A reboot, a script order, piracy, and casting news dominate the latest geek TV news roundup.
The reboot of The Greatest American Hero has landed at ABC. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the network has ordered a pilot for the half-hour comedy. The new series will focus on 30-year-old Meera, a tequila-drinking, karaoke-singing Indian-American woman who is gifted with an alien super suit and entrusted to protect the planet. Racha Fruchbom (Fresh Off the Boat) will write and executive produce alongside Nahnatchka Khan (Fresh Off the Boat), Mandy Summers, and Tawnia McKiernan (Criminal Minds). McKiernan is the daughter of Stephen J. Cannell, who produced the original 1980s-era hour-long series that starred William Katt. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie) were previously announced as producers on the remake (see “Geek TV News Round-Up”) Variety reports that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys has received a script order from Amazon. The hour-long drama is being written by Eric Kripke, with Rogen and Goldberg on board to direct. The Boys had previously been in development for Cinemax (see “Cinemax Picks Up 'The Boys'”). Rogen and Goldberg have led a number of comic book adaptations, with their take on Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher now airing on AMC (see “AMC Seals Deal for 'Preacher' TV Series”) and an option from Universal Pictures on their adaptation of Robert Kirman’s Invincible (see “Robert Kirkman's 'Invincible' Optioned by Universal”).Game of Thrones doesn’t just break viewing records among HBO subscribers (see “'Game of Thrones' Breaks Another Record”): the seventh season of the hit series was pirated more than one billion times according to MUSO. Streaming accounted for nearly 85% of the illegal viewing, with torrents and downloads making up the balance. The first episode alone was viewed illegally 187 million times, which vastly overshadows the 10 million legal viewer debut for the episode (see “'Game of Thrones' Season 7 Premiere Sets HBO Ratings Record”) and the average 30 million legitimate views for each episode of Season 7.
Warner Bros.’ live-action Titans has added two to the lineup. Deadline reports that Minka Kelly (Almost Human, Friday Night Lights) will play Dove / Dawn Granger opposite Alan Ritchson (Smallville, Blood Drive), who has been cast as Hawk / Hank Hall. Both have recurring roles as the crime-fighting lovers in the first season, with an option to become regulars in the second season. They join Anna Diop (24: Legacy) and Teagan Croft on the series (see “Misty Knight's Bionic Arm; 'Heartthrob' Optioned; 'Locke and Key,' 'Titans,' 'Quantum and Woody' Casting”), which will debut in 2018 on DC’s direct-to-consumer digital service (see "Live-Action 'Titans' Will Air on DC Digital Service").