The Next "Walking Dead"? "Powers" by Bendis & Oeming coming to FX Network!!!

Just in case some of you are fans of my pick for the best comic book being published today, and in case you missed the big announcement, the Eisner Award Winning indie fave Powers by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming is FINALLY moving forward as a pilot for the FX Network!

READ ABOUT IT HERE... BUT BEWARE THE PLOT SPOILERS IF YOU'VE NEVER READ THE COMIC BOOK!!!

In a world where superheroes and supervillains fly through the skies, having their superpowered battles, homicide detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim work the Powers beat, investigating the deaths of the masked men and women that either defend their city, or threaten it.

Powers is Bendis' tribute to 2 genres that he loves: superhero comics and police procedurals like Homicide: Life on the Street.

If you've never read the book, check it out for FREE by reading the first several story arcs over at Powers Daily, but be warned: This book is for MATURE READERS ONLY and contains explicit violence, language, and other mature content. It is absolutely, positively NOT Safe For Work and NOT appropriate for children! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

The story begins with "Who Killed Retro Girl?".

Now... this is really cool news!!!

Cool indeed! Powers is a fantastic book! Thanks for the update.

I havent read Powers but everyone recommends it. I'll have to buy it now and check it out!

IndyFanChuck said:

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I havent read Powers but everyone recommends it. I'll have to buy it now and check it out!

You definitely should! But you can check it out online FOR FREE by clicking the Powers Daily link in my first post!

Another casting update...

Just announced over at Pilot Castings:

11-year old actress Bailee Madison (Just Go With It) has joined the cast to play Calista Secor, a character that readers of the comic will be QUITE familiar with.

I thought the first 2 trades were great, after that the book really didn't work for me, lost interest. I have not read it in years. BUT regardless I always thought it would make a great TV show - so this is good news

KnightAsylum said:

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I thought the first 2 trades were great, after that the book really didn't work for me, lost interest. I have not read it in years. BUT regardless I always thought it would make a great TV show - so this is good news

Well, you really missed out. They're now up to trade paperback Volume 13, and there's been LOTS of big revelations about Christian Walker's past. The mythology of the series is so much deeper and more epic these days.

And... Deena Pilgrim has been cast! This was posted by Brian Michael Bendis over at his message board:

BENDIS! said:

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Lucy Punch Set As The Female Lead In FX's Drama Pilot 'Powers'

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday June 20, 2011 @ 2:24pm PDT
Tags: FX Powers, Lucy Punch

EXCLUSIVE: Lucy Punch has been tapped as the female lead in the FX drama pilot Powers. Based on the graphic novel by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, the project, written by Charles H. Eglee and to be directed by Michael Dinner, is a police procedural set in a world where superpowers are relatively common and centers on two detectives, Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim (Punch), in a Homicide department that deals with cases involving "powers" (people with superpowers).

Eglee, Dinner, David Engel, and Brian Bendis are executive producing for Sony Pictures TV and FX Prods. Filming is slated for mid-summer in Chicago. This marks a return to series television for British-born Punch, whose first major U.S. role was on the CBS comedy The Class. She has been busy in features lately, appearing in Dinner for Schmucks and Woody Allen’s You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. Punch, repped by WME, the Schiff Co. and U.K's United Agents, will next be seen in Sony's comedy Bad Teacher, which opens this weekend.

According to comments Bendis makes in his thread, she KILLED the audition and totally owned the role of Deena Pilgrim!

Also, expect the announcement as to who will be playing Detective Christian Walker in the next day or 2!

Jason Patric Set To Star In FX’s ‘Powers’ – Deadline.com

alienscollection.com said:

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Jason Patric Set To Star In FX’s ‘Powers’ – Deadline.com

That's an interesting bit of casting... had heard Kyle Chandler was up for it... I like Chandler, just didn't see him as Walker. Patric seems to have "softened up" a bit - I hope he can get in "Christian Walker" physique for the show.

Lucy Punch. Just judging by the images, there's potential - it just seems right for some reason. Katee Sackhoff would've been ideal... but, I think I would've just seen Starbuck - she definitely had the Deena edge and that sorta hard nosed aura about her.

I'm looking forward to this.

IndyFanChuck said:

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I havent read Powers but everyone recommends it. I'll have to buy it now and check it out!

Yeah, I just bought the Vol. 1 hardcover last week on my semi-annual graphic novel splurging, so this news has me very excited about reading the comic.

Good for him. I love Powers - now, if they can only get it right. Networks tend to only think a couple of ways when dealing with Superheroes - the world is either too bright or too dark. I don't want to see this book messed up.

alienscollection.com said:

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Jason Patric Set To Star In FX’s ‘Powers’ – Deadline.com

Interesting....

And here's a pic of him with longer, mullet style hair...



Quick, someone Photoshop a Diamond costume onto him!

I saw Super 8 again this evening. I didn't get 'it' before... but, damn Kyle Chandler was perfect to play Walker.

Are they just doing a pilot or has it been greenlit for series already?

Carly Foulkes and Alona Tal! As if I didn't have enough reasons to watch this.

JD said:

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Are they just doing a pilot or has it been greenlit for series already?

Officially it's a pilot right now. But with the efforts going into this thing, the odds are better than average for it to be picked up. Heck, FX wanted Bendis to head to SDCC and have a panel about the show to build extra buzz, but with only a week of filming at that point, there wasn't enough footage in the can to put together a preview for Comic Con! Otherwise, congoers would have had a real treat!

And here's pics of the actors comparing them to the characters they're playing!

Jason Patric as Detective Christian Walker...


Lucy Punch as Detective Deena Pilgrim...


Charles S. Dutton as Captain Cross...


Bailee Madison as 10-year old Calista Secor...


Khary Payton as Detective Kutter...


Carly Foulkes as Retro Girl...


Alona Tal as Zora...


Titus Welliver as Triphammer...


And Vinnie Jones as Johnny Royale...


On the last one, I really hope Vinnie plays the character true to how he's written in the comic, rather than as the dumb thug he usually plays. It's a chance for the actor to show that he can play MORE than just stupid brutes.

Thanks for the actor/character shots, Jack. Really helps give it the big picture. Although, I've read all the Powers trades - it's been a while and all the names/faces aren't quite there for me.

I did crack open Who Killed Retro Girl for a bit of a refresh and the first bit of it is just as a good as I remembered.

JD said:

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Thanks for the actor/character shots, Jack. Really helps give it the big picture. Although, I've read all the Powers trades - it's been a while and all the names/faces aren't quite there for me.

No problem, I pulled all those images together to post on my Facebook page, and then decided to share them here.

This hit the interwebz a few days ago... a still taken on set during filming....

here's your first look at Jason Patric IN CHARACTER as Detective Christian Walker...