Cue the orchestra, and be sure to pepper in some wicked heavy metal guitar riffs, because The CW has announced that a long-gestating pilot for the Ruby Rose-led BATWOMAN stand-alone series is officially a go! On Thursday, the comic book fan-friendly network flashed the bat signal for BATWOMAN showrunner and writer Caroline Dries (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES) and executive producer Greg Berlanti, signaling to them that it's time to let Kate Kane out of the cave for a more elaborate adventure.
Set to helm the BATWOMAN pilot episode is Emmy-winning filmmaker David Nutter, who in the past has shot pilots for The CW's THE FLASH, ARROW, and of course, HBO's GAME OF THRONES. The official order for the pilot comes just three weeks after the debut of The CW's latest three-way crossover event (Elseworlds), which introduced Rose's Batwoman to audiences eagerly awaiting the arrival of DC's LGBT badass.
Here's The CW's official description for BATWOMAN: Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane [Rose] soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city's criminal resurgence. But don't call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham's symbol of hope."
The upcoming show is being viewed by many as a milestone for comic book-related television, as BATWOMAN stands to become the first-ever superhero series featuring a lesbian lead – and played by Ruby Rose no less, who is an openly gay actress and very vocal advocate for the LGBTQA community in Hollywood.
Personally, I love the Kate Kane character. She's dark, mysterious, and often dabbles in cases of a supernatural nature. When DC rebooted her character for their DC New 52 initiative, the first arc of her solo series saw Batwoman going up against La Llorona, known to Mexican folklore enthusiasts as The Weeping Woman, a cursed mother who steals children in the night and ushers them to a watery grave. It was truly terrifying stuff, and was expertly presented by writer W. Haden Balckman and artist J.H. Williams. I strongly recommend that you seek it out.
Should all go according to plan, fans can expect to see Batwoman's official CW debut sometime in 2019.