Rounding up the latest TV news, Empire looks at Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, reports on the planned reboot of Charmed, provides details on an American Gods character, and offers up the new trailer for the DC Comics series Powerless. Frankly, we're exhausted.
A Gilmore Girl Becomes A Handmaid
Despite the audience-pleasing Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life TV movies produced by Netflix, Alexis Bledel is switching her streaming alliance to Hulu to become a part of the cast of the upcoming The Handmaid’s Tale. Based on the Margaret Atwood novel, the series, which debuts April 26th, explores a totalitarian society in which most of the world’s females have become infertile, and those capable of having children are deemed “handmaids” and forced to reproduce. Elisabeth Moss stars as the lead, Offred.
Bledel, who had worked with Moss on Mad Men, will play Ofglen, a handmaid who also happens to be a lesbian. The plan is for the actress to appear in over half of the season one episodes, with the intent to bring her back in a potential second season. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter{
Charmed Reboot In Development
And the cycle of rebooting continues on American television. If things go the way the CW network is planning, next season will see their roster of DC superheroes (The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow — recently brought together for a massive crossover event) joined by vampires in a new take on the film The Lost Boys, and a trio of witches in a redux version of Charmed. Originally running for eight seasons from 1998-2006, Charmed focuses on sisters who discover that they are actually witches, and are destined to use their powers to combat evil.
In the original, Prue Halliwell (Shannen Doherty) has telekinetic abilities as well as the power to astrally project herself; Piper Halliwell (Holly Marie Combs) can freeze the environment around her, Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano) has the power of premonition; and then, when her real life alter ego turned out to be a handful and Prue was let go, a half-sister was brought aboard in the form of Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan), who has the power to move objects with her mind.
The new version of Charmed, the pilot for which is being written, is coming from the creative team behind the TV series Jane The Virgin.
American Gods: More On The Character Vulcan
When Neil Gaiman's novel makes its way to Starz this April, there will be a number of changes made on the journey from the printed page. Fans should be reassured that many of them come from the author himself. One is the character Vulcan (played by Corbin Bernsen), the god of fire and weaponry — a being doing particularly well these days. In a recent interview, executive producer Bryan Fuller related, “We started talking about America’s obsession with guns and gun control and, really, if you’re holding a gun in your hand, it’s a mini-volcano. Perhaps through this character there’s a conversation to be had.”
Powerless Teaser Trailer
Powerless, the workplace comedy from DC Comics — about the insurance company that is forced to pick up the pieces following damage caused by superheroes and supervillains — stars Vanessa Hudgens. A new teaser trailer for the show, which premieres in America on Feruary 2nd, has been released. Wonder if we'll see Batman in action (no we don't).
• The Handmaid's Tale: Hulu releases photos and sets airdate