Last month we learned that NBC had found their John Constantine by tapping Welsh actor Matt Ryan ("Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior") to play the enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending us against dark forces from beyond in the upcoming pilot "Constantine", and today we've learned of some new casting for the potential series that will have THE DESCENT helmer Neil Marshall at the helm of the first episode.
Deadline is reporting that "True Blood" alumna Lucy Griffiths has been cast as the female lead opposite Matt Ryan in NBC’s"Constantine", from Warner Bros TV. Also cast in the project, based on the characters in DC Comics’ John Constantine stories are "Lost" alum Harold Perrineau and Charles Halford ("True Detective").
Constantine centers on John Constantine (Ryan), an enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending us against dark forces from beyond.
When Liv (Griffiths), the daughter of a late friend, is targeted by demons, Constantine steps in to save her. Liv teams up with Constantine to save lives, master her power, and learn more about her late father.
Griffiths’ Liv is described as 'an offbeat young woman tired of her ordinary life who comes to discover that she has the ability of seeing the supernatural world among us, which makes her a key player in the battle between good and evil'.
Perrineau will play Manny, 'an authoritative angel assigned to watch over Constantine who has the power to step into other people’s bodies, and although he is meant only to observe, Manny will not hesitate to help out if he can save a life'.
Halford will play Chas, Constantine’s oldest friend and staunch companion who 'possesses powerful survival skills that might possibly be supernatural'.
The character of John Constantine first appeared in Alan Moore's "The Saga of the Swamp Thing", which was co-created by Steve Bissette and Jamie Delano. The long-running comic was adapted into the 2005 feature film CONSTANTINE starring Keanu Reeves and is rumored to be featured in the JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK feature Warner Bros. has in the works with Guillermo del Toro.
Based on the Hellblazer graphic novels, the Constantine series centers on master of the occult John Constantine, who is struggling with his faith as he is haunted by the sins of his past but is suddenly thrust into the role of defending humanity from the gathering forces of darkness.