Stargirl in the Media: The Blue Valley Times

[Meredith Quill]

Your Media Topic!

[Trini]

https://www.dcuniverse.com/

https://www.cwtv.com/shows/stargirl/

https://twitter.com/stargirl_cw

https://www.facebook.com/cwstargirl

https://www.instagram.com/cwstargirl/

[Trini]

'Geoff Johns Pens an Open & Personal Letter to Read Before You Watch Stargirl'

Quote

The DC TV series Stargirl is scheduled to debut May 11 on DC Universe (and follow soon after on CW), but Warner Bros. Television (who produces the show) have sent out advance copies of the first three episodes for press to review - as well as a personal letter from the show's creator/co-showrunner Geoff Johns.

Johns has a personal attachment to Stargirl, as not only was it his first DC Comics series - but it is also based on his late sister Courtney, who was killed in an airplane disaster.

WBTV has given Newsarama permission to share Johns personal message with our readers. Look for our review when WBTV's embargo lifts.

Quote

 

To Everyone About To Watch Stargirl –

I know you have real life concerns to deal with, as we all do, so if you are watching these I hope it’s to take a break from it and I’d encourage you to watch Stargirl with your family. It’s what the show was created for and what the show is about -- and, quite frankly, right now is the time to be with family.

My entire career began with heroes. A cold call to Superman director Richard Donner’s office landed me an internship that eventually led to me being Dick’s assistant in 1996. During that first year working for him, my sister - Courtney - was killed in the TWA flight 800 disaster. ...

 

 

 

[Trini]

New date and time for the premiere:

Quote

New series DC'S STARGIRL, starring Brec Bassinger, Luke Wilson and Amy Smart, will shift one week, making its CW debut on Tuesday, May 19 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT), leading into the on-going adventures of DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT). DC'S STARGIRL airs on The CW one day after it makes its digital debut on the DC UNIVERSE subscription service (Monday, May 18). Additionally, every episode of DC'S STARGIRL will be available to stream on The CW's free digital platforms (CWTV.com and The CW app), following its broadcast on The CW Network.

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2020/03/26/the-cw-network-announces-new-spring-2020-premiere-dates-855210/20200326cw01/

[MarkHB]

Small photo gallery for the premiere is up.

[Trini]

And a couple of promo posters are out:

 

[Primal Slayer]

Love the posters. Wildcats mask seems to round and not sure how I feel about teen Hourman and Doctor Mid-Nite.

[MarkHB]

It wasn't until the second time I looked at these that I noticed that the blue one is specific to DC Universe, and the yellow to the CW.

[Trini]

Article with quotes from Geoff Johns and Brec Bassinger; has some more info on the show and some teases about storylines and characters: https://uk.ign.com/articles/stargirl-dc-universe-series-cast-characters-jsa-injustice-society

 

[Trini]

There have been several new promos, and here's a new extended trailer that shows some of the villains:

 

[Trini]

In the Justice Society photo the Flash's (Jay Garrick's) face is obscured; I'm holding out hope that they get John W. Shipp to get into the suit again!

[MarkHB]

4 hours ago, Trini said:

There have been several new promos, and here's a new extended trailer that shows some of the villains:

As well as action with Wildcat and Hourman (and I think Dr. Mid-Nite if you look closely)! That's actually a really good trailer.

I'm here for John Wesley Shipp as Jay!  I've also seen the suggestion that Violet Beane as Jessie Quick would be an even more apt crossover partner.

[Trini]

One of several new promos:

 

Also non-spoiler reviews of the first few episodes are out in the media.

[Trini]

'Geoff Johns on how DC's Stargirl stands out from the Arrowverse shows'

 

[Trini]

Brec Bassinger on the Fatman Beyond podcast; talks about her casting, Geoff Johns, and filming. Her part starts at 11:18 :

----

Ha! I knew that costume would make stunts more complicated. Brec's super cute!

[Trini]

Behind The Scenes With The Cast:

 

Brec Bassinger on DC Daily:

 

[Trini]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/arts/television/stargirl-cw.html

 

 

Quote

A version of Stargirl appeared in a 2010 episode of “Smallville” that you wrote. What is different about how Brec Bassinger embodies the character?

It was fun to see Stargirl onscreen for the first time, but it was very different because she was a supporting character. Thematically, this is a very different experience. We’re lucky to have found Brec — she came in and delivered the emotion, the warmth, the drama, the comedy and the strength that Stargirl and Courtney needed.

The cast of “Stargirl” is notably diverse. Was that a priority?

Our lead is Stargirl, so, you know, I do not have to wave a flag to say, “Look, we have a female lead!” But it was important to have a diverse set of characters around her, and I wanted to take characters from the comics that I loved and some I never had a chance to write. Yolanda Montez/Wildcat [played by Yvette Monreal] was killed off early in the comics and was forgotten about, as was Beth Chapel, the new Doctor Midnight [Anjelika Washington]. Both characters had a lot of untapped potential. The other thing about Yolanda and Beth and even Rick Tyler [Cameron Gellman] is that they’re not super defined in the lore, so it gave us the latitude to make the best versions for this show.

This is your first time as a showrunner. What was that like?

It was an incredible learning process. I moved to Atlanta for production because I wanted to make sure that our tone was proper, that we were protecting the scenes we needed to and that the directors and everyone understood what we’re trying to accomplish. We tried to raise the bar on production, too — I wanted to bring a cinematic look and feel to the show. I hope we can do many more seasons of it.

 

[Trini]

'Geoff Johns on Showrunning ‘Stargirl’ and Why the Series Moved to The CW'

[tessaray]

8 hours ago, Trini said:

'Geoff Johns on Showrunning ‘Stargirl’ and Why the Series Moved to The CW'

I liked the details about working with the computer animation people before they set up the action sequences and  special effects.  Very practical and probably why it looks so great.  

Also explains a lot why Blue Valley reminded me so much of Hill Valley. 🙂 

[MarkHB]

That's the real Courtney Johns.

[Trini]

Geoff Johns on DC Daily:

 

[Trini]

Joel McHale interviews Geoff Johns:

 

[peachmangosteen]

Dammit.

This is why I need to just somehow avoid seeing anything about showrunners/producers lol.

[readster]

4 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Dammit.

This is why I need to just somehow avoid seeing anything about showrunners/producers lol.

Here we go again, why who said what and what Justice League wasn't "done the way it was originally done." 

[MarkHB]

Somehow we missed this in the runup to the show...

 

[ottoDbusdriver]

54 minutes ago, MarkHB said:

Somehow we missed this in the runup to the show...

 

That was pretty awesome.

[Trini]

Oh, there are definitely going to be crossovers now:

'DC's Stargirl Renewed for Season 2, Which Will Be Exclusive to The CW'

Quote

DC’s Stargirl has been renewed for a second season, which comes as little surprise given the superhero series’ warm reception. The twist is that The CW — not DC Universe — ordered the pickup, because starting with Season 2 it will be the exclusive in-season home for the show.

Meaning, Stargirl Season 2 episodes will first air on The CW, and then land on the network’s free, ad-supported streaming platforms the day after. Sources say there are no plans for the second season to stream on DC Universe, <...>

Stargirl‘s renewal comes seven weeks after the Arrowverse-adjacent series’ May 18 launch, which TVLine readers gave an average grade of “A-.” One day after its debut on the DC Universe streaming service, Stargirl premiered on The CW to 1.22 million total viewers, improving on time slot predecessor The Flash‘s season finale (1.08 mil) the week prior.

Since then, Stargirl has averaged nearly a million weekly viewers on The CW, in addition to however many were catching it on DC Universe.

 

[Starfish35]

Was just coming here to post that. 😄

It’s a bit frustrating to me personally.  I hate streaming through the CW app.  And I continue to wonder what this means for DC Universe and Young Justice in particular, the only show other than Stargirl that I care about on there. 😕

[Featherhat]

I think DC Universe is doomed to be honest. 

I imagine this will result in a much lower budget for S2 and some noticeable Arrowverse-isation as happened with Supergirl. 

I also assume this means that GAATC is definitely, definitely not getting picked up in a few days. Unless they have some plan to pair them together but I can't see how there would be enough room for both in season. 

[AimingforYoko]

2 hours ago, Starfish35 said:

 And I continue to wonder what this means for DC Universe 

 

1 hour ago, Featherhat said:

I think DC Universe is doomed to be honest. 

The clock was ticking on DC Universe the moment HBO Max was announced. Good for Stargirl, though.

[Josh371982]

3 hours ago, Featherhat said:

I think DC Universe is doomed to be honest. 

I imagine this will result in a much lower budget for S2 and some noticeable Arrowverse-isation as happened with Supergirl. 

I also assume this means that GAATC is definitely, definitely not getting picked up in a few days. Unless they have some plan to pair them together but I can't see how there would be enough room for both in season. 

I know I defintely wouldn't mind 13 to 16 episode seasons for Flash, Supergirl, and Batwoman much like Legends and Black Lighting does. Just do it for Stargirl and Superman and Lois as well and order Green Arrow and The Canaries. Hell make Stargirl a summer show. I know I'd rather see Green Arrow and the Canaries picked up over The 100 Prequel 

[Josh371982]

5 minutes ago, Josh371982 said:

I know I defintely wouldn't mind 13 to 16 episode seasons for Flash, Supergirl, and Batwoman much like Legends and Black Lighting does. Just do it for Stargirl and Superman and Lois as well and order Green Arrow and The Canaries. Hell make Stargirl and Green Arrow and the Canaries a summer show. I know I'd rather see Green Arrow and the Canaries picked up over The 100 Prequel 

 

[ruby24]

Ugh. I don't want this! I feel like it's very likely to screw up the show and lessen the quality.

1) The production budget goes out the window, so say goodbye to the good special effects and filming style. Also, possibly Luke Wilson's salary? Seriously, what if they can no longer afford him? That will negatively impact the show in a huge way. And will they have to move the show to Vancouver so that it looks and feels exactly like all the other CW shows?

2) The writing. The show's writing will change, because they'll have to write the episodes for commercial breaks now. That sucks and it changes the way shows are written more than people think.

3) I really, REALLY do not want the show to be molded to fit the Arrowverse in any way. I am SO sick of the Arrowverse in general. Every single show feels exactly the same and that's why I liked Stargirl, because it didn't. I don't want them to mess with it. 

[Kromm]

14 hours ago, ruby24 said:

Ugh. I don't want this! I feel like it's very likely to screw up the show and lessen the quality.

1) The production budget goes out the window, so say goodbye to the good special effects and filming style. Also, possibly Luke Wilson's salary? Seriously, what if they can no longer afford him? That will negatively impact the show in a huge way. And will they have to move the show to Vancouver so that it looks and feels exactly like all the other CW shows?

2) The writing. The show's writing will change, because they'll have to write the episodes for commercial breaks now. That sucks and it changes the way shows are written more than people think.

3) I really, REALLY do not want the show to be molded to fit the Arrowverse in any way. I am SO sick of the Arrowverse in general. Every single show feels exactly the same and that's why I liked Stargirl, because it didn't. I don't want them to mess with it. 

Don't forget shorter episodes.   I mean what's on the CW now is MUCH shortened from the DC Universe version.  Now that will be the only version.

[Jenniferbug]

15 hours ago, ruby24 said:

Ugh. I don't want this! I feel like it's very likely to screw up the show and lessen the quality.

1) The production budget goes out the window, so say goodbye to the good special effects and filming style. Also, possibly Luke Wilson's salary? Seriously, what if they can no longer afford him? That will negatively impact the show in a huge way. And will they have to move the show to Vancouver so that it looks and feels exactly like all the other CW shows?

2) The writing. The show's writing will change, because they'll have to write the episodes for commercial breaks now. That sucks and it changes the way shows are written more than people think.

3) I really, REALLY do not want the show to be molded to fit the Arrowverse in any way. I am SO sick of the Arrowverse in general. Every single show feels exactly the same and that's why I liked Stargirl, because it didn't. I don't want them to mess with it. 

Exactly! I'm happy it was renewed but I think it will significantly drop in quality under a CW budget. 

Once Crisis was over, and Arrow ended I stopped watching the Arrowverse. It just felt like an end, and I had been pretty bored with Flash, etc for a while. I'm really enjoying Star Girl and don't want it to change either! 

[MarkHB]

On 7/7/2020 at 4:55 AM, ruby24 said:

And will they have to move the show to Vancouver so that it looks and feels exactly like all the other CW shows?

Black Lightning already films in Georgia, so they have some awareness of the tax breaks, Covid situation, etc. Plus being in the States means they don't have to deal with whether the border is closed, so from that perspective they might be ahead of the game.

[Perfect Xero]

On 7/6/2020 at 1:54 PM, Featherhat said:

I think DC Universe is doomed to be honest. 

I imagine this will result in a much lower budget for S2 and some noticeable Arrowverse-isation as happened with Supergirl. 

I also assume this means that GAATC is definitely, definitely not getting picked up in a few days. Unless they have some plan to pair them together but I can't see how there would be enough room for both in season. 

Is the budget from an upstart limited scope streaming service really that much more than that of a CW network show?

[MarkHB]

On 7/9/2020 at 4:14 AM, Perfect Xero said:

Is the budget from an upstart limited scope streaming service really that much more than that of a CW network show?

I don't know that DCU is actually funding these shows. In the recent Office Hours thread, their community manager said that DCU didn't really have anyone giving notes during production; that was all WBTV. So it almost seems like WB was using DCU to showcase shows they wanted to resell elsewhere. 

So, my point there is, the CW exclusive may limit the upside on the show going forward, which could, in fact, limit the budget. OTOH, Stargirl has been an extremely good performer for the CW, so maybe they'll look more kindly upon it.

[Trini]

ISA chat:

 

[Trini]

Interview with Neil Jackson at Collider; he gives a couple teases for Season 2.

Quote

What makes playing a supervillain in a superhero story different from playing any other type of character? 

NEIL JACKSON: Well, the obvious is the superpowers. That’s the thing, we get to play in a really interesting sandbox that’s unencumbered by anything. The breadth of your imagination and budget is the only restraint, on something like this. We were really incredibly lucky, with this one. This was the most expensive pilot I’ve ever shot, and it was one of most expensive shows I’ve ever been a part of. Most shows take eight days to shoot an episode. We had 10 days to shoot an episode, and by the end of the series, we had 12 days to shoot an episode. We just had more time and more money to really devote to these characters and to tell the story in the way that we wanted to tell it, which was awesome. But playing a supervillain, for me, after the superpowers, it all comes down to character and who they are, and human beings are human beings. I went straight from Stargirl to shooting Season 3 of Absentia, which is a very different tone of show, that’s very dark, very brooding, and very much about the characters. But at their heart, they’re still people dealing with love and loss and pain and sacrifice, and all those things. So, for me, it’s always about tapping into the human truth behind all of the characters and playing them as authentically as possible, whether they shoot icicles from their fingers or they’re dealing with the death of a loved one.

 

[quarks]

On 7/9/2020 at 4:14 AM, Perfect Xero said:

Is the budget from an upstart limited scope streaming service really that much more than that of a CW network show?

At a guess, even with factoring in Georgia's tax incentives, Stargirl's per-episode budget is at least $300,000 more per episode than the per-episode budget for Flash. Possibly more. Each episode has about 15 minutes more of footage, plus, they have at least six more standing sets, two of which are dedicated stunt sets, a much higher budget for day players/extras (most notably in the science fair scene, where they were able to have at least twenty day players chatting, something Flash hasn't been able to do since season one), and many more background cars and trucks.

They can cut back on a lot of this next season, of course, especially since even with overshoots they should be able to eliminate a couple of days per filming per episode, and possibly lower some salaries down to CW scale, though I expect most of the cast, except for Luke Wilson and Brec Bassinger, came in pretty cheap as it is. And they don't have to pay to dress new standing sets, which will be a bonus. On the other hand, health precautions are raising the costs of filming everywhere.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, quarks said:

... I expect most of the cast, except for Luke Wilson and Brec Bassinger, came in pretty cheap as it is.

Why is Brec Bassginger expensive? This is the first time I've ever even heard of her. Is she bigger than I'm realizing? Wait, maybe it's just because she's the lead lol duh I'm an idiot.

[quarks]

49 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Why is Brec Bassginger expensive? This is the first time I've ever even heard of her. Is she bigger than I'm realizing? Wait, maybe it's just because she's the lead lol duh I'm an idiot.

Hollywood salaries tend to be very confusing for everyone, including Hollywood actors, so I don't think you should call yourself an idiot.

Especially since lead actors often aren't the highest paid people on a show for any number of reasons, valid and invalid. Bassginger is almost certainly earning less per episode than Luke Wilson is, for instance, and probably getting lower residual fees as well, despite her lead role.

[MarkHB]

I wonder if the CW will have the sole funding duty for season 2, though, or if HBO will also be ponying up to maintain show quality.  I don't think DC Universe was actually funding production of season 1, so maybe there's a structure that will preserve the quality of the show.

Or maybe we get to next season and Courtney, Rick and Yolanda are in a love triangle, Beth is developing an addiction and the staff goes walkabout looking for Starman.

[Kromm]

On 7/23/2020 at 5:32 PM, peachmangosteen said:

Why is Brec Bassginger expensive? This is the first time I've ever even heard of her. Is she bigger than I'm realizing? Wait, maybe it's just because she's the lead lol duh I'm an idiot.

She would be on the cheaper end, but not rock-bottom, moneywise, I think. She wasn't a total newbie. She may look 16, but she's actually 21.  She was the lead in a 2 season Nikelodeon show, admittedly you can't count anything that didn't get to Season 3 as a big success, but she WAS the lead. The rest of her resume is limited to guest appearances though, so she still hardly walked in to this with any real leverage. Just by virtue of being the lead and having twice as much screen time as even Luke Wilson, they'd bind her in a nice 5 or 6 year contract, because that's how they usually roll. 

[Kromm]

On 7/23/2020 at 6:27 PM, quarks said:

Bassginger is almost certainly earning less per episode than Luke Wilson

I was tempted to joke she could be making less than Amy Smart, and then I really thought about the fact that love her or hate her, nobody is likely really to argue Amy Smart is Top tier talent. 

On 7/23/2020 at 4:14 PM, quarks said:

Each episode has about 15 minutes more of footage,

Well that part is going to go away. 

[quarks]

17 minutes ago, Kromm said:

I was tempted to joke she could be making less than Amy Smart, and then I really thought about the fact that love her or hate her, nobody is likely really to argue Amy Smart is Top tier talent. 

Well that part is going to go away. 

Yeah, Amy Smart presumably came in higher than most of the youth cast. That said, she probably wasn't that expensive either.

And also, yeah, Stargirl will be saving quite a bit by filming 15 fewer minutes per episode, even if it follows Arrow's habit of overshooting.

[Primal Slayer]

On 7/23/2020 at 6:38 PM, MarkHB said:

I wonder if the CW will have the sole funding duty for season 2, though, or if HBO will also be ponying up to maintain show quality.  I don't think DC Universe was actually funding production of season 1, so maybe there's a structure that will preserve the quality of the show.

Or maybe we get to next season and Courtney, Rick and Yolanda are in a love triangle, Beth is developing an addiction and the staff goes walkabout looking for Starman.

S1 was shot in...late 2018 I think? Long before HBO Max was a thing so I think it was all DCU funding. Geoff has talked about how closely they work with the FX people to ensure they they arent that over the top and practical.

DCU seemed really bad at spending money at times...they threw away an entire episode of Titans for no good reason that is known to us. 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Primal Slayer

[Trini]

JSA Chat 2 :

 

[MarkHB]

15 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

S1 was shot in...late 2018 I think? Long before HBO Max was a thing so I think it was all DCU funding. Geoff has talked about how closely they work with the FX people to ensure they they arent that over the top and practical.

DCU seemed really bad at spending money at times...they threw away an entire episode of Titans for no good reason that is known to us. 

I realize this isn't the way things are typically done in Hollywood, but I almost think that WBTV essentially created these shows on spec, with DCU as a way to showcase them for sale to others. That aligns with DCU not having any creative input (notes) into the production, as well as Swamp Thing's abrupt cancellation (no international buyers). It's worth noting that Stargirl hasn't been running all that long of late, roughly 40-45 minutes per episode.

As far as Titans dropping an entire episode, I'm not sure I heard that story, but if you want to follow up in the Titans thread / forum I'd love to know more.