The CW’s pilot Arrow, based on DC property The Green Arrow, just released the first image of star Stephen Amell (Private Practice) as the titular character. The suit was designed by three-time Oscar-winning costume designer and frequent Tim Burton collaborator who most recently worked on Snow White and the Huntsman, Colleen Atwood.
The project centers on former billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Amell) who, after being marooned for five years on a remote island, returns with a mysterious agenda and a lethal set of new skills that he uses in a war on crime.
David Nutter, who headed up the pilot for the Superman-themed series Smallville, will also be directing Arrow. “When I directed the pilot for Smallville, I knew that making Clark Kent relate-able would be the key to audiences believing in him as a hero,” Nutter said. “Arrow is a different show — darker and harder-edged — but it’s the same core idea. We’re creating a real, believable world in which Oliver Queen can do incredible things. Colleen Atwood’s great work on the Arrow costume reflects that effort.”
The pilot was written by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg, who will executive produce along with Nutter.
Even with the success of Smallville, there is a lot of concern due to the failure of another series based on a lesser known DC character Aquaman. In a strange turn of events, Aquaman was played by Justin Hartley, who played Green Arrow in Smallville.
The CW has yet to announce a premiere date for the pilot, but expect it soon.