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Huh - MG was part of the following panel for Comic-Con@Home yesterday...

Ducks All the Way Down: Metafiction in Comics | Comic-Con@Home 2021
Comic-Con International  Jul 23, 2021

Quote

Why is metafiction so important to comics, and what do ducks have to do with it? The Beat hosts this in-depth investigation, with the expertise of panelists Marc Guggenheim (Legends of Tomorrow), Avery Kaplan (Comics Beat), Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (PanelxPanel), and Ann Nocenti (The Seeds), moderated by Gregory Paul Silber (Comics Beat).


FYI: Video of the Heels panel (including SA) for Comic-Con@Home has been posted in the Heels forum here.

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SA has joined GalaxyCon Raleigh for a live Q&A solo panel on Saturday, July 31...

GalaxyCon Raleigh, July 29-August 1, 2021 (Raleigh, NC)
Stephen Amell (also Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Alexander Garfin and Kevin Conroy)
https://galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-raleigh-guest
pf-23db55a2--STEPHENAMELL-500x500approve

 

Also, KM and AH will be appearing virtually at this con in September...

GalaxyCon's Shadowhunters Virtual Experience, September 11, 2021 (Free, live-streaming Q&A)
Virtual Guests: Katherine McNamara and Anna Hopkins
https://galaxycon.com/blogs/36/sept-11-shadowhunters

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From Comic-Con@Home - here are video links to Saturday panels that included former Arrow cast or guest stars (David Nykl, Rachel Luttrell, Tom Ellis)...

Stargate Atlantis Cast Reunion | Comic-Con@Home 2021 [DAVID NYKL, RACHEL LUTTRELL]*
Comic-Con International   Jul 24, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl5cn9gt6Sw

(* An extended version of this Stargate: Atlantis cast reunion panel was posted by Dial the Gate.)

Netflix Geeked: Lucifer | Comic-Con@Home 2021 [TOM ELLIS]
Comic-Con International   Jul 24, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-mMD0h3Ar


ETA: David Nykl also participated in this virtual con panel on July 24 - here's the link to video of this panel...

Stargate: Atlantis Live Stream: July 24th at 4pm ET [DAVID NYKL]
https://galaxycon.com/pages/stargate-atlantis-live-stream-0724

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Video of Legends of Tomorrow panel today (Sunday) at Comic-Con@Home  - Matt Ryan was part of this panel (Caity Lotz did not participate in the panel but introduced a sneak peek trailer) - warning: spoilers!...

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Cast Conversation and Sneak Peek | Comic-Con@Home 2021
Comic-Con International  Jul 25, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwRC02ugXbE

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Charlie Barnett will be playing Joe's close friend, Eric Payne (according to this media report), in this new NBC drama series premiering this fall...

ORDINARY JOE Trailer (2021) James Wolk, Natalie Martinez, Charlie Barnett
Uniques Movie Trailer   Jul 23, 2021

Quote

Ordinary Joe is an upcoming American drama television series that is set to premiere on September 20, 2021 on NBC. The series, produced by 20th Television and Universal Television, is co-created and co-executive produced by Garrett Lerner and Russel Friend.

The series centers on Joe Kimbrough, played by James Wolk, as he makes a pivotal, life-changing decision at his college graduation and follows him on three parallel timelines thereafter.

 

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This interview was almost an hour long - I only transcribed her Arrow comments (also, JH said that she'll be going to New York "in a week or so" to shoot "a Christmas movie")...

Dead Talk Live: Juliana Harkavy is our Special Guest
Dead Talk Live      Streamed live on Jul 27, 2021

-- JH talked about how she got the role of Dinah Drake AKA Black Canary on Arrow. The audition was for a rookie cop with no specifics. She said that things "clicked" at the audition. She just knew that, if she got a call-back, she'd get the role. After she got the role, MG and WM told her on a phone call that she'd be playing Black Canary.

-- JH noted that, when she was on The Walking Dead, her scenes were with Kirk Acevedo and Audrey Marie Anderson. So she knew about Arrow from them before she auditioned for Arrow.

-- JH did not expect to be on Arrow for so many years. She said that Arrow has been the highlight of her career so far.

-- JH said that she did not "consciously" try to differentiate her version of the Black Canary from those of Caity Lotz and Katie Cassidy. She also did not try to match any characteristics of her Canary predecessors. She just focused solely on Dinah's story and Dinah's motivation, which was revenge-based, with a "level of grit" and "not caring."

-- JH has a background in sports and dance, but wished she had a background in martial arts.  She said that the role was very physically demanding. She said that she wasn't in the best shape during her first season on Arrow and she actually got sick. She said that you had to stay in top shape in order to keep up with the demanding schedule.

-- JH confirmed that shooting each season of Arrow took 10 months out of the year.

-- Host John Vizaniaris: "Now did COVID have anything to do with, uh, the spinoff not really happening?"
JH: "That's what we were told. We were told that programming just changed, networks changed. They were entertaining, uh, putting it on a different network, uh, for a period of time, and just trying to make it live. And I think they just - nobody knew what to do. There was nothing being produced."
Vizaniaris: "Do you think if it was just, uh - streaming was as prevalent as it is now, just 18 months ago, it might have been a different outcome for that spinoff?"
JH: "You know, it's possible... I think that we've had to all adapt... I think if they had been equipped beforehand for something like that, it's possible... The whole world changed. The way that we do everything changed."

-- When asked what Arrow moment she cherished the most, JH mentioned her first day and her last day on the set. On her first day, she was terrified, but then SA walked in and welcomed her warmly. She felt her life changing when she started playing Dinah on that day. Then on her last day on set, she was in the Arrow Bunker with the others when they turned off the lights. They were all crying. It felt "surreal" to her.

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Official trailer for KC's new movie, I Love Us (she plays a single mom who meets and marries a reformed thief, played by Danny A. Abeckaser) - by last report, it's getting a 10-city theatrical release plus VOD release on September 17...

I Love Us - Trailer
Vision Films   Jul 30, 2021

 

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UNTITLED HORROR MOVIE WATCH PARTY | Comedy | Horror | Film Threat Watch Party
Film Threat   Streamed live on Jul 30, 2021

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Join comedian Loren Kling as he hosts the party with special guests director Nick Simon (Truth or Dare) along with producer/actor Luke Bains and cast members including Darren Barnett, Tim Granaderos, Katherine McNamara along with other special guests.


INTERVIEW: Katherine McNamara Talks About New Horror Comedy "Untitled Horror Movie"
Nerds and Beyond   Jul 31, 2021

 

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More video clips from the SA panel at Galaxycon Raleigh on July 31 (all videos posted by bettername2come on YouTube - thanks!)...

Stephen & Cassandra Amell GalaxyCon Raleigh 2021 "Who would Jack Spade wrestle?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBN9nu1rjHk

Stephen & Cassandra Amell GalaxyCon Raleigh 2021 "Favorite superhero besides Green Arrow"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M20lBJRSIE0

-- Fan Q: "How would the series have went if Barry and Oliver stopped lying to their significant others?"
SA: "Way less seasons!"

Stephen & Cassandra Amell GalaxyCon Raleigh 2021 "Stunts you did anyway after they told you not to"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYPlPd6_4Xc

-- Fan Q: "Were there any stunts on Arrow that you wanted to do but were told you couldn't do or you're just like, I don't care, I'm doing it anyway?"
SA: "Yes... First time was Oliver in the second season. Um, Diggle and Felicity had traveled to Lian Yu to get him because he's gone to Lian Yu after Tommy's death to get away from everything... If that's a spoiler, you're in the wrong panel... And the first time that we see Oliver, he's up in a tree. Because Felicity has stepped on a land mine, he shoots an arrow and he swings down. I wanted to do the stunt and they said, 'Alright, but we're going to do a pass with a stunt double like from the top. We'll get you up there, but when it comes to actually swinging down, you're not doing that.' 'Yes, I am. Put me in a harness. Let me do it.' And they went, 'No.' And I went, 'Okay, well, I'm doing it shirtless and you can't make a body double for me.' And they harnessed me up, which is not comfortable. It's very frightening because at the time I still wanted to be able to have children. (To mod, who's his wife) Oh, no, you were pregnant. We were fine! ... I was very demonstrative. I was very headstrong. I demanded that I do the stunt. I then had to go through two-and-a-half hours of makeup to get all my scars and stuff put on. And they brought me way up in that tree. And I was standing there trying to look cool, saying to myself, 'I have made a mistake.' And then, of course, you see the actual cut. And once I actually like start swinging, I could have been anybody. It could have been anybody, you wouldn't have any idea. Stupid."

Stephen & Cassandra Amell GalaxyCon Raleigh 2021 "The therapy people need after Arrow finale"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx5SlGYvqRM

-- Fan Q: "Do you have any idea the probably therapy people probably need now, thanks to you, Emily, and the writers? ... I'm a big enough man to admit, that last episode... The very, very ending? ... I'm a big enough man to admit, I was so emotionally invested in that show, you had me in tears."
SA: "That was a cool day to be on set... You know, the ins and out of moviemaking, there's this romantic version of it where you shoot your first scene first and your last scene last, and everything happens sequentially. It's not the way things happen at all. .. Ironically, I'm not in the last episode of Arrow that much, overall... It's about a lot of things. It's about Diggle and... what's going to happen with all these characters. Where are they going to go? ... Where does their journey end? ... And the penultimate episode of Arrow... I'm not in it at all. And I was given the - they offered to basically shoot my last three days of the show and then I would have been gone... Long gone... Three weeks I would have been back in Los Angeles. And they built the schedule that way and a couple people on the crew got in touch with me or came up and talked to me, and they're like, 'With all due respect, if you're not there on the last day, I'm gonna kill you.' So I was there on the last day."

Stephen & Cassandra Amell GalaxyCon Raleigh 2021 Maturation of Arrow Storylines & Expanding Universe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2IlEIdHUno

Stephen & Cassandra Amell GalaxyCon Raleigh 2021 Character Progression
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_4l_vFtPTU

Stephen & Cassandra Amell GalaxyCon Raleigh 2021: Code 8 Sequel and Production
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rkOWpnC8Pg

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KC has just signed up for MegaCon Orlando next weekend (joining SA and JB)...

MegaCon Orlando, August 12-15, 2021 (FL) 
Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy and John Barrowman
https://fanexpohq.com/megaconorlando/celebrities/

Schedule (all times ET):
Fri. (8/13) @4:00pm - Q&A with Katie Cassidy
Sat. (8/14) @1:45pm - Q&A with Arrow Star Stephen Amell
Sat. (8/14) @5:00pm - John Barrowman Live on Stage
Sat. (8/14) @6:30pm - Sneak Peek of the New STARZ Series Heels (with Stephen Amell)

(FYI: SA and KC have an "Oliver and Laurel" photo op scheduled for Sat., 8/14, at 5:30pm.)


ETA: SA and KC are both scheduled for Planet Comicon the following weekend (Aug. 20-22) as well. SA is doing a solo panel, while KC is part of a Supernatural panel, both on Aug. 21 (at different times).

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Take 36 - Showrunner Marc Guggenheim, Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, Green Lantern
Screaming into the Hollywood Abyss     August 5, 2021
https://www.hollywoodabyss.com/Guggenheim/ 

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We talk to the remarkably funny and articulate Marc Guggenheim.
The industry veteran talks about moving from procedurals to genre, working for an abusive showrunner and his regrets over taking a gig ‘just for the money’.
He talks openly about the different shortcomings of showrunner, what he learned from good and bad bosses and the importance of fostering creativity.
He explains how he takes rejection, why he’s comfortable taking about it and how much of his success he owes to 20 years of therapy.
A fun and insightful romp through the long and eventful Hollywood career of a brilliant writer and even nicer man.

ETA: MG talked a lot about his long career and job experiences (as well as personal therapy and his advice for aspiring writers), but nothing specific about Arrow or the Arrowverse.

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Hero Nation Podcast: Stephen Amell On ‘Heels’ Debut, ‘Arrow’ Exit, ‘Code 8’ Sequel Status; ‘Black Widow’ Suit & MCU
By Dominic Patten, Anthony D'Alessandro   August 5, 2021 
https://deadline.com/2021/08/stephen-amell-heels-arrow-exit-code-8-hero-nation-podcast-black-widow-lawsuit-1234809524/ 

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“When I started Arrow, if you are thinking of things like a pie chart, it was 90% about the creativity, and it was 10% about being able to eventually buy a house and pay a mortgage,” says Stephen Amell on today’s Hero Nation podcast of his thinking behind exiting the long running CW series a few years ago. “By the time we got to Season 6 and Season 7, I felt as if the pie chart had almost completely reversed itself where it was 90% about the financial incentive and 10% about the creativity.”

ETA: SA said that during Season 6 of Arrow, he called Greg Berlanti. SA told GB that he thought it was time to wrap it up. GB asked him to think about it. SA did think about it, but still thought it was time. He thought that, at that time, there wasn't a "ton to be done" with the character of Oliver Queen or with the show itself: "We had done everything." SA said that he felt "pigeon-holed." He also said that playing a superhero without superpowers on TV for 8 years was as hard a job as anything else on TV. However, he saw his peers getting "accolades" for doing work that wasn't as hard. In the context of talking about the physical demands of a show, SA indicated that having only two months break out of the year on Arrow affected his temperament on set. SA admitted that, in the early days of Arrow, he was “pretty bullish and pretty headstrong,” as well as “somewhat short-tempered on set,” “easily bothered by any sort of distraction,” and “didn’t consider [my] fellow actors and scene partners” as much as he should have. However, he evolved over the course of Arrow and, by the end of Arrow, he said that he had a “wonderful relationship” with the cast and crew. SA said that he took what he learned from his Arrow experience to his new series Heels.

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As you know, DR has been rotating through most of the Arrowverse shows. His final guest appearance as John Diggle is scheduled for Supergirl, episode 6x12 (Blind Spots), which he also directed, on September 21...

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Mostly talk about his new Dark Horse 6-part comics series called Last Flight Out, although MG also mentioned that he will be "reimagining" L.A. Law for ABC (Blair Underwood will reprise his role from the original series)...

Last Flight Out: An Interview With Comic Book Creator Marc Guggenheim
Simpleman's Comics    Aug 5, 2021

 

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MG tweeted several previously unreleased script pages (Olicity scenes) over the past two days...

520 script pages:


718 script pages:.


722 script pages (including deleted Olicity scene at cabin after Mia is born but before the Monitor appears):

Felicity: “Did you hear that?”
(Oliver shakes his head and continues to kiss Felicity. Another baby cry.)
Oliver: “I heard that.”
Felicity: “If we’re quiet maybe she’ll go back to sleep.”
Oliver: “Doubt it. She’s stubborn.”
Felicity (playful): “Wonder where she gets that from? I’ll get her.” (Gets dressed)
Oliver: “I’ll go with.”
Felicity: “Great, cause it’s your turn for diaper duty.”
(Felicity smiles at her husband as we realize we have JUMPED TIME to after Mia’s been born.)
(Cut to baby’s bedroom at night. Oliver and Felicity pick up Baby Mia. It’s the happiest we’ve seen this family. Oliver holds Mia in his arms.)
(Olicity family montage: Oliver and Felicity playing with Baby Mia outside on a blanket, Oliver and Felicity sitting in rocking chairs on the porch, Oliver asleep on the couch with Mia in his arms as Felicity finds them and pulls a blanket over them.)
(Cut to kitchen at night. Oliver is in an apron, making a four-course meal. He lights the candles and puts the plated food on the table as he calls out to Felicity.)
Oliver: “Wife. Dinner is ready.”
(Felicity walks in, looking at the fancy setup.)
Felicity: “She’s finally down and OMG it smells amazing in here. (Realizing) Is it our anniversary? My birthday?”
Oliver (shaking his head): “Just wanted to do something special.”
(Felicity smiles as she pours a glass of wine and starts to chug.)
Felicity: “And now it’s time for mommy’s juice. As much as I miss the team and the action of sticking it to the bad guys, I think this time has been good for us. Just wish William could be here, too.”
Oliver: "I know. Maybe with this as our new normal… maybe we can get shared custody with his grandparents."
Felicity: "I love that idea. Mia's going to need her older brother."
(A rustling noise interrupts the serenity as Oliver’s spidey senses tingle. He grabs a knife – similar to Mia in 7x16 – and shoots a look to Felicity to “stay here.” He walks into the living area to see the Monitor standing there. The sight of him makes Oliver’s stomach plummet.)
Oliver: "Now?”
(The Monitor offers an inscrutable nod. Oliver processes his disappointment.)
Oliver: “I thought I’d have more time.”
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MG tweeted out more previously unreleased script pages...

604 script pages:.

 

LoT 308 script pages:

Above script pages reveal the following deleted and changed dialogue from the double wedding:
Felicity: "Wait. (All eyes on her) Wait. I mean – I mean, if it’s alright with you. (To Diggle) And if it’s alright with you… (Takes Oliver’s hand) I want you to marry us, too.”
Iris: “What?”
Barry: “Seriously?”
Felicity: “I’m so, so sorry. Is that alright?”
(Oliver’s world is pleasantly upended. A smile breaks out on his face.)
Oliver: "I thought you didn't believe in marriage?"
Felicity: "But I do believe in you. And I believe that what you and I have is stronger than anything that life can throw at us, married or not married. Because the only thing that really, truly scares me is the thought of losing you and –“ 
Oliver: "I do."
(Oliver puts an arm around Felicity and then turns to Barry and Iris.)
Oliver: “Is this okay? We didn’t mean to crash your wedding.”
Barry: “Our wedding’s already been crashed.”
Iris: “This will make it special.”
Barry (to Diggle): “You good?”
Diggle: "Never better. You’re talking to the guy who’s spent the last six years keeping these two together. Makes sense I be the one to marry them. (To Oliver and Felicity) What about you guys? Vows?”
Oliver: "I don’t think we could top theirs."
Felicity: "Besides, Oliver and I already did the whole ‘vows’ thing when we put on a fake wedding to draw out a psychopath serial-killing archer almost two years ago. Long story.”
Oliver: "But I seem to remember saying something to you, then… about how you’ll always be the best thing about me for the rest of my life. (Beat) For the past six years, you’ve helped me be a better me. Every day. I’m better just by loving you.”
(Felicity beams.)
Diggle: "Alright, well, since there aren’t any rings yet, I guess we just skip to the part where I say… Oliver Jonas Queen and Felicity Megan Smoak… Bartholomew Henry Allen and Iris Ann West... I now pronounce you both… husband and wife. (Beat) Kiss your brides."
(And they do. And it’s beautiful.)

 

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More previously unreleased script pages for Olicity scenes...

519 script pages:


709 script pages:

Above script pages reveal that the aired "You will always be the love of my life" line by Oliver was originally scripted for him to say "You will always be my entire existence."
Oliver: "We're going to be okay. (Off Felicity) You and me. Yes, we’ve changed. People do. It’s actually a good thing. It means we're evolving, growing. (Beat) But what hasn’t changed is how I feel about you. (Walks towards her and chances a hand on her cheek) ‘Love’ is too small a word for it. (Off Felicity) No matter who you are, no matter who you become – no matter who I become - you will always be my entire existence. (A vow) We might change. But that never will."


221 script pages:

Above script pages reveal two notable changes (imo):
(1) In the aired episode, after Oliver misses Moira's funeral and Diggle and Felicity find him in his secondary lair, Oliver says that all the people left that he cares about are now in Slade's crosshairs. 
However, in the script, Oliver specifies who those people are, saying: "And everyone else I care about – Thea, the two of you, the whole city – everyone is in his crosshairs." (Note who he doesn't specifically mention? Laurel.)
(2) In the aired episode, after Oliver resolves to turn himself over to Slade, he holds Felicity's hand, they look at each other, and then he pulls away and leaves.
However, in the script, Oliver pulls a tearful Felicity into his arms but she's so upset that she pulls away and pleads with him that there has to be another way. He says that there isn't and walks out.

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Yet more previously unreleased script pages...

614 script pages (not Olicity scenes):


714 script pages (Felicity tells Oliver she's pregnant):


618 script pages (Felicity runs to save a hallucinating Oliver):


808 script pages (original Oliver death scene):

Above script pages reveal what Oliver saw while he lay dying (original scripted scene before the writers knew that EBR would return for the finale):
Oliver: "Look…” 
(He’s too spent to even point. So they follow his gaze up. To the Singularity. Now much bigger. Much brighter.)
Sara: "We saw. But we don’t know what it is.”
Oliver: "A new universe."
(He can’t help but smile.)
Barry: "Not to complain, but it looks kinda small for universe."
Oliver: "Just wait. (Joy) It's almost time. (Beat) It’s almost time. (Bottom line) You did it."
Sara: "No. No, Oliver, you did it.”
Oliver: "Took… a lot out of me. But this is what the Monitor said would happen. An end. (Nods toward the Singularity) And a beginning.”
Sara: “No. No, I’m not letting you die again.”
Oliver (to Barry): “Remember what I told you?"
Barry (fighting back tears, barely croaking out the words): "Dying is the easy part."
(Oliver nods.)
Oliver: "The dead are at peace. The real heroes…"
Barry (voice breaking): "They're the one who have to keep going."
Oliver: "So keep going. And never stop. The new world’s going to need you."
(Oliver looks up. Seeing something. A contented smile appears on his lips.)
Oliver: “Hi.”
(And then we see what he’s looking at. Who. It’s Felicity. (Okay, it’s actually dailies from Arrow 114* with some copious rotoscoping. But still.) And she brings him peace. Oliver Queen is gone. And this time, he’s not coming back.)
(Barry crumples into sobs. Sara takes him into her arms. His body racks with heaving tears.)
Sara: “Barry…”
(She nods towards the sky. Barry looks. The Singularity is growing. Growing brighter. Growing bigger. An awe-inducing sight.)
Barry: “An end…”
Sara: “And a beginning.”
(The Singularity grows brighter. And brighter. And brighter.)
Barry (whispering): “Thank you, Ollie.”
(And brighter. Until it flares the lens, smashing us to… white.)

(* Arrow 114 is "The Odyssey," which is the episode in which Felicity helps an injured Oliver after he hides in the back of her Mini Cooper car and reveals himself as the Vigilante, and in which Felicity joins Team Arrow on a provisional basis.)

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Brief video clips and tweets from SA panel and JB panel at MegaCon Orlando yesterday (Aug. 14)...

Stephen Amell Singing!
That Bearded Dude   Aug 14, 2021


John Barrowman with Scott as Zapp Brannigan
Kevin Williams   Aug 14, 2021

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KC had a panel at MegaCon Orlando on Friday (Aug. 13), but I haven't found any videos from it yet. However, KC posted pics from her joint photo ops with JB and with SA on Saturday (no joint panels)...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSkJsODroxK/ 

Quote

katiecassidy And he’s still got it!!! Blessed to spend the weekend w/ fans & YOU @johnscotbarrowman my vaccinated friend! You are a light! Never forget that! 😘

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSklRfEAScP/ 

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katiecassidy When family reunites… 🤣 @stephenamell #Arrow

E8yQxWTXoBErNUf?format=jpg 

ETA: This is the kind of pic that you post and then ask fans to make up their own captions for it.

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Some Arrow comments in this SA interview...

Heels star Stephen Amell is ready to play a very different kind of hero
BY DAVID OPIE    August 13, 2021
https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37045118/heels-stephen-amell-episode-1-arrow/ 

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Seconds into our chat with Stephen Amell, his internet cuts out. You could say the wi-fi failed this interview. But even without Felicity to hand, our tech issues quickly sort themselves, and with that, we dive into Heels, Amell's first big show following an eight year run on Arrow.
*  *  *
But dig a little deeper and it soon becomes clear that Oliver Queen and Jack Spade are more similar than you might think. After all, both men feel an immense pressure to take on their father's legacy, and both try their best to make things better, not just for themselves, but also for the community that surrounds them. And if that wasn't enough, they both rock some tight spandex while doing it.
*  *  *
When you break it all down, the very notion of what it even means to be a hero, or a "face", as wrestlers call it, is integral to both shows. On paper then, Heels sounds like the perfect next step for Amell, combining his "keen interest in wrestling" with the kind of themes he tackled so well in Arrow. However, you might be surprised to hear that some of his former colleagues weren't on board at first.

"It was right around the weekend of the TCAs," Stephen recalls. "I was heading down with David Ramsey, and I got a chance to see Greg Berlanti, just through my manager and agents – just through all my different people – and I told them about this opportunity. A lot of them, honestly, were sort of hesitant that I was snapping at the first thing that was coming my way once people knew that Arrow was ending."

Amell was keen to push forward though anyway because of how much the writing resonated with him, and this soon convinced the people who questioned his decision. "They were like, 'Look, if you really like the scripts – just because this is the first opportunity, doesn't mean that it's the wrong opportunity.'"
*  *  *
"You don't typically cancel a show after eight seasons when it's just sort of humming along and going that way – but we made that call. Part of it was because I thought from a creative perspective, it would be really, really nice to play a new character, and to try a new thing."

What that "new thing" might turn out to be wasn't clear at first. "I had no designs on whether that would be film or television. But I was really intrigued by the idea of doing something where we can film the entire season, to have it there so you can really package it together, and thematically hint at things in the first episode that you can then revisit in the finale." Each season of Arrow had a game plan too, of course, "but we would be filming the ninth or tenth episode when the show premiered. So it's just a bit of a different dynamic."

Given Arrow's popularity, we couldn't help but wonder if Stephen felt pressure to live up to that show's success with his latest venture. "It'd be one thing if we had finished Arrow in November and then started Heels in January or something like that. But by the time we went to camera, it had been 10 months or so since we had wrapped on Arrow. It felt like a different world and a different job."

That ten-month break wasn't exactly relaxing though. Oliver Queen might have hung up his quiver, but Stephen had to prepare and retrain himself for a completely different kind of physicality. "When I trained for Arrow, it was like I was training for how I was going to look on the poster, right? [laughs] Whereas for Heels, I actually needed to be able to feel strong, and to do stunts in the ring."
*  *  *
By the end of our chat, we're left wanting to know more too, and not just because of the occasional wi-fi outage. Amell admits that he "didn't sign a contract for just one season," which means that with any luck, Heels could one day reach the dizzying heights of Arrow, spandex and all.

 

Edited by tv echo
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More video clips from SA panel at MegaCon Orlando on Saturday (Aug. 14)...

Stephen Amell speaks on Emily and ending of season 8. Megacon Orlando 2021
sukkmedri6   Aug 16, 2021

-- On ending Season 8 of Arrow with EBR, SA: "That was so lovely, but that was also very sad. That episode made me very sad. I felt a lot of accomplishment getting to the end of something, but it was sad. My eyes were really puffy in that scene because I was sad. Um, so from a happy standpoint, I have a really fond memory of her first day on set, uh, the first scene we shot together on Friday. She was, I think, the first sort of major guest star that we had had. And she and I chatted for about 20 minutes before we shot our first scene..."

Stephen Amell panel @MegaconOrlando 2021
sukkmedri6   Aug 16, 2021

-- SA: "I'd go to Marvel in a nanosecond."

-- On what Marvel superhero he would want to play and he can't say Hawkeye, SA: "No, no, I'd done with archery and I don't want to go through being left-handed... Uh, I don't know, man. I don't know. Um, uh, let's get - let's get Justin Hartley in a Marvel movie and I'll play whatever character he plays a couple years from now."


And here's a video clip from the Heels panel (with SA and Alexander Ludwig) at MegaCon Orlando on Saturday (Aug. 14)...

Attended the PRESCREENING for HEELS Saturday night. Here's a snippit
sukkmedri6   Aug 16, 2021


Plus more video clips from JB panel at MegaCon Orlando on Saturday (Aug. 14)...

Edited by tv echo
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On 8/15/2021 at 5:28 AM, tv echo said:

 

ETA: This is the kind of pic that you post and then ask fans to make up their own captions for it.

He has the same energy in this photo op 😬:

image.png.6cd9dd166074dc2984ccfaf18a277074.png

 

 

Edited by lemotomato
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I have no idea what they're actual relationship was like and lord knows they've both said and done some publicly idiotic stuff and you can't read too much into con photo ops, but that doesn't look like #familyreunited. 

In other Olicity Goodies news it's always interesting to see the differences between the script page and the actual scenes. I thought most of the changed dialogue worked better in the finished version and obviously you can see where SA and EBR took a dry script page and (with the directors and everyone else) ran with it. To pick out one of the more controversial moments, I thought it was interesting that they did have dialogue with Oliver specifically asking if it was ok and Barry and Iris saying they were happy with the double wedding. 

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Full panel video of SA panel at MegaCon Orlando on Aug. 14 (Olicity fans will want to read SA's complete response to the fan question about favorite moments with EBR below)...

Stephen Amell Full Panel MEGACON 2021
FAN EXPO HQ   Aug 18, 2021

-- Mod and SA talked some about SA's new STARZ series, Heels (even though there's a separate Heels panel later that same day).

-- Fan Q: "I asked this to your co-cast, um, who played Laurel, Katie Cassidy. But, um, from your first episode to like your last episode, how did you feel about your personality changes throughout the seasons?" 
SA: "I think that getting to play a character for eight years, getting to play a character as he evolves from sort of a petulant man-child to a responsible husband and father - murderer, but responsible husband and father (Laughs) - I - it is such a gift to be able to play a character through that - through that period of time. Um, as I matured, Oliver matured. It felt great. I would recommend it."

-- When asked about two superheroes that he looked up to, SA said Christopher Reeves' Superman and Hulk Hogan. When then asked about wrestlers that he looked up to, SA mentioned Christopher Daniels, Cody Rhodes and Phil Brooks (a/k/a C.M. Punk).

-- Fan Q: "What about suiting up as the Green Arrow again for a movie?"
SA: "Look, man, I would love to come back and - and play Oliver Queen again. 100 per cent. Are you kidding? ... Yeah, I mean, sure. Why not? ... Everyone's seen the entire series? Anyone hasn't? Okay, well, do you know what the word 'resurrection' means?"

-- SA talked a little about his Heels co-star, Alexander Ludwig, and about his wrestling training for Heels.

-- Fan Q: "Were there any [DC] villains or heroes that never made it [into Arrow] that you were hoping to see?"
SA: "Uh, yeah... I would have loved to have Batman on the show. Um, that would have been amazing... That being said, if - if - if someone were to ask me - if this panel were happening and we just finished the first season of Arrow and you created a wish list for me, or I created a wish list of people that I would like to see, I don't really feel like, outside of - outside of Batman, that we really missed anybody, because if I said 'wish list, like blue sky it,' it would have been Tom Welling and he came back in, uh, the crossover... I feel like we didn't - there was no stone left unturned."

-- Mod credited Arrow with building the Arrowverse "sandbox," including its crossovers, on television.
SA: "You're 100 per cent correct... When we set out to make Arrow, um, I remember reading the review in Entertainment Weekly and they're like, 'the pilot's really good, it's captivating, but, uh, let's be honest, superhero shows don't work on television.' ... And they hadn't. They really hadn't. So, um, everyone that has come after us deserves - deserves their own praise because they're creating something... Doesn't matter if they're in the slipstream of us being first. They deserve their own credit. But - but you're - you're right. I mean, the proof is in the pudding... Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg had a wonderful idea. They partnered with Geoff Johns and all the people at DC, and they had Peter Roth at WB TV and Mark Pedowitz at The CW standing right behind them, being very, very supportive. And - and now you have - now you just have a plethora of superhero television, which is fantastic. ... I'm just glad that something like The Boys exist so Jensen Ackles can stay employed. I've heard that show's good."

-- Fan Q: "Looking back at the series Arrow as a catalyst for the new evolving DC Universe, um, TV DC Universe, is there anything you would hope to see after you finished the series or any storylines you wish you had pursued?"
SA: "No... I feel like we did most of it, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to be done... I thought that we had told all the stories. I mean, let's - I mean, being intellectually honest, the series was kinda designed to go five years, not eight. Um, so I feel like we did everything. Um, if - if there's anything left that's not explored, it would be like coming back - actually coming back and doing some sort of limited run, where we could do like eight to ten episodes and it would be rated R."

-- Mod asked if SA will be doing more than one season of Heels. SA responded that he loves playing Jack Spade and would like to do more of that series: "We made eight episodes. My goal is to make a ninth."

-- Fan Q: "Justin Hartley was Arrow on Smallville. Was there ever a moment you were thinking about that Justin Hartley could've been on the show? Any storyline, episode, you wanted him in but it didn't work out?"
SA: "Yeah. I think we asked him a couple of times and it just didn't work out."

-- SA answered a fan question about how he "crafted" the character of Jack Spade, including his Atlanta, GA accent, on Heels.

-- Fan Q: "You do a lot of TV series. Are you interested in any movies coming up, either with the DC movie universe or anything else?"
SA: "I mean, sure. Sure. ... I know that, uh, I've seen some people today, uh, that were involved in the crowd funding that we did for the movie Code 8, that my cousin Robbie and I did. (Audience claps) Thank you. Um, and, uh - uh, Netflix - I don't know what we did. We hoodwinked them, because they gave us a bunch of money and we're going to shoot the second one in the fall. Yeah... I mean, like a reasonable amount. But they're - they're leaving us alone and letting us make the sequel. All right."

-- Fan Q: "I want to say that I really enjoyed the sense of not only being a hero that you did on Arrow, but you also, um, had a real sense of paternalism and as a caretaker when you were dealing with characters like Thea and Roy and eventually your own kids. Is that something that you set out to want to do in the script consciously or is that kind of a relationship that evolved organically as the seasons went along?"
SA: "First of all, that's a lovely and thoughtful question. Thank you... I'm not the world's greatest actor... I feel like I get by, by basically being a representation of - of myself and the person that I want to be in - in - you know, on a daily basis... If there was that paternal aspect, I - that was benefited greatly by, you know, my wife and I having our daughter in 2013. What's her name - Maverick? Something like that. (Smiles)... And just like that paternal instinct, I just tried to bring that to the character. And that was incredibly helpful... In positive ways, I like mining things in my life. Does that make sense?"

-- Fan Q: "You are my favorite superhero... What is your favorite song from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros?"
SA: "Oh. Oh, that's an easy one. 'Home." ... It's my wife and I's favorite song. Um, on the inside of both of our wedding rings it says 'Home is dot dot dot.' ... Yeah, I mean, we fall deeper in love every day."
(At the fan's request, SA then sang a snippet from a song from Heels.)

-- Fan Q: "When you were doing the tennis balls with the arrows, did you do that yourself or is that like, uh, camera shots or, uh...?"
SA: "A gentleman, uh, somewhere in California at a computer did that... Listen, shooting an - shooting an arrow is - is one of the most dangerous things that you can do in a film set. Guns all day with blanks. But shooting an actual arrow - like, no good, even if - even if you have a, you know, a blunt end to it. It can be really, really bad. So, um, I think there was probably four or five times where I actually had an arrow in the bow; otherwise, it was CGI... My aim - I still have perfect aim, but -."

-- Fan Q: "To prepare for the Arrow show and the big one, the Crisis On Infinite Earth, which we all saw, obviously, um, did they ever make you actually read some of the [Green] Arrow comic books and the Crisis On Infinite Earth arc to get you prepared for it?"
SA: "Nope... I mean, listen, I - I - I asked, when we first started Arrow, like, should I read something? And I read - I read, uh, Year One... But then, thereafter it was like, if - if anyone had ever said to me like, 'check this out,' I would have. But I just trusted the people that were running the show."

-- Fan Q: "Do you have any favorite moments with, like, Oliver, Felicity, Olicity, Emily Bett Rickards, throughout the eight seasons?"
SA: "Favorite moments... A favorite moment with Emily? ... It's difficult to pick one. Um, you now, when - when she came back for the last episode, that was so lovely, but that was also very s-sad. That episode made me very sad. I felt a lot of accomplishment getting to the end of something, but it was sad. My eyes were literally puffy in that scene because I was sad. Um, so from a happy standpoint, I have a really fond memory of her first day on set, uh, the first scene we shot together. It was a Friday. She was, I think, the first sort of major guest star that we had had. And, uh, you know, she and I chatted for about 20 minutes before we shot our first scene. And, um, fell in love, right there. She's the best."

-- Fan Q: "Oliver Queen has a lot of tattoos and I know you've inspired a lot of tattoos in real people at this point... Do you plan on getting any ink yourself?"
SA: "I've thought about it a couple of times. I thought about getting my daughter's like, uh, birthday or my wedding anniversary or just a picture of Santa, because we got married on Christmas, I don't know. And I've always - I've always chickened out... I've actually considered getting a little arrow as well... It was eight years of my life... It was a transformative thing... It's a little bit self-indulgent."
Mod: "Would it be a green arrow?"
SA: "Of course it'd be a f**kin' green arrow... Pardon my language... Okay... I'll tell you what I'd do if I was - if I was going to do it. I'd have, uh... I would have Mike Grell draw it... Are there any tattoo spots around here that you'd recommend? I'm thinking about it. (Fan replied that there was a whole "alley" of tattoo artists there at the comic con)... I might do it. What do you think? (Audience clapped) Okay... I will ask my wife... That's a given... She's being Face-timed in from off stage to monitor everything."

-- Fan Q: "I'm just curious. You spent a lot of time with the cast and crew of Arrow. So do you have any funny, kind of interesting stories that you could share that maybe the general public doesn't know that would be interesting for all of us to hear?"
SA: "I mean, they're all stupid. That doesn't make them not interesting... I just miss, um, oh my God - okay, this is the actual story. I miss being on set with David Ramsey, um, because he and I would just like do the long play, where I just walk up to him and go, 'Hey, man. Can we talk about something important? I'm going through something in my life and I'm just looking for an honest opinion and I value your opinion and I think that you're an intelligent, thoughtful person. Do you have a minute to talk?' 'Yeah. What do you want to talk about? Of course, man.' 'Deeze nuts!' That was us for eight years. I wish that weren't true, but I'm not making any of that up. I miss that so much. I really do."

-- Mod asked if it was difficult to go into a new cast and reestablish a new chemistry with the new Heels cast (after having had such a great chemistry with the Arrow cast).
SA: "No. It was exciting. I'll tell you why. Because over the course of eight years on Arrow, I grew up. You know, I started Arrow dating someone. I finished Arrow as a husband and a father and, um, just felt like more of a complete version of myself. And I really liked taking everything that I learned on Arrow and - and - and using that to establish a tone and a tenor on Heels. Because on Arrow, it's like, if - if someone's standing right in front of you, you can't tell if they're - you can't always recognize that they're growing, right?... But if you go away for a couple years and come back, you're like, 'wow,' that person's totally changed. So I just felt like I could take everything that I learned on Arrow, um, how to get through a difficult day, how to do stunts, how the crew likes to be treated, how I want to treat my co-stars, what it's like to be a scene partner. All of those things that I spent 170 plus episodes learning, I got to bring with me to Heels, and that was the best."

-- Fan Q: "I would just wondering if you could shed some light on the last episode of Arrow and what it was like for the cast and crew and yourself to know that it was the end for Oliver Queen."
SA: "It was really sad, man. It - it's really sad. The last season of - of the show was very trying for me, personally, professionally, 'cause I grew up with these people... They're my family. I spent more time with the cast and crew of Arrow than I have with my wife and child up until - we caught up because we had to stay in our home for a year together. (Laughs) But, um, it was really sad. Uh, I felt like I was saying goodbye to someone every day. You know. Like, it was Actor X's last scene on the show. That's a series wrap on - you name it. And, uh, that was - that was really, really, really challenging. And they offered to basically shoot me out because I'm not in the penultimate episode of the show. That's a 'Green Arrow and the Canaries,' I think. That was the Kat McNamara--centric episode. Um, and I'm not in the last episode that much, because other things are happening. And, um, they offered to shoot me out and I would have been - I would have been done like three weeks before we wrapped. And my very good friend Mark Bunting, who was - directed the show a couple of times, was our first A.D. for all eight seasons, he's like, uh, 'You're not getting shot out and then having us do the backdoor pilot. You're going to be here on the last day or I'm going to kill you.' So I was. And it was, uh - I'm very, very proud of those last 10 episodes. But, uh, I - I wouldn't do it again. Sorry."

-- Fan Q: "I know you said you're done with Arrow and DC and moving on to other projects. But, if you had the opportunity to cameo as another character from DC, who would you choose?"
SA: "Diggle... I don't know, man. I don't know. Um, a villain of - of - of some type... What's an underutilized villain that pops into your head?"
Fan: "What about doing Man Bat?"
Mod: "He's like a werewolf, but he's a bat."
SA: "No."

-- Fan Q: "So my question is, one of my favorite things [about Arrow] is your relationship, Oliver with Thea. I absolutely love it. So I was curious, what was your favorite scene to shoot with her? And what was your favorite behind-the-scenes moment that we don't know about?"
SA: "Well, again, like the - the scene where we say goodbye to one another... I know that was Oliver and Thea, but it was Stephen and Willa... I hadn't seen her n a couple of years, since she, uh, left the show. And for her to come back and do that episode and then for us to shoot that goodbye scene, I mean, again, the last 10 episodes were really hard. But that is a love - that is a lovely memory. It was a beautiful day. It was like August in Vancouver and it was beautiful and temperate and, you know, big skies. And I just remember us working all day and then shooting that scene at the end of the day and then we went and had a beer and laughed a little bit and that was it."

-- Fan Q: "If you were to take, um, like, do a crossover, would you go anywhere like from - would you transition from DC to Marvel?"
SA: "Yeah. Sure. Are they hiring?"
Fan: "Well, like, if you were offered the movie deal?"
SA: "I just love that you think that I would turn down a movie deal... You know what? Honestly, I love - I love Marvel movies. I - I love it. I watch, uh, I watch Infinity War and Endgame all the time. So pumped for the new Thor movie... I love all this stuff. Like, I'm - I'm loyal to Oliver Queen. If - if someone does something untoward against that character, I will cut them, okay? But that's not - like, I'm not DC loyal. I'm Oliver Queen loyal. I'll go to Marvel in a nanosecond!"

-- Fan Q: "What Marvel superhero would you like to play? Note: you can't say Hawkeye."
SA: "No, no, no. I'm done with archery and I don't want to go through the indignity of being left-handed... Uh, I don't know, man. I don't know. Um, uh, let's just - let's get - let's get Justin Hartley in a Marvel movie and I'll play whatever character he plays a couple years later."

-- Fan Q: "What do you think would have happened to Oliver if he survived the multiverse reboot and Crisis On Infinite Earths?"
SA: "Hopefully, he'd relax... Just relax. I don't know. Uh, learn how to bake. Chill out. Be a dad... Occasionally go out and fight crime, but sparingly... What would you hope - if Oliver had a happy ending, what would you like to see have happen? What would you like to have had happen?"
Fan: "Well, I would think Oliver would see his kids grow up... And also fight crime, uh, on some occasions."
SA: "That goes without saying. Yeah... I'm with you on that one."

-- Fan Q: "I know it's been a whole eight years with Arrow. I was wondering what, if you had a favorite part of playing, um, Oliver Queen-slash Arrow-slash the Green Arrow?"
SA: "Yeah. You ever put on a superhero suit before? (Fan replied that she did, as a costume)... Isn't it awesome? Like, doesn't it change the way that you walk? Does it change the way that you stand? Does it change your posture? It does for me. I love putting on a superhero suit."

-- Fan Q: "What was your favorite season and/or crossover on Arrow?"
SA: "Um, my favorite season was Season 1 because just getting to make a whole season of television, like what an accomplishment. I - I immediately got sick afterwards and had walking pneumonia and was like - took every - I put every morsel of my energy into that first season. So the - the feeling of accomplishment, just to get it done, always makes it my favorite... Oh, and my favorite crossover was - um, yah, the pilot of The Flash... when I just casually, off the cuff, gave Barry his superhero name... You're welcome."

-- Fan Q: "I was just wondering if, for all the Flash, if you did all the stunts, all the acrobatics, everything."
SA: "I didn't do any of the archery on Arrow. Like I said, that was CGI. But I really am that fast.... No, I mean... I did as much as I could. But when I actually got a chance to play the Flash in, uh, in - in the crossover and put that suit on, I had to - I had to pull Grant aside, because you have to do this thing where it's like, you just speed into the room and you stop like that. (Demonstrates) I was like, 'I'm not going to do it as well as you, but you got to tell me if I look like a complete idiot.' He goes, 'I will. Probably.'"

Edited by tv echo
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Other full panel videos (Heels, JB) from MegaCon Orlando on Aug. 14...

Heels (Stephen Amell, and Alexander Ludwig) Full Panel MEGACON 2021
FAN EXPO HQ   Aug 18, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa6v7szK-u4

John Barrowman Full Panel MEGACON 2021
FAN EXPO HQ   Aug 18, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqrbLam6AQM

ETA: Hmm... still no full video of KC's panel posted yet, even though her panel was on Aug. 13.

Edited by tv echo
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Thanks for finding the video and transcribing, TV Echo!

7 hours ago, tv echo said:

-- Fan Q: "Do you have any favorite moments with, like, Oliver, Felicity, Olicity, Emily Bett Rickards, throughout the eight seasons?"
SA: "Favorite moments... A favorite moment with Emily? ... It's difficult to pick one. Um, you now, when - when she came back for the last episode, that was so lovely, but that was also very s-sad. That episode made me very sad. I felt a lot of accomplishment getting to the end of something, but it was sad. My eyes were literally puffy in that scene because I was sad. Um, so from a happy standpoint, I have a really fond memory of her first day on set, uh, the first scene we shot together. It was a Friday. She was, I think, the first sort of major guest star that we had had. And, uh, you know, she and I chatted for about 20 minutes before we shot our first scene. And, um, fell in love, right there. She's the best."

I never get tired of SA (or EBR) telling the story about her first day on set. The way they both recall it so fondly, it's no wonder TPTB saw the chemistry they had and decided right away to bring EBR back

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In his second newsletter, MG wrote about his upcoming projects (including a new draft of LA Law and a potential new TV project that he's code-named "Project Granite"). He also wrote what I quoted below...

Quote

I recently delved into my Dropbox files to find some Arrow rarities for the Olicity fandom as part of an initiative to raise money for the American Cancer Society organized by @thisiselley. In the process, I came across some non-Olicity goodies that I thought would be fun to share.

But don’t worry, every week won’t be something Arrow-related. But this week, we’ll do two. The first is the “slate” for the first shot of the Arrow Pilot:
0062ead1-44bf-4875-877c-bc0397e3a039_640

The second item is something the incredibly talented — and funny — Art Department worked up for Arrow’s third season:
3f24ed5f-3685-4273-9b21-d6ac600db236_792 

 

 

Edited by tv echo
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