part 1: rumours and auditions
Being an account of the making of The Authority: The TV series
Bleeding Cool.
It's comic adaptation time again! And no, not one of the Big Two's stable of iconic names. Oh no. This time the rumours are circling The Authority, the comic originated by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch.
Specifically, as a tv series. Which is interesting, given how superpowers have previously been treated on tv, especially network - Heroes, anyone? You'd need a major budget (sorry, no firm word yet on which networks are interested enough to front some cash), but the episodic nature of tv should work pretty well for building the storylines. Not to mention how they'd deal with the fact that two of the team are gay and a couple....
Opinions? Anyone you'd like to see cast?
blahblahblah writes:
SUCH a clusterfuck. They'd cast Jenny as the latest blond ex-WB stable bimbo, Shen would be 'well she's vaguely chinese, right?', Angie would end up wearing a metal bikini, and I'm not even going to go into the gay thing.
Apollofan writes:
networks, keep your fucking hands OFF. I'm providing work for my dentist just imagining how they'd fuck it up. Never mind how many strides shows like American Family have been making in the portrayal of gay couples, and that it's been over ten years since QAF first aired. If they don't desperately ignore it or keep them so far in the closet of no-touching, they'll try and cripple one of them for the drama. (I'm not even going into Millar's fuck-up) or Joss them.
Supahgal writes:
My dream casting for Apollo and Midnighter would be Chris Evans and Tom Hardy. a girl can dream, right? And Alan Tudyk for The Doctor. Every. Time. Shen - please, please don't cast Grace Park *again*. I know she's the go-to actress for pretty much every asian role, but please. Angie... um. Coming up blank. my head wants to cast Archie Punjabi and she's not even Hispanic. Jenny: er...Billie Piper, no, Keira Knightley might work if she could swear properly...
TapDatData writes:
Wonder Woman. All I'm sayin'.
---
Angel's in the pub with her mates when her agent calls. "Hello?"
"Get out of that pub so I can talk to you properly, you feckless wastrel." Tina says on the other end.
Angel mouths 'agent' at the others, walks out to the alley behind, elbowing aside a couple of smokers. "So, what can I do for you? Anything interesting?"
"I have a tv audition for you. Point of fact, they called me."
Angel blinks. "...Seriously?"
If it was theatre, she could believe it. She's been working in theatre since her mid-teens, and is lucky enough to be considered leading lady status in the West End. Star name billing for musicals and straight plays. Which means she occasionally gets the call from the directors and producers to skip a few stages of the audition process to get seen. TV and film, she's had the occasional role, but her real break onscreen was getting Marian in the recent BBC tv series that ended last year having run for four series. Saturday night, hard as nails and just as muddy as the 80s series. Serious fun, and Angel had nearly screamed the Coach and Horses down when she'd got the call to say she'd got it. This may or may not have had something to do with the fact that she has her own longbow and been a Robin Hood nut since childhood. But still, even if it got her name out there, she's mostly a theatre bod. Angel Harker is *not* the first name on most television producers' wishlists, especially if what you're most famous for in that arena is a mud-stained tomboy who'd prefer to punch someone over talking it out. What the hell is the role if they're calling her in to audition out of the blue?
"I know, you're hardly first name on a tv producer's lips." Tina says. "Anyway, it's for an HBO/Sky collaboration, so you better not fucking screw this up."
Angel swallows. HBO/Sky? That's big money. Big. Really high profile. Even a relatively minor role would be amazing. "So, uh, what's the show?"
"The Authority." She can hear Tina frowning. "Some superhero thing, would you believe. They're filming it mostly in the UK at Pinewood with some location stuff, from what I can gather."
"...Yeah, I'd heard a couple of rumours, Drew has the comics." Angel frowns. She's read the comics - or as far in as Drew has the novels for, since he dropped the comic when the original writer left. She mentally goes over the female roles in it. "There's bugger all supporting cast, I'm not Tibetan, and I look as non-Spanish as it's possible to get. Um. They don't seriously want me to read for Jenny, do they?"
"Yeah, Jenny Sparks." There's the clink of a mug on Tina's end as she takes a sip of her tea. "The brief I've got here is hundred-year-old eternally youthful alcoholic burnout who leads the team and wields electricity. Sounds interesting to say the least."
"Yeah, like I said, I've read the comics. Drew loves 'em." Angel rubs her neck, shakily. The lead. The bloody lead. They want her to try out for the lead in an HBO series. Robin Hood was one thing, but that one she heard about, and thanks to the childhood obsession just ploughed through and won the directors and producers and writers over due to sheer depth of knowledge and then pointed out that she already had archery training. And then proceeded to be teachers' pet in bootcamp. "Never mind you, Drew would kill me if I screwed this up. I wouldn't get fed for a week, I'd have to live on takeaway."
Tina 'hmms'. "You need better priorities, he only feeds and shags you, I keep you employed. So I'll get the script over to you, the audition's on Wednesday morning since you've got a matinee Thursday."
"Ta." Angel says as Tina hangs up. Angel goes to lean against the wall to get her composure back a bit. Lead. In a big-budget HBO series. Fuck her sideways with a bleeding hamster.
Greg sticks his head out of the door. "You were gone for a bit, Shan's decided - oh,
finished the call?" He pauses, looking at her taking deep breaths. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Angel replies. "Just got a call for an audition for a tv role."
"Well, that's good, isn't it? It'll pay decently if nothing else" He says brightly. "Anyway, as I was saying, Shar's decided that it's her round. What did you want?"
"Glass of rosé'll do, thanks." Pause. "Also if she could see her way to getting some pork scratchings, I wouldn't say no."
"All class, you are." Greg replies, grabbing her hand and tugging her inside.
----
When she gets in after the pub, Drew looks up from notes that look like planning out a fight scene. Dunno if it's for a real project or just an idea. could be either. Considering once she'd asked, and he'd admitted it was from a Musketeers film.
"Good day?"
"Yeah." Angel says, hanging up her coat. "Shar decided it was her round for once."
"There's rare for you." he comments. "Any news?"
"Yeah, Tina called me about an audition she had for me. Well. They called her."
Drew grins. "That's always a good sign. What is it, Legally Blonde?"
"No, but that would be awesome." Angel says, going through to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "TV."
"Ooooo. Must've impressed someone a lot. What is it, Midsomer Murders? Are you going to get killed with a pitchfork?"
Angel comes back in and tweaks his ear, collapsing on the sofa. "Don't be cheeky. New thing."
"Well, don't keep me in suspense. Detective? comedy? Detective comedy?" he guesses.
"Um." Angel bites her lip. "No. You know how you've been idly fantasy casting since those rumours of them making The Authority into a tv series started floating around the web? They want me to read for Jenny."
Drew stares at her. "Tell me you're kidding."
"That's what I said to Tina." Angel takes a swallow of water. "she also said it's an HBO production."
"...That means a fuckign immense budget. Oh my god they might actually be able to make it properly, and since it's HBO, they won't shy away from the violence or the gay stuff..." Drew says thoughtfully, suddenly off in a whole little fanboy world of his own. "...Oh my god this might actually work, even."
"Hasn't been greenlit yet." Angel reminds him.
"Shh, you." Then he frowns. "You as Jenny, though. What did they see? oh, I know. that play you did a couple of months back, combine with some of Marion's pissed off and vengeful, and you bloody work in the West End, you don't need training on how to be a degenerate, it comes naturally."
"Oh, cheers." Angel says. "Who was it ended up in that lock-in last week in that pub off St Martins?"
"Photoshop does terrible things." Drew says cheerfully.
"So are you denying you were in the pub?"
"Oh, i was in there, it's just the macros we got out of it that we did to Stevie."
"oh, those. yeah, he did deserve it for getting bladdered in the company he did."
"So you got a script?"
"Not yet, Tina'll get it delivered to me tomorrow. Audition's wednesday."
Drew points at her. "You will be fucking word perfect. Screw this up and you're on takeaways for a week." He tilts his head. "Really can't picture you as a blonde, though."
Angel hunches in on herself a bit. "Try that season I did at the Globe. I was blonde for Desdemona. It didn't look bad, but it was bloody weird, I can tell you that."
Drew shakes his head. "I saw that production, and my brain still remembers you as a redhead."
"Probably the force of my brain going 'I hate this wig, smile, act winsome and sweet, I hate this wig, now betrayed, I hate this wig, be very very fucking scared of your husband going off his rocker, i hate this wig."
"You're telling me the whole time you were getting gushing write-ups from swooning old critics for that you were mostly thinking of the wig?" Drew asks, raising an eyebrow.
"You're the one who had to snog someone every night who stank of coconut." Angel points out, sipping her water.
"I still say a clothespeg wouldn't have detracted from that bit of the play." he grumbles. "I even tried swapping out her hair stuff and soap, but I think she must've bathed in the stuff. Still pity whoever has to share a stage with her now."
----
Angel sits down, putting her bag in her lap and unlooping the scarf from her neck, as it's a bit warmer in here than outside. Not too much, but just enough to make a difference as she does not want even a chance of getting sweaty. Her mates tease her about getting goosepimples, but better goosepimples than damp patches in her opinion. Especially when she's got an audition. On stage and dancing up a storm is different, everyone sweats like a pig, it's expected, but everywhere else - just no. She pulls a mirror from the make-up bag in her bag, doing a last minute check of her slap. Clean and simple is the look she's going for, given the role. Half a tonne of the stuff is not what the character requires, and anything that helps them see that is always good. Angel's glad she's not got a completely whacky haircut at the moment.
The door creaks open after a bit, and a head pokes out. "Miss Harker? We're ready for you now."
Angel nods, smiling and getting up. "Thanks."
She follows him through the door into the room - couple of casting agents and a camera set up to record her audition for everyone else involved in the decision. And given that it's for screen anyway, showing how she moves on camera. It's still quite mad that some people are amazing on screen and shit in real life, and vice versa. Not to mention the way the camera warps peoples faces. Again, the most gorgeous people can look almost plain on camera, and turn some relatively homely ones into stunners with the right lighting. Of course, some of it's make-up, but still.
Angel smiles, straightening. "So where do we want to start?"
"Well, if we go from page seven, the bit where Jenny's talking to the Engineer."
Angel nods, pulling the script from her bag and flicking to the relevant page to remind herself of the dialogue. "Sorted." She replies, putting her bag down and rolling her shoulders slightly to get into character.
"Cameras are already rolling." Casting agent one says, the one who looks like he's walked out of a union conference, takes a sip of water, and takes a breath. "Ready?"
"Ready." Angel affirms.
"And I told you - my name is Angela Spica. Angie, for gods sake, Jenny..."
Angel shrugs very slightly, then puts her hands in her pockets. "I know, but I have to get used to calling you by codename when we're in the field." she glances off to one side, making it look like she's searching for something distractedly. "Where's the Doctor?"
Casting agent nods, and continues in his flat voice. "In a private room, arranging some kind of conversation with the previous doctor. You know, the one that got killed..."
"Mmm." Angel nods. "I know." Then she stops, allowing a tinge of disbelief to leak through. "Hold on. Conversation with a dead man?" She rubs at her temple, then shakes her head slightly. "I'm not even going to ask."
There's a pause as the casting agent turns the page. The other one's watching her with a tilted head, slouched back in his chair, arms folded and looking interested. She doesn't break character, though. Casting agent one speaks up again. "You know, I find myself about to say 'god, how weird is that guy?' Then I look at what I'm wearing and where I'm standing..."
Angel snorts slightly. "You want weird, I'll tell you how I met the Doctor some time. I'm over a hundred years old, and the bastard gave me goosepimples for days."
"Good, thanks." Casting agent two says, not getting up from his lean. He tilts his head, examining her. "Done any green screen work?"
Angel shakes her head. "None. All horribly realist drama, I'm afraid, but I'm used to acting to nothing."
"Hmm. well, it's not too difficult to pick up." He pulls a couple of bits of paper from out of the pile by his elbow, anding one of them to her. More script. "Here's another scene, one of the action ones from another episode. To set the scene, L.A.'s in the middle of being attacked by an invading force, and your colleague's just performed a spell that's caused you to be pelted with the debris. in your own time."
Angel scans the script, then grins. "Oh, this bit. I like this bit." Another breath, then she ducks, covering her face and wincing visibly as though sharp things are hitting her. "Bloody hell!" She exclaims. "Is this your sodding idea of magic?" A swallow and another wince, then she growls " 'I know - instead of having them *beat* Jenny to death, I'll turn them into ten thousand sharp pointy things and bloody chuck 'em at her instead!' "
Casting agent nods. "All right, the shards suddenly go and a bunch of trees suddenly grow out of the pavement, faster than the eye can see."
Angel comes out of her defensive cringe, cautiously looking around, then blinks, straightening slightly and looking at him in amazement. "You turned them into trees?" she asks in disbelief.
"...I had to do something with all that mass..." he pauses "...I feel great..." Agent pauses again, sipping his water. "And the doctor faints."
Angel straightens properly, looking down in exasperation at the supposed body at her feet, raising her finger to press against a supposed ear mike, using a 'reporting' tone. "Jenny Sparks to all points: The Doctor is down."
"Mmm. Good." He puts down the script, and she comes out of character, handing back the script sheet she was given.
"No bits you need me to repeat?" Angel asks brightly.
"No, that's fine. Have you read the comics?"
"Yep." Angel says. "Boyfriend is a fan."
"Interesting. Drew Shipley, right?"
"Correct."
"If you get the role, it'll be lots of studio work with occasional location work. Any problems with that? We'll be shooting most of it in the UK."
"No, none all." Angel says, then pauses. "The UK? Really? I'd've thought you'd be shooting in America. It being HBO and all."
"Pinewood's set up well for a lot of the indoor and effects work we need."
"Huh. Cool." Pause. "So, anything else you need?"
They flick through their notes on the ipad, then casting agent one frowns. "Actually, yes. We need a slightly posher accent for some episodes. Can you give us an example?"
Angel runs her tongue against the back of her teeth, thinking. "How much posher? Sherlock posh?"
"That would do, actually. It's for the 1950s flashback episode."
"Right, so slightly but not full jolly hockeysticks." Angel lets out a breath, going back into Jenny mode. "Any dialogue you had in mind or can I make something up?"
"Anything will do." They reply. "We just need an example of wht you sound like, since I don't think there's any examples of you using a posh accent in any of the roles you've done on film."
"All right." She nods, then lets out a breath and goes into considerably more well-spoken mode. Present day Jenny is relatively normal generic Londoner, but 1950s accent is *different*. A bit of one of the comics should do. It's not the 50s bit, but it's a decent scene. She gestures with a phantom fag, dismissively. "Angie, Shen - meet my first husband." She pauses and changes it to put-upon. "And remember, Lorenzo, there's no reason I loved you above your waist." She smiles cruelly, then drops back into normal voice. "D'you need any more?"
Agent two looks has a slightly raised eyebrow. Fractionally, but it's enough for her. "Well, you've proved you've definitely done your research."
She grins. "I also watched Empire Strikes Back a few times to figure out how to really chuck lightning impressively."
"Nice one. Thank you for your time, we'll let you know."
She nods, leaves, and heads for the nearest cafe before letting out a breath. That's all she can do until they call again. Angel pulls her phone out and texts her agent to say it's done. Two minutes later, Tina's number comes up with 'answer?'. Angel picks it up. "Tell me you killed it."
"Drew would've been proud of me." Angel replies. "Mind you, he's the one that coached me."
"He's useful for more than sticking pointy bits of metal into people in an audience pleasing way, clearly. Fingers crossed that they call back soon."
"Any word on the grapevine on who else is up for it?" Angel asks, pointedly not gnawing her lower lip.
"No, and I'm not going to tell you when there's a possibility of getting called in again." Tina says. "Now bugger off and do your current job. I wil not entertain any bouts of nerves. The Robin Hood callbacks are not something I ever want to experience again."
"I had emotional attachment." Angel protests.
"And a disturbing love of babbling changes the writers were making to the legend down the phone at me. Do I look like a medieval scholar?" Tina demands. "Now go away and don't think about it until I tell you to be worried."
----
Drew walks into the offices. "Uh... auditons for The Authority?"
"Third room on the left. Please join the queue." She says.
Drew nods. "Thanks." His agent had put him up for it, he nearly ran around the house screaming like a little boy, and as it was Angel had to tell him to breathe. And was threatening to put him on sleeping pills pre-audition this morning so he didn't go over-excited.
The queue's pretty short at the moment, and everyone in it is well-built and handsome. He sits down next to one bloke who looks like he lifts weights for a living. "What're you trying for?" Drew asks.
"Apollo." He answers. "Not sure if I can pull off gay superman, but considering my last long job was chorus in Priscilla..."
"Lycra and you are kissing cousins." Drew finishes.
"You?"
"Midnighter, Apollo and Jack Hawksmoor." Drew says.
"What, all of them?"
"Yeah." Drew replies. "I can do menacing, I can sunny and nice, and I can do martial arts. Figured I'd try for them all. Any of 'em'd be awesome."
The weigt lifter eyes him. "Drew Shipley, right?"
"Guilty as charged."
"Well, I know you can do menacing bastard, so I'd probably have picked you for a Midnighter. Heard any rumours on who they're eyeing for any of these roles?"
"Not a sausage. As long as Tom Hardy doesn't suddenly decide he'd like to do any of them, I don't care." Drew says.
"Yeah, that'd just be mean." Pause. "Admittedly, if he got Midnighter and I got Apollo, I would not kick that man out of bed for eating biscuits."
Drew gets called in. They look down his list of skills. "Please tell me you're here to audition for Jack Hawksmoor if you can do acrobatics and have your stuntman qualifications." The casting agent says.
Drew grins. "Him, Midnighter and Apollo. I can bulk up and I have a couple of martial arts disciplines under my belt."
"I love you." The casting agent says faintly. "So, if you want to give us your Hawksmoor first?"
End of the readings. "Good?" Drew asks.
"Very good." The casting agent says. "Do you have your show reel with you with examples of the acrobatics?"
Drew goes over to his bag and digs out the dvd, handing it over, then pauses. "The camera's still running, right?"
"...Yes?" The agent says hesitantly.
"Good." He takes a breath, then does a flip, landing in splits and bouncing back up. The agent gapes slightly. "I can run up walls like in Singin' in the Rain as well but I don't think these ones'd take it."
The agent swallows, making notes on his ipad. "Definitely thanks for that demo. Do you have any experience in green screen?"
"Sadly, not much call for it in the stuff I tend to get." Drew shrugs.
"But you'd be willing to be stuck up in a harness?" The agent asks, running his finger down the list of credits and skills again.
"Done it plenty of times before." Drew grins.
In the pub. Drew's phone goes. Agent. The pub's pretty quiet, so he answers it nervously. "...Tell me it's good news?" he's had a callback, and Angel got confirmation of Jenny Sparks on wednesday. Drew nearly hugged the life out of her.
"They want you for Jack Hawksmoor. contracts being sent over for signing."
"Excuse me one second." Drew says, turning to snog Angel, releasing her, then going back to the phone. "At what point am i allowed to run down the street screaming?"
"Your appreciation is noted. Don't celebrate too much, you can do that when it's greenlit for a full series." His agent says.
"So?" Angel asks when he puts his phone away. "What did you get?"
"Jack Hawksmoor." Drew says faintly.
Angel hugs him, beaming. "That's great, I know you wanted that -" She pauses. "Er, you're not going to scream down the pub like I did when I got marion, are you?"
"I might faint, is that allowed?" Drew asks.
"Alex!" Angel yells at the barman. "Guinness, stat! He's feeling faint!"
"I can't have whisky?" Drew asks as she comes back from getting it from the bar.
"Whisky doesn't have iron in it." Angel says. "Now drink the Guinness."
----
Collider
HBO Commissions The Authority - Based on Warren Ellis' superhero comic series
HBO has announced that it has commissioned "The Authority", a series based on the superhero comics written by Warren Ellis, who wrote the comic "RED" was based on, the film starring Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren as retired CIA assassins. Shooting on the pilot will begin soon at Pinewood Studios in the UK.
The Authority chronicles a superhero team who choose to focus on globe-spanning, epic threats that other superheroes aren't set up to solve, rather than the usual fighting crime.
The cast includes Angel Harker, Drew Shipley, Ross Hunter, Simon Kowalski, Gavin Detori, Mei Jones and Isabella Garcia.
Bleeding Cool
Remember that rumour we posted about Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority to be, possibly, hopefully, a tv series? Rumour no more: HBO HAS ORDERED A PILOT. REPEAT, HBO HAS ORDERED A PILOT. It's not a full series yet, we'll have to see how the bigwigs like it, and it's not like HBO has ever done sci-fi or superheroes before. They've proved they can do gritty fantasy with Game of Thrones, but they're still more into horribly complex sprawling crime dramas. CROSS EVERYTHING. Or we'll tell Jenny on you.
Cast:
Jenny Sparks - Angel Harker
Jack Hawksmoor - Drew Shipley
The Engineer - Isabella Garcia
Swift - Mei Jones
The Midnighter - Ross Hunter
Apollo - Simon Kowalski
The Doctor - Gavin Detori
Supahgal writes:
...Marion and Gisburne from Robin Hood? Okay, I can kind of live with that. Isabella was in Dr Who, imdb on Mei appears to be some sort of soap, Detori's a comedy actor, and the other two seem to have been regulars on a couple of series.
Nerfherder writes:
Okay, if it's HBO I'm seeing them *not* pulling out of the gay stuff, at least. The question is whether they can handle the full-on action, since this is so not a talky comic.
Papperbok writes:
I just imdb'd Mei Jones. She's actually half Tibetan. Wow.
ONTD
HBO Superheroes? Seriously?
A pilot's been ordered for a comic series, The Authority. A superhero comic. Hands up who else has no idea in hell how they're going to do it?
It's basically Farscape meets Torchwood.
Piccies below....
Jenny Sparks, over a hundred years old, electricity. Played by Angel Harker, who most people remember as Marion who kicked ass something chronic in Robin Hood.
Jack Hawksmoor, talks to the cities. Anyone else not got clue one about what kind of power that is? Played by Drew Shipley, Gisburne in Robin Hood.
Swift. Has wings. Mei Jones.
The Engineer. Can make shit out of thin air and grow guns out of her hands. Isabella Garcia.
The Doctor - some kind of shaman/magician. Gavin Detori, was in Big Fish Little Fish and Green Ears. Quirky Brit comedy series.
Apollo and Midnighter - Superman and Batman, only gay. REALLY. Simon Kowalski (Pride and Glory, Brand New Day) and Ross Hunter (Chairs and Tables, This is The Star, Supernatural)
Littlefeet
I may die of mancandy.
>Festerhasclaws
I've read the comic. Apollo gets his shirt torn off, like every two minutes.
>>Samdamcam
<3 <3 <3 NEED THIS LIEK BURNING WHOA.
Moonstar
Gay Superheroes? SERIOUSLY?
>Jessjessjess
We kid you not. Preach it, sistah. HOT gay superheroes.
Pumpkineater
URGH, cannot stand Gavin Detori. He's, like humour vacuum. And who the fuck are
the others?
Grassling
Oooo, Isabella Garcia? She was in Dr Who as the Manager in The Hotel Inspector. She's awesome. Mei Jones is... um... She's in a fair bit of BBC3 and an S4C soap. Not sure if I've ever seen any of it.
Swingthing
Ross Hunter is Gay Batman? Ross couldn't menace his way out of a paper bag.
>Quintus
Look up The Recruit. Ross can menace like a BOSS.
> Sitrep
This is HBO. We will have sex scenes. I am totally in favour of Ross Hunter doing sex scenes.
Arrowy
JENNY APPROVES THE GAY
image: Jenny Sparks grinning, speech bubble: 'All right, who wants to be Bert and who wants to be Ernie?'
This is a scan from the comic. TRUFAX.
>Millhouse
DUH, JENNY RULES
Bleeding Cool.
It's comic adaptation time again! And no, not one of the Big Two's stable of iconic names. Oh no. This time the rumours are circling The Authority, the comic originated by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch.
Specifically, as a tv series. Which is interesting, given how superpowers have previously been treated on tv, especially network - Heroes, anyone? You'd need a major budget (sorry, no firm word yet on which networks are interested enough to front some cash), but the episodic nature of tv should work pretty well for building the storylines. Not to mention how they'd deal with the fact that two of the team are gay and a couple....
Opinions? Anyone you'd like to see cast?
blahblahblah writes:
SUCH a clusterfuck. They'd cast Jenny as the latest blond ex-WB stable bimbo, Shen would be 'well she's vaguely chinese, right?', Angie would end up wearing a metal bikini, and I'm not even going to go into the gay thing.
Apollofan writes:
networks, keep your fucking hands OFF. I'm providing work for my dentist just imagining how they'd fuck it up. Never mind how many strides shows like American Family have been making in the portrayal of gay couples, and that it's been over ten years since QAF first aired. If they don't desperately ignore it or keep them so far in the closet of no-touching, they'll try and cripple one of them for the drama. (I'm not even going into Millar's fuck-up) or Joss them.
Supahgal writes:
My dream casting for Apollo and Midnighter would be Chris Evans and Tom Hardy. a girl can dream, right? And Alan Tudyk for The Doctor. Every. Time. Shen - please, please don't cast Grace Park *again*. I know she's the go-to actress for pretty much every asian role, but please. Angie... um. Coming up blank. my head wants to cast Archie Punjabi and she's not even Hispanic. Jenny: er...Billie Piper, no, Keira Knightley might work if she could swear properly...
TapDatData writes:
Wonder Woman. All I'm sayin'.
---
Angel's in the pub with her mates when her agent calls. "Hello?"
"Get out of that pub so I can talk to you properly, you feckless wastrel." Tina says on the other end.
Angel mouths 'agent' at the others, walks out to the alley behind, elbowing aside a couple of smokers. "So, what can I do for you? Anything interesting?"
"I have a tv audition for you. Point of fact, they called me."
Angel blinks. "...Seriously?"
If it was theatre, she could believe it. She's been working in theatre since her mid-teens, and is lucky enough to be considered leading lady status in the West End. Star name billing for musicals and straight plays. Which means she occasionally gets the call from the directors and producers to skip a few stages of the audition process to get seen. TV and film, she's had the occasional role, but her real break onscreen was getting Marian in the recent BBC tv series that ended last year having run for four series. Saturday night, hard as nails and just as muddy as the 80s series. Serious fun, and Angel had nearly screamed the Coach and Horses down when she'd got the call to say she'd got it. This may or may not have had something to do with the fact that she has her own longbow and been a Robin Hood nut since childhood. But still, even if it got her name out there, she's mostly a theatre bod. Angel Harker is *not* the first name on most television producers' wishlists, especially if what you're most famous for in that arena is a mud-stained tomboy who'd prefer to punch someone over talking it out. What the hell is the role if they're calling her in to audition out of the blue?
"I know, you're hardly first name on a tv producer's lips." Tina says. "Anyway, it's for an HBO/Sky collaboration, so you better not fucking screw this up."
Angel swallows. HBO/Sky? That's big money. Big. Really high profile. Even a relatively minor role would be amazing. "So, uh, what's the show?"
"The Authority." She can hear Tina frowning. "Some superhero thing, would you believe. They're filming it mostly in the UK at Pinewood with some location stuff, from what I can gather."
"...Yeah, I'd heard a couple of rumours, Drew has the comics." Angel frowns. She's read the comics - or as far in as Drew has the novels for, since he dropped the comic when the original writer left. She mentally goes over the female roles in it. "There's bugger all supporting cast, I'm not Tibetan, and I look as non-Spanish as it's possible to get. Um. They don't seriously want me to read for Jenny, do they?"
"Yeah, Jenny Sparks." There's the clink of a mug on Tina's end as she takes a sip of her tea. "The brief I've got here is hundred-year-old eternally youthful alcoholic burnout who leads the team and wields electricity. Sounds interesting to say the least."
"Yeah, like I said, I've read the comics. Drew loves 'em." Angel rubs her neck, shakily. The lead. The bloody lead. They want her to try out for the lead in an HBO series. Robin Hood was one thing, but that one she heard about, and thanks to the childhood obsession just ploughed through and won the directors and producers and writers over due to sheer depth of knowledge and then pointed out that she already had archery training. And then proceeded to be teachers' pet in bootcamp. "Never mind you, Drew would kill me if I screwed this up. I wouldn't get fed for a week, I'd have to live on takeaway."
Tina 'hmms'. "You need better priorities, he only feeds and shags you, I keep you employed. So I'll get the script over to you, the audition's on Wednesday morning since you've got a matinee Thursday."
"Ta." Angel says as Tina hangs up. Angel goes to lean against the wall to get her composure back a bit. Lead. In a big-budget HBO series. Fuck her sideways with a bleeding hamster.
Greg sticks his head out of the door. "You were gone for a bit, Shan's decided - oh,
finished the call?" He pauses, looking at her taking deep breaths. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Angel replies. "Just got a call for an audition for a tv role."
"Well, that's good, isn't it? It'll pay decently if nothing else" He says brightly. "Anyway, as I was saying, Shar's decided that it's her round. What did you want?"
"Glass of rosé'll do, thanks." Pause. "Also if she could see her way to getting some pork scratchings, I wouldn't say no."
"All class, you are." Greg replies, grabbing her hand and tugging her inside.
----
When she gets in after the pub, Drew looks up from notes that look like planning out a fight scene. Dunno if it's for a real project or just an idea. could be either. Considering once she'd asked, and he'd admitted it was from a Musketeers film.
"Good day?"
"Yeah." Angel says, hanging up her coat. "Shar decided it was her round for once."
"There's rare for you." he comments. "Any news?"
"Yeah, Tina called me about an audition she had for me. Well. They called her."
Drew grins. "That's always a good sign. What is it, Legally Blonde?"
"No, but that would be awesome." Angel says, going through to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. "TV."
"Ooooo. Must've impressed someone a lot. What is it, Midsomer Murders? Are you going to get killed with a pitchfork?"
Angel comes back in and tweaks his ear, collapsing on the sofa. "Don't be cheeky. New thing."
"Well, don't keep me in suspense. Detective? comedy? Detective comedy?" he guesses.
"Um." Angel bites her lip. "No. You know how you've been idly fantasy casting since those rumours of them making The Authority into a tv series started floating around the web? They want me to read for Jenny."
Drew stares at her. "Tell me you're kidding."
"That's what I said to Tina." Angel takes a swallow of water. "she also said it's an HBO production."
"...That means a fuckign immense budget. Oh my god they might actually be able to make it properly, and since it's HBO, they won't shy away from the violence or the gay stuff..." Drew says thoughtfully, suddenly off in a whole little fanboy world of his own. "...Oh my god this might actually work, even."
"Hasn't been greenlit yet." Angel reminds him.
"Shh, you." Then he frowns. "You as Jenny, though. What did they see? oh, I know. that play you did a couple of months back, combine with some of Marion's pissed off and vengeful, and you bloody work in the West End, you don't need training on how to be a degenerate, it comes naturally."
"Oh, cheers." Angel says. "Who was it ended up in that lock-in last week in that pub off St Martins?"
"Photoshop does terrible things." Drew says cheerfully.
"So are you denying you were in the pub?"
"Oh, i was in there, it's just the macros we got out of it that we did to Stevie."
"oh, those. yeah, he did deserve it for getting bladdered in the company he did."
"So you got a script?"
"Not yet, Tina'll get it delivered to me tomorrow. Audition's wednesday."
Drew points at her. "You will be fucking word perfect. Screw this up and you're on takeaways for a week." He tilts his head. "Really can't picture you as a blonde, though."
Angel hunches in on herself a bit. "Try that season I did at the Globe. I was blonde for Desdemona. It didn't look bad, but it was bloody weird, I can tell you that."
Drew shakes his head. "I saw that production, and my brain still remembers you as a redhead."
"Probably the force of my brain going 'I hate this wig, smile, act winsome and sweet, I hate this wig, now betrayed, I hate this wig, be very very fucking scared of your husband going off his rocker, i hate this wig."
"You're telling me the whole time you were getting gushing write-ups from swooning old critics for that you were mostly thinking of the wig?" Drew asks, raising an eyebrow.
"You're the one who had to snog someone every night who stank of coconut." Angel points out, sipping her water.
"I still say a clothespeg wouldn't have detracted from that bit of the play." he grumbles. "I even tried swapping out her hair stuff and soap, but I think she must've bathed in the stuff. Still pity whoever has to share a stage with her now."
----
Angel sits down, putting her bag in her lap and unlooping the scarf from her neck, as it's a bit warmer in here than outside. Not too much, but just enough to make a difference as she does not want even a chance of getting sweaty. Her mates tease her about getting goosepimples, but better goosepimples than damp patches in her opinion. Especially when she's got an audition. On stage and dancing up a storm is different, everyone sweats like a pig, it's expected, but everywhere else - just no. She pulls a mirror from the make-up bag in her bag, doing a last minute check of her slap. Clean and simple is the look she's going for, given the role. Half a tonne of the stuff is not what the character requires, and anything that helps them see that is always good. Angel's glad she's not got a completely whacky haircut at the moment.
The door creaks open after a bit, and a head pokes out. "Miss Harker? We're ready for you now."
Angel nods, smiling and getting up. "Thanks."
She follows him through the door into the room - couple of casting agents and a camera set up to record her audition for everyone else involved in the decision. And given that it's for screen anyway, showing how she moves on camera. It's still quite mad that some people are amazing on screen and shit in real life, and vice versa. Not to mention the way the camera warps peoples faces. Again, the most gorgeous people can look almost plain on camera, and turn some relatively homely ones into stunners with the right lighting. Of course, some of it's make-up, but still.
Angel smiles, straightening. "So where do we want to start?"
"Well, if we go from page seven, the bit where Jenny's talking to the Engineer."
Angel nods, pulling the script from her bag and flicking to the relevant page to remind herself of the dialogue. "Sorted." She replies, putting her bag down and rolling her shoulders slightly to get into character.
"Cameras are already rolling." Casting agent one says, the one who looks like he's walked out of a union conference, takes a sip of water, and takes a breath. "Ready?"
"Ready." Angel affirms.
"And I told you - my name is Angela Spica. Angie, for gods sake, Jenny..."
Angel shrugs very slightly, then puts her hands in her pockets. "I know, but I have to get used to calling you by codename when we're in the field." she glances off to one side, making it look like she's searching for something distractedly. "Where's the Doctor?"
Casting agent nods, and continues in his flat voice. "In a private room, arranging some kind of conversation with the previous doctor. You know, the one that got killed..."
"Mmm." Angel nods. "I know." Then she stops, allowing a tinge of disbelief to leak through. "Hold on. Conversation with a dead man?" She rubs at her temple, then shakes her head slightly. "I'm not even going to ask."
There's a pause as the casting agent turns the page. The other one's watching her with a tilted head, slouched back in his chair, arms folded and looking interested. She doesn't break character, though. Casting agent one speaks up again. "You know, I find myself about to say 'god, how weird is that guy?' Then I look at what I'm wearing and where I'm standing..."
Angel snorts slightly. "You want weird, I'll tell you how I met the Doctor some time. I'm over a hundred years old, and the bastard gave me goosepimples for days."
"Good, thanks." Casting agent two says, not getting up from his lean. He tilts his head, examining her. "Done any green screen work?"
Angel shakes her head. "None. All horribly realist drama, I'm afraid, but I'm used to acting to nothing."
"Hmm. well, it's not too difficult to pick up." He pulls a couple of bits of paper from out of the pile by his elbow, anding one of them to her. More script. "Here's another scene, one of the action ones from another episode. To set the scene, L.A.'s in the middle of being attacked by an invading force, and your colleague's just performed a spell that's caused you to be pelted with the debris. in your own time."
Angel scans the script, then grins. "Oh, this bit. I like this bit." Another breath, then she ducks, covering her face and wincing visibly as though sharp things are hitting her. "Bloody hell!" She exclaims. "Is this your sodding idea of magic?" A swallow and another wince, then she growls " 'I know - instead of having them *beat* Jenny to death, I'll turn them into ten thousand sharp pointy things and bloody chuck 'em at her instead!' "
Casting agent nods. "All right, the shards suddenly go and a bunch of trees suddenly grow out of the pavement, faster than the eye can see."
Angel comes out of her defensive cringe, cautiously looking around, then blinks, straightening slightly and looking at him in amazement. "You turned them into trees?" she asks in disbelief.
"...I had to do something with all that mass..." he pauses "...I feel great..." Agent pauses again, sipping his water. "And the doctor faints."
Angel straightens properly, looking down in exasperation at the supposed body at her feet, raising her finger to press against a supposed ear mike, using a 'reporting' tone. "Jenny Sparks to all points: The Doctor is down."
"Mmm. Good." He puts down the script, and she comes out of character, handing back the script sheet she was given.
"No bits you need me to repeat?" Angel asks brightly.
"No, that's fine. Have you read the comics?"
"Yep." Angel says. "Boyfriend is a fan."
"Interesting. Drew Shipley, right?"
"Correct."
"If you get the role, it'll be lots of studio work with occasional location work. Any problems with that? We'll be shooting most of it in the UK."
"No, none all." Angel says, then pauses. "The UK? Really? I'd've thought you'd be shooting in America. It being HBO and all."
"Pinewood's set up well for a lot of the indoor and effects work we need."
"Huh. Cool." Pause. "So, anything else you need?"
They flick through their notes on the ipad, then casting agent one frowns. "Actually, yes. We need a slightly posher accent for some episodes. Can you give us an example?"
Angel runs her tongue against the back of her teeth, thinking. "How much posher? Sherlock posh?"
"That would do, actually. It's for the 1950s flashback episode."
"Right, so slightly but not full jolly hockeysticks." Angel lets out a breath, going back into Jenny mode. "Any dialogue you had in mind or can I make something up?"
"Anything will do." They reply. "We just need an example of wht you sound like, since I don't think there's any examples of you using a posh accent in any of the roles you've done on film."
"All right." She nods, then lets out a breath and goes into considerably more well-spoken mode. Present day Jenny is relatively normal generic Londoner, but 1950s accent is *different*. A bit of one of the comics should do. It's not the 50s bit, but it's a decent scene. She gestures with a phantom fag, dismissively. "Angie, Shen - meet my first husband." She pauses and changes it to put-upon. "And remember, Lorenzo, there's no reason I loved you above your waist." She smiles cruelly, then drops back into normal voice. "D'you need any more?"
Agent two looks has a slightly raised eyebrow. Fractionally, but it's enough for her. "Well, you've proved you've definitely done your research."
She grins. "I also watched Empire Strikes Back a few times to figure out how to really chuck lightning impressively."
"Nice one. Thank you for your time, we'll let you know."
She nods, leaves, and heads for the nearest cafe before letting out a breath. That's all she can do until they call again. Angel pulls her phone out and texts her agent to say it's done. Two minutes later, Tina's number comes up with 'answer?'. Angel picks it up. "Tell me you killed it."
"Drew would've been proud of me." Angel replies. "Mind you, he's the one that coached me."
"He's useful for more than sticking pointy bits of metal into people in an audience pleasing way, clearly. Fingers crossed that they call back soon."
"Any word on the grapevine on who else is up for it?" Angel asks, pointedly not gnawing her lower lip.
"No, and I'm not going to tell you when there's a possibility of getting called in again." Tina says. "Now bugger off and do your current job. I wil not entertain any bouts of nerves. The Robin Hood callbacks are not something I ever want to experience again."
"I had emotional attachment." Angel protests.
"And a disturbing love of babbling changes the writers were making to the legend down the phone at me. Do I look like a medieval scholar?" Tina demands. "Now go away and don't think about it until I tell you to be worried."
----
Drew walks into the offices. "Uh... auditons for The Authority?"
"Third room on the left. Please join the queue." She says.
Drew nods. "Thanks." His agent had put him up for it, he nearly ran around the house screaming like a little boy, and as it was Angel had to tell him to breathe. And was threatening to put him on sleeping pills pre-audition this morning so he didn't go over-excited.
The queue's pretty short at the moment, and everyone in it is well-built and handsome. He sits down next to one bloke who looks like he lifts weights for a living. "What're you trying for?" Drew asks.
"Apollo." He answers. "Not sure if I can pull off gay superman, but considering my last long job was chorus in Priscilla..."
"Lycra and you are kissing cousins." Drew finishes.
"You?"
"Midnighter, Apollo and Jack Hawksmoor." Drew says.
"What, all of them?"
"Yeah." Drew replies. "I can do menacing, I can sunny and nice, and I can do martial arts. Figured I'd try for them all. Any of 'em'd be awesome."
The weigt lifter eyes him. "Drew Shipley, right?"
"Guilty as charged."
"Well, I know you can do menacing bastard, so I'd probably have picked you for a Midnighter. Heard any rumours on who they're eyeing for any of these roles?"
"Not a sausage. As long as Tom Hardy doesn't suddenly decide he'd like to do any of them, I don't care." Drew says.
"Yeah, that'd just be mean." Pause. "Admittedly, if he got Midnighter and I got Apollo, I would not kick that man out of bed for eating biscuits."
Drew gets called in. They look down his list of skills. "Please tell me you're here to audition for Jack Hawksmoor if you can do acrobatics and have your stuntman qualifications." The casting agent says.
Drew grins. "Him, Midnighter and Apollo. I can bulk up and I have a couple of martial arts disciplines under my belt."
"I love you." The casting agent says faintly. "So, if you want to give us your Hawksmoor first?"
End of the readings. "Good?" Drew asks.
"Very good." The casting agent says. "Do you have your show reel with you with examples of the acrobatics?"
Drew goes over to his bag and digs out the dvd, handing it over, then pauses. "The camera's still running, right?"
"...Yes?" The agent says hesitantly.
"Good." He takes a breath, then does a flip, landing in splits and bouncing back up. The agent gapes slightly. "I can run up walls like in Singin' in the Rain as well but I don't think these ones'd take it."
The agent swallows, making notes on his ipad. "Definitely thanks for that demo. Do you have any experience in green screen?"
"Sadly, not much call for it in the stuff I tend to get." Drew shrugs.
"But you'd be willing to be stuck up in a harness?" The agent asks, running his finger down the list of credits and skills again.
"Done it plenty of times before." Drew grins.
In the pub. Drew's phone goes. Agent. The pub's pretty quiet, so he answers it nervously. "...Tell me it's good news?" he's had a callback, and Angel got confirmation of Jenny Sparks on wednesday. Drew nearly hugged the life out of her.
"They want you for Jack Hawksmoor. contracts being sent over for signing."
"Excuse me one second." Drew says, turning to snog Angel, releasing her, then going back to the phone. "At what point am i allowed to run down the street screaming?"
"Your appreciation is noted. Don't celebrate too much, you can do that when it's greenlit for a full series." His agent says.
"So?" Angel asks when he puts his phone away. "What did you get?"
"Jack Hawksmoor." Drew says faintly.
Angel hugs him, beaming. "That's great, I know you wanted that -" She pauses. "Er, you're not going to scream down the pub like I did when I got marion, are you?"
"I might faint, is that allowed?" Drew asks.
"Alex!" Angel yells at the barman. "Guinness, stat! He's feeling faint!"
"I can't have whisky?" Drew asks as she comes back from getting it from the bar.
"Whisky doesn't have iron in it." Angel says. "Now drink the Guinness."
----
Collider
HBO Commissions The Authority - Based on Warren Ellis' superhero comic series
HBO has announced that it has commissioned "The Authority", a series based on the superhero comics written by Warren Ellis, who wrote the comic "RED" was based on, the film starring Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Helen Mirren as retired CIA assassins. Shooting on the pilot will begin soon at Pinewood Studios in the UK.
The Authority chronicles a superhero team who choose to focus on globe-spanning, epic threats that other superheroes aren't set up to solve, rather than the usual fighting crime.
The cast includes Angel Harker, Drew Shipley, Ross Hunter, Simon Kowalski, Gavin Detori, Mei Jones and Isabella Garcia.
Bleeding Cool
Remember that rumour we posted about Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority to be, possibly, hopefully, a tv series? Rumour no more: HBO HAS ORDERED A PILOT. REPEAT, HBO HAS ORDERED A PILOT. It's not a full series yet, we'll have to see how the bigwigs like it, and it's not like HBO has ever done sci-fi or superheroes before. They've proved they can do gritty fantasy with Game of Thrones, but they're still more into horribly complex sprawling crime dramas. CROSS EVERYTHING. Or we'll tell Jenny on you.
Cast:
Jenny Sparks - Angel Harker
Jack Hawksmoor - Drew Shipley
The Engineer - Isabella Garcia
Swift - Mei Jones
The Midnighter - Ross Hunter
Apollo - Simon Kowalski
The Doctor - Gavin Detori
Supahgal writes:
...Marion and Gisburne from Robin Hood? Okay, I can kind of live with that. Isabella was in Dr Who, imdb on Mei appears to be some sort of soap, Detori's a comedy actor, and the other two seem to have been regulars on a couple of series.
Nerfherder writes:
Okay, if it's HBO I'm seeing them *not* pulling out of the gay stuff, at least. The question is whether they can handle the full-on action, since this is so not a talky comic.
Papperbok writes:
I just imdb'd Mei Jones. She's actually half Tibetan. Wow.
ONTD
HBO Superheroes? Seriously?
A pilot's been ordered for a comic series, The Authority. A superhero comic. Hands up who else has no idea in hell how they're going to do it?
It's basically Farscape meets Torchwood.
Piccies below....
Jenny Sparks, over a hundred years old, electricity. Played by Angel Harker, who most people remember as Marion who kicked ass something chronic in Robin Hood.
Jack Hawksmoor, talks to the cities. Anyone else not got clue one about what kind of power that is? Played by Drew Shipley, Gisburne in Robin Hood.
Swift. Has wings. Mei Jones.
The Engineer. Can make shit out of thin air and grow guns out of her hands. Isabella Garcia.
The Doctor - some kind of shaman/magician. Gavin Detori, was in Big Fish Little Fish and Green Ears. Quirky Brit comedy series.
Apollo and Midnighter - Superman and Batman, only gay. REALLY. Simon Kowalski (Pride and Glory, Brand New Day) and Ross Hunter (Chairs and Tables, This is The Star, Supernatural)
Littlefeet
I may die of mancandy.
>Festerhasclaws
I've read the comic. Apollo gets his shirt torn off, like every two minutes.
>>Samdamcam
<3 <3 <3 NEED THIS LIEK BURNING WHOA.
Moonstar
Gay Superheroes? SERIOUSLY?
>Jessjessjess
We kid you not. Preach it, sistah. HOT gay superheroes.
Pumpkineater
URGH, cannot stand Gavin Detori. He's, like humour vacuum. And who the fuck are
the others?
Grassling
Oooo, Isabella Garcia? She was in Dr Who as the Manager in The Hotel Inspector. She's awesome. Mei Jones is... um... She's in a fair bit of BBC3 and an S4C soap. Not sure if I've ever seen any of it.
Swingthing
Ross Hunter is Gay Batman? Ross couldn't menace his way out of a paper bag.
>Quintus
Look up The Recruit. Ross can menace like a BOSS.
> Sitrep
This is HBO. We will have sex scenes. I am totally in favour of Ross Hunter doing sex scenes.
Arrowy
JENNY APPROVES THE GAY
image: Jenny Sparks grinning, speech bubble: 'All right, who wants to be Bert and who wants to be Ernie?'
This is a scan from the comic. TRUFAX.
>Millhouse
DUH, JENNY RULES