didn't keep it a secret, which is pretty atypical of superheroes; he just kind of flaunted it."[18] Gough said of A.C.'s powers that he can breathe underwater and swim faster than humans, as well as having super strength when underwater.[19] He also said that exposure to water on land will give him some powers there as well.[19] Gough likened A.C. not having access to water to that of kryptonite in Smallville - that if he does not get water he will dehydrate and weaken.[19] Water giving him a power boost on land would essentially enable producers to explore plots on land.[20]

The extent of his speed is somewhat showed in the pilot, when he is able to swim after a fighter jet flying above him. Though it is unclear to what extent, A.C. seems to be able to breathe underwater for long periods of time, as he can be seen swimming near the bottom of the ocean near the start of the pilot. When A.C. is talking to Eva at the dive shop about his arrest the previous night for releasing captive dolphins, he tells her that he felt as though the dolphins were somehow calling to him. Eva sarcastically asks him if he can talk to fish. Traditionally Aquaman's most well-known power is the ability to communicate with sea life.[21] Template:Endspoiler

Release

The pilot was highly anticipated and was considered by many to have a very good chance of being picked up. On the buzz surrounding the project, Lou Diamond Phillips said "The funny thing about the Aquaman project is that there's so much buzz about it already. Which is amazing, I mean you don't usually get that with a pilot, because they're sort of sight unseen."[22] It was green lit by The WB, though in 2006 The WB and the UPN network merged to form The CW network. There were reports that there were two pilots in contention from The WB, one being Aquaman, which was apparently a frontrunner.[23] However, it was not picked up by any network to be in its prime-time lineup. On May 18, 2006, when The CW announced its fall lineup, Aquaman was absent. However, Dawn Ostroff, the president of entertainment for The CW, stated that it was still a midseason contender.[24]

Although it has not been picked up, there was work done to see that fans could still view the pilot. Gough and Miller were so passionate about the pilot that they wanted it to get out there so the fans could see it.[23] Gough said in an interview that "The implication when a network doesn’t pick up a show is that the pilot sucks and that’s not the case. It’s not a perfect pilot by any stretch of the imagination. There are other reasons—which are a mystery to us—as to why The CW didn’t pick it up."[23] It was speculated that one way to get it out there would be to make it an addition to the sixth season of Smallville release.[23]

Reaction

On July 24, the pilot became one of the first shows offered by Warner Brothers on the iTunes Store (available only to US customers) for $1.99, under the title Aquaman. It soon reached the number-one spot on the list of most downloaded TV shows on the digital store's list. On its release, Gough said "At least the pilot is now getting its day in court with the fans, and the reviews have all been very positive,"[25] It was also the first show available on iTunes that had not previously aired on a network.[26]

The pilot was also digitally released the week of March 12, 2007 on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace[27].

From what reviews were written, the response was very positive. The pilot was compared favorably to Smallville[28] and most reviews suggested that Aquaman was indeed worthy of a place on The CW's schedule and should have been picked up.[29] The cast was well received, in addition Hartley was well praised in the role of Arthur Curry.[30] Cinematography and underwater special effects were also well received.[30] Even the reviews which were not as positive as some of the others did say that the show definitely had potential.[31] The project was also praised for succeeding in keeping the comic book myth fresh and exciting for a modern audience.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Josef Adalian (November 13, 2006). "WB dives into 'Aquaman'". Variety. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  2. ^ "The WB Makes Aquaman Official". superherohype.com. November 13, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  3. ^ "KryptonSite 100th episode interview with Alfred Gough". KryptonSite. Janurary 19, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b "The WB Reels in Aquaman". IGN. November 14, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-01. Cite error: The named reference "ing" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ The show is under Mercy Reef on IMDb, but was referred to as Aquaman on iTunes.
  6. ^ Michael Stevens (November 22, 2005). "Aquaman Makes A Splash at the WB". Hollywood North Report. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  7. ^ a b c "Aquaman TV Pilot: Mercy Reef: The Cast". Hollywood North Report. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  8. ^ a b c Matt Webb Mitovich (January 23, 2006). "Smallville's 100th: Whose Number Is Up?". TV Guide. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  9. ^ "Will Toale Is The New "Aquaman"". MovieWeb. January 9, 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  10. ^ "Hartley Jumps From Passions to Superhero". Soap Central. February 7, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  11. ^ "Aquaman: Pilot". Television Without Pity. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  12. ^ Suzy Valentine (March 9, 2006). "Filming of 'Aquaman' pilot set to start here this week". Miami Today. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  13. ^ a b c "Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. - Media Search". Homestead Air Reserve Base. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  14. ^ Ed Martin. "Exclusive Interview with Justin Hartley of Smallville". Jack Myers Media Village. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  15. ^ "Entity FX Assists and Scores for the NHL". PR Web. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  16. ^ Michael Schneider (February 20, 2006). "Fox hunts down 'Bounty' comedy". Variety. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  17. ^ a b c Anthony C. Ferrante (February 8, 2007). "Exclusive Interview: Smallville co-creator Alfred Gough talks season six and Mercy Reef - part 2". i F Magazine. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
  18. ^ Eric Goldman. "Comic-Con 2006: IGN Interviews Smallville's Newest Hero, The Green Arrow". IGN. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  19. ^ a b c "CFQ Talks To Gough About Aquaman". Aquaman TV (highlights of a CFQ interview). Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  20. ^ Scott Weinberg. "Aquaman Swims Into His Own WB Series". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  21. ^ "Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis". Netjak. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  22. ^ Evan Jacobs (March 29, 2006). "Lou Diamond Phillips Talks Aquaman!". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  23. ^ a b c d Ben Morse and Mel Caylo (July 10, 2006). "'Aquaman' to resurface?". Wizard Entertainment. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  24. ^ Brian Zoromski (May 18, 2006). "Upfronts Announcement: The CW's Schedule for 2006-2007 Season". IGN. Retrieved 2006-10-21.
  25. ^ "AQUAMAN/SMALLVILLE NEWS". Comics Continuum. Retrieved 2007-01-05.
  26. ^ "'Aquaman' Pilot Hits iTunes". TV.com. July 25, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-01.
  27. ^ http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2007/03/13/video-marketplace-releases-for-week-of-3-12-07.aspx
  28. ^ Arune Singh (May 18, 2006). "RIDE THE WAVE: "AQUAMAN" TRAILER LEAKED ONLINE". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  29. ^ "Aquaman Pilot Review". The TV Addict. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  30. ^ a b c Craig Byrne. "Pilot Episode Review: "Aquaman"". KryptonSite. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  31. ^ Garth Franklin (May 21, 2006). ""Aquaman" Early Look Goes Online". Dark Horizons. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aquaman_(TV_pilot)&oldid=116679838"