Naomi In The Media

[Trini]

'CW Series Based on DC Character Naomi'

Quote

DC Comics character Naomi could soon be coming to The CW thanks to Ava DuVernay and former “Arrow” writer and executive producer Jill Blankenship.

DuVernay and Blankenship are attached to write and executive produce “Naomi.” The potential series follows a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse. When a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, and what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes.

The character originally debuted in her own standalone comic book series in 2019, which was co-written by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker. It was illustrated by Jamal Campbell.  In the comics,

Spoiler

Naomi had energy-based powers as well as an ability to transform into superpowered form that granted her incredible strength and other abilities.

DuVernay will executive produce via ARRAY Filmworks, with Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes of ARRAY producing. Warner Bros. Television, where DuVernay is under a rich overall deal, will serve as the studio.

 

https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2020/12/04/groundbreaking-superhero-naomi-could-be-coming-to-the-cw

[Trini]

So is CW going all in with DC comic superhero shows?

With Wonder Girl, this is the second DC show led by a woman of color in development. I wonder if it's going to be one or the other, or is there a chance of both going to series?

Edited December 10, 2020 by Trini
curses! typos quoted again!

[Trini]

https://twitter.com/ava/status/1334974511553245185

 

[AnimeMania]

On 12/4/2020 at 4:47 PM, Trini said:

So is CW going all in with DC comic superhero shows?

With Wonder Girl, this is the second DC show with led by a woman of color in development. I wonder if it's going to be one or the other, or is there a chance of both going to series?

The CW is trying to appeal to a younger audience. That is why they killed "Black Lightning" in favor of a younger skewing show "Painkiller". You will notice that all the new superhero shows have extremely young leads that also have a more diverse cast.

I think it is more Warner Bros. that is all in in the Superhero genre. They have a ton of stories to tell from the DC comics lineup and millions of hours to fill to make HBO Max the "go to" streaming service. Warner Bros. is currently licensing as many DC Comics characters as they can to foreign countries to make TV series and movies so that eventually they will end up on HBO Max. This allows for new programs to have diversity in culture and language. HBO Max has plans to extend it's streaming service to include many foreign countries in 2021-2022. In 2021, all the major Warner Bros. movies released in movie theaters will also be released on HBO Max, the same day, at no additional cost, for a limited month long run. This is to try to manage the COVID outbreak, but also to drive up subscriptions to their streaming service and maintain that customer base. The first major movie to get the ball rolling is "Wonder Woman 1984" airing December 25th. I wish Warner Bros. hadn't sold their Crunchyroll streaming service to Sony, because I think offering the full Crunchyroll catalog on HBO Max would have done more to increase subscriptions than anything else. The young'uns love them some Anime and a legitimate way to watch a gigantic catalog that is easily accessible and easy to convince your parents to subscribe to would have driven HBO Max subscriptions and viewership through the roof.

[Trini]

I wonder how closely this show will be tied to the rest of the CW/DC shows? Since it's not produced by Berlanti, I think it will be connected, but not directly. With Naomi, it seems like post-Crisis merging is the perfect time to introduce this character and story; because it needs to take place in a world of superheroes.

[Trini]

Now ordered to pilot, but no new info.

[Trini]

 

[paulvdb]

Ava DuVernay’s ‘Naomi’ CW DC Drama Pilot Taps Kaci Walfall For Title Role, Adds Three Series Regulars

Quote

Ava DuVernay’s superhero DC drama Naomi has found its lead. Kaci Walfall (Army Wives, Power, The Lion King on Broadway) has been tapped for the titular role in The CW drama pilot, from DuVernay’s Array Filmworks and Warner Bros. Television. Also set as series regulars are Alexander Wraith (Orange Is the New Black, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Cranston Johnson (Filthy Rich, P-Valley, Hap and Leonard) and newcomer Camila Moreno.

 

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

'‘Naomi’ CW DC Drama Pilot Adds Barry Watson, Mouzam Makkar, 4 More To Cast'

Her parents and high school friends:

Quote

...

[Barry] Watson portrays Greg, Naomi’s (Walfall) adoptive father, a veteran military officer who is serious about his responsibilities at the town’s military base. He is happily married to Jennifer (Makkar) and sees Naomi as the perfect daughter.

[Mouzam] Makkar’s Jennifer is Naomi’s adoptive mother, who dotes on her bright and gifted daughter. She is happily married to Greg and teaches linguistics at the town military base. ...

Quote

[Mary-Charles] Jones is Annabelle, Naomi’s fiercely loyal classmate and best friend who is unafraid of telling Naomi hard truths. Though she thinks Naomi is overly obsessive about a recent mysterious event, she supports her in her quest for answers.

[Aidan] Gemme plays Jacob. Sweet, shy, and a bit nerdy, Jacob has been dating Annabelle since the fifth grade, and he treats her like a queen.

[Daniel] Puig is Nathan, a high school jock who briefly dated Naomi before she ended the relationship. Though the two remain friends, they still share an undeniable chemistry, and Naomi’s interest in another teen sparks Nathan’s jealousy.

[Will] Meyers plays Anthony. This handsome teen is a proud “townie” who has a crush on Naomi and will do anything to help her on her journey.

 

[Trini]

 

[Giuseppe]

I was curious as to what was being filmed in the square across from my condo the past couple days, so i did some googling and found out it was filming for this show. Never heard of Naomi and don't much follow the superhero-universe, but I'll probably tune in just to see my 'hood on TV, haha.

[paulvdb]

‘Naomi’: Kaci Walfall Embodies Titular Teenage Hero In First Look At CW Pilot From Ava DuVernay

[Trini]

From Deadline's commentary:

Quote

The CW already gave a straight-to-series order to one of its scripts from this season, The 4400, a reboot of the 2004 USA Network series. That leaves three traditional pilots in contention for a series order, all from A-list auspices, Diablo Cody and Berlanti Prods.’ Powerpuff; Ava DuVernay’s DC-themed Naomi; and millennial nun dramedy Our Ladies Of Brooklyn from Jennie Snyder Urman.

All three pilots have been cast and are in various stages of production but none has been delivered yet. With its big pop culture profile, Powerpuff has a leg up, as evidenced by the big social media reaction to all cast announcements and first-look images. Both Powerpuff and Naomi have leads that are creating buzz internally (and beyond) and both have strong underlying IP while the concept for Our Ladies is out there, but so was the premise of Urman’s hit for the network, Jane the Virgin. And while Powerpuff does have a slight edge based on its beloved IP pedigree and recognizable cast, all three pilots are solid contenders and could potentially get picked up. It will come down to execution.

 

[JustHereForFood]

On 4/30/2021 at 9:17 PM, paulvdb said:

‘Naomi’: Kaci Walfall Embodies Titular Teenage Hero In First Look At CW Pilot From Ava DuVernay

That outfit looks amazing. 

I haven't read her comics yet, since I'm still catching up on many DC characters, but will definitely check the series. 

[paulvdb]

‘All American’ Spinoff & Ava DuVernay’s ‘Naomi’ Picked Up To Series By The CW

[Trini]

2 hours ago, paulvdb said:

‘All American’ Spinoff & Ava DuVernay’s ‘Naomi’ Picked Up To Series By The CW

Wooo!

 

 

 

[Trini]

DC writeup of the series' pickup: https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2021/05/24/its-official-naomi-tv-series-is-coming-to-the-cw

Quote

While The CW is home to a number of successful TV shows based on DC superheroes, Naomi promises to stand out for several reasons. Unlike series like The Flash, Batwoman and Superman & Lois, Naomi doesn’t have a deep well of comic book storylines to draw from. First introduced in Bendis, Campbell and Jamal’s six-issue miniseries, Naomi McDuffie has since made guest appearances in other Bendis-written titles like Action Comics and Young Justice and is currently a member of the Justice League, but her own story is still largely yet to be explored, giving the newly greenlit CW series a pretty open canvas when it comes to what we should expect. Naomi is also a teenager, setting her apart from the heroes of the Arrowverse who are all adults. (Though several of the series feature teen heroes in supporting roles.) Finally, Naomi, as perhaps indicated by the series title, also currently lacks a superhero name. Whether she’ll eventually be given one on the show or in the comics first—or if she’ll be given one at all—remains to be seen.

 

[paulvdb]

The CW Fall 2021-22 Schedule

Naomi will get a midseason premiere.

[Trini]

A few short clips of the Naomi pilot in CW's 2021-2022 season sizzle reel:

 

[Trini]

Latest synopsis from CW's Fall schedule press release:

Quote

From Oscar(R) nominee/Emmy(R) winner Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship ("Arrow"), and starring Kaci Walfall ("Army Wives," "Power," "The Lion King" on Broadway) in the title role, the DC drama NAOMI follows the journey of a cool, confident, comic book-loving teenager as she pursues her hidden destiny.

When a supernatural event shakes her small hometown of Port Oswego, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, with a little help from her fiercely loyal best friend Annabelle (Mary-Charles Jones, "Kevin Can Wait"). She also has the support of her adoptive, doting parents, veteran military officer Greg (Barry Watson, "7th Heaven," "The Loudest Voice") and linguist Jennifer (Mouzam Makkar, "The Fix"). After an encounter with Zumbado (Cranston Johnson, "Filthy Rich"), the mysterious owner of a used car lot, leaves her shaken, Naomi turns to tattoo shop owner Dee (Alexander Wraith, "Orange Is the New Black"), who becomes her reluctant mentor.

While unraveling the mystery of herself, Naomi also navigates her high school friendships with both military kids and local townies, including ex-boyfriend and high school jock Nathan (Daniel Puig, "The System"); Annabelle's longtime, loyal boyfriend Jacob (Aidan Gemme, "Deliver Us From Evil"); proud "townie" Anthony (Will Meyers, "Bad Education"); and fellow comic book enthusiast Lourdes (newcomer Camila Moreno). As Naomi journeys to the heights of the Multiverse in search of answers, what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes.

Based on the characters from DC, NAOMI is written and executive produced by Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship, and executive produced by Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes of ARRAY Filmworks. Amanda Marsalis ("Echo Park," "Queen Sugar") directed and co-executive produced the pilot episode. The series is from ARRAY Filmworks in association with Warner Bros. Television.

 

[AnimeMania]

Picture of the cast on set:

Naomi McDuffie (Kaci Walfall),  Lourdes (Camila Moreno), Nathan (Daniel Puig), and Anthony (Will Myers).

[Trini]

Production starts!

https://twitter.com/ava/status/1429882187692724229

 

[Trini]

'DeMane Davis Signs Warner Bros. TV Deal, Joins CW’s ‘Naomi’ as Co-Executive Producer '

Quote

DeMane Davis, television director, producer and award-winning filmmaker of projects such as “Queen Sugar” and “Self Made,” has signed an overall creative deal with Warner Bros. Television Group. Under the terms of the pact, Davis joins the team of the upcoming DC Comics drama “Naomi” for The CW. Davis will serve as co-executive producer and the show’s producing director, working alongside executive producers and writers Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship. Sarah Bremner and Paul Garnes of ARRAY Filmworks, DuVernay’s banner, also executive produce.

 

[Trini]

Trailer at DC FanDome, October 16th:

Quote

Warner Bros. Television will offer a look at new seasons of Batwoman, The Flash, Superman & Lois, and Sweet Tooth; a farewell tribute to Supergirl as it approaches its epic conclusion after six seasons; a celebration of 100 episodes of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow; a first look at forthcoming new drama Naomi; and a sneak peek at an upcoming episode of DC’s Stargirl.

 

 

[Trini]

Ava DuVernay will be participating in FanDome, October 16:

 

[Trini]

 

[Just Here]

NAOMI First Look #DCFanDome

[Trini]

6 hours ago, Just Here said:

NAOMI First Look #DCFanDome

 

Was hoping for more; I think the TV shows in general got the short end this year.

I'll try and transcribe the Kaci WalFall interview later.

[Trini]

 FanDome interview transcript:
 

Quote

 

Candice Patton: ... How does it feel to be a part of the DC family?

Kaci Walfall: "It's an honor to be a part of the DC family. I've for so long have watched shows like The Flash, and a bunch of other DC TV and movies. So it's really special to me, and full circle for me. And, everyone who I've talked to within the DC universe has been incredibly welcoming which makes me really happy, and it has been ... so exciting.

I'm really excited for people to see this character that is so special to them within the comics. On TV, and since she's so fairly new to the DC universe, it's a lot of room to grow within the character, within the story, and it's something that we haven't seen yet within the DC universe. "

CP: How did you prepare for the role of a teenage superhero?

KW: "Preparing for the role of a teenage superhero isn't so hard for me because I started the show when I was sixteen, Naomi is sixteen, I'm seventeen now. So, our lives they often overlap as I'm reading the scripts. I get to pull from my family, and my friends, and things I'm going through. And when you're a teenager it's really crucial when you're figuring out your identity and who you are and what you like, and what you don't like, which is a lot of what goes through Naomi's head throughout this story. It's a superhero show, but it's also a coming of age story.

When it comes to the part of preparing for the superhero part, I can't relate to the supernatural part of the story, but I can relate to being a good person and doing good deeds, which is a huge part of about being a superhero. ... And I've also read the comics!

When I first booked this show I got the series of the comics, and I've also read the Justice Leagues that she's in. And I'm an avid reader, so getting into comics is something that that show has started me on."

CP: What makes Naomi different from the other female superheroes out there?

KW: "Well as I said before, she's a fairly new superhero, so there's a lot of room for growth. But honestly she's a young, female, Black, teenage superhero which is really special, because that's something that we rarely see, a character have their own comics and to have on TV. And I think what also sets her apart is her character and her heart. She's incredibly confident, she loves the people around her, she's an incredibly driven, incredibly smart, and isn't afraid to show it. And although there are a lot of Naomies and people like Naomi in real life, those aren't always shown on TV, so I think it'll be really special. ... I also think what really makes it different the unique characters within the setting of the show. And the creatives in the team, and crew and the cast, they make it even more special, so I'm really excited for people to see the show."

 

 

[Trini]

 

[tv echo]

 

[Trini]

New edition of the Naomi comics coming out in January 2022, with the TV show art on the cover:

 

[AnimeMania]

Naomi (Series premiere)        Tuesday, January 11, 2022      9-10 p.m.     The CW 

[tv echo]

The CW's Midseason Schedule Teams Superman & Lois With Naomi, Sets Dynasty, Charmed and Kung Fu Returns
By Matt Webb Mitovich / November 5 2021
https://tvline.com/2021/11/05/superman-and-lois-season-2-premiere-date-cw-midseason-schedule/ 

Quote

TUESDAY, JAN. 11
8 pm Superman & Lois Season 2 premiere
9 pm NAOMI series premiere

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by tv echo

[Trini]

https://dctvpodcasts.com/episodes/naomi-podcast-season-0-episode-1-a-whole-new-world/

 

 

[AnimeMania]

Stephanie March Joins Ava DuVernay’s ‘Naomi’ DC Series (EXCLUSIVE)

Stephanie March plays Akira, who is originally from a planet far away, but is now hiding on Earth. Naomi seeks her out, looking for answers.

[AnimeMania]

After an encounter with Zumbado (Cranston Johnson), the mysterious owner of a used car lot, leaves her shaken, Naomi turns to tattoo shop owner Dee (Alexander Wraith), who becomes her reluctant mentor. While unraveling the mystery of herself, Naomi also navigates her high school friendships with both military kids and local townies, including ex-boyfriend and high school jock Nathan (Daniel Puig); Annabelle's longtime, loyal boyfriend Jacob (Aidan Gemme); proud "townie" Anthony (Will Meyers); and fellow comic book enthusiast Lourdes (Camila Moreno) and small business owner. As Naomi journeys to the heights of the Multiverse in search of answers, what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes.

Top Row L-R 

Barry Watson will play Greg, a military veteran working at the local base.

Mouzam Makkar will play Jennifer, his wife and a linguistics teacher at the same base. Together they will be Naomi's adoptive parents. 

Will Meyers  

Bottom Row L-R

Daniel Puig 

Mary-Charles Jones  will play Annabelle, Naomi’s best friend who, while supportive, questions her friend's obsession with a recent mysterious event in town.

Aidan Gemme

[tv echo]

Edited December 11, 2021 by tv echo

[Trini]

Teaser trailer! I hope there's a longer one later:

 

[Trini]

And quotes from the producers and a couple of photos from the pilot(?) here: https://ew.com/tv/the-cw-naomi-photos/

Quote

"We're telling these grounded high school stories in the midst of this epic cosmic struggle," showrunner Jill Blankenship (Arrow), who executive produces alongside Ava DuVernay and counts Buffy: The Vampire Slayer as one of the show's touchstones, tells EW. "We're balancing equally these two parts of Naomi's life."

 

[AnimeMania]

Naomi reveals DC superhero's geeky passion and winged mentor in new photos

Naomi Show Photos Reveal First Look At Hero’s Alien Mentor

Naomi (Kaci Walfall), a cool, down-to-earth teenager who runs a popular fan site about Superman.

She won't be given a superhero costume right away.

Naomi's life is changed forever when a mysterious incident involving the Man of Steel rocks her small Pacific Northwest hometown. In the fallout, Naomi makes a shocking discovery that she has special abilities and she may not be from Earth. Even though she'll have adventures with her friends - including bestie Annabelle (Mary-Charles Jones), comic book store clerk Lourdes (Camila Moreno), and ex-boyfriend Nathan (Daniel Puig) - don't expect her to immediately start fighting crime in the premiere.

Naomi's search for answers leads her to Dee (Alexander Wraith), a tattoo parlor owner who, as she learns, is actually a winged alien from the planet Thanagar, home planet of Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Dee teaches Naomi how to better control her newly-discovered powers.

[Trini]

9 New Photos From The Naomi TV Series Pilot

[Trini]

New poster:

[AnimeMania]

 

[Trini]

^ The new trailer has an intro from Ava DuVernay BTW.

[tv echo]

2022 TV Preview: House of the Dragon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Naomi, She-Hulk and 16 More Shows We're Excited About
By Team TVLine / December 31 2021
https://tvline.com/lists/best-new-tv-shows-2022-house-of-the-dragon-obi-wan-kenobi/

Quote

NAOMI (The CW)
...
WHY IT EXCITES US: Kaci Walfall proved her likability as Delilah’s bestie Nicki on CBS’ The Equalizer. Now she’s applying that same winsomeness to her titular breakout role, a turn that will allow her to play a cool, bespectacled and confident Black teenager who comes to realize her hidden destiny and superhuman abilities. The fact that the Man of Steel helps lead Naomi to her truth is an added and exciting bonus.

SERIES PREMIERE DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 9/8c (where it will debut out of Superman & Lois Season 2)

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by tv echo

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

Some more press for the show is starting to be released; some quotes from Kaci Walfall here: https://www.ksitetv.com/naomi/naomi-actress-kaci-walfall-talks-dc-meet-ups-super-friends/223871/

And an interview at SYFY:

Quote

“One of the first things I did when I got the role was I made a Venn diagram of me versus my character, and the character in the pilot versus the character in the comics,” she explained. “We’re both intelligent; we're both smart; we both have a pretty good sense of style. But I think going even deeper than that, I think that what's different is that Naomi is an extrovert and I, Kaci, am an introvert depending on the situation …  it's been really fun to explore that and explore that authenticity within her. I also think that what's similar about us is that we both have a good sense of drive and passion. That's what keeps us going — when people tell us no, that doesn't mean that we're going to stop.”

 

[Trini]

More quotes from Kaci from the same roundtable here: https://dctvpodcasts.com/interviews/naomi-interview-kaci-walfall-previews-season-1-costume-arrowverse-hopes/

Quote

“I watched Black Lightning and I loved Black Lightning. When I was watching it, I loved specifically China Ann McClain’s character because I gravitated towards her and I felt I was sort of Jennifer. Javicia Leslie (Batwoman,) Candice Patton (Iris West-Allen,) Ciara Renee (Hawkgirl,) who’s one of my mentors, they paved the way and their portrayals are truly important. So to play a character and play a lead character is a dream come true.”

With Naomi being a newer character in the DC world, it is very easy to get into her mythology, with the Naomi: Season 1 comic, by Bendis, Walker, and Campbell. For Walfall, she had never read a comic book until she booked the role which she spoke about while also sharing what superheroes she has followed in media. “I had never read a comic before. I’m an avid reader, but I had never read a comic before, which I find is quite surprising, because I’m also a visual learner. So seeing something visually is very pleasing to my mind. I watched a little bit of The Flash, I watched Supergirl a lot. It was like my favorite show when I was in middle school. And of course, as I said, before, Black Lightning and I loved Wonder Woman with Gal Gadot. My relationship with superheroes was really cool. I did have a Batwoman costume when I was younger. It was always a dream of mine. But I didn’t know if there was a character that I could play until Naomi.”

 

Kind of crazy that the people who grew up watching the latest generation of DCTV are now starring in the latest DCTV!