On the heels of an official photo of star Adrianne Palicki in costume as Wonder Woman for David E. Kelley’s NBC pilot of the same name, here are five things to know about the project:
1. The project was shopped to several networks before landing at NBC.
The project was shopped to several networks, including NBC it was reported, but the Peacock network allegedly did not move forward with the Kelley project due to executive restructuring. During winter press tour, Kelley told THR that he had his eye set on Wonder Woman going to the small screen within the next year. Days later, it was announced that NBC — with Bob Greenblatt as chairman of NBC entertainment — was going forward with the modern-day retelling of Wonder Woman.
GALLERY: New generation of superheroes
2. Friday Night Lights alum Palicki stars as the title character.
Palicki’s first role was in a Lost in Space remake, but what’s most surprising may be that she is already a comic book fan. Already a collector and reader of comics, it should be helpful as she steps into the role of Diana Prince (a.k.a. Wonder Woman). (She also likes to paint and draw when not filming.) Best known for her role as Tyra in NBC/DirecTV’s Friday Night Lights, Palicki performs her own stunts — as witnessed in the film, Legion. In the upcoming Red Dawn remake, Palicki takes on Jennifer Grey’s role of Toni.
3. Lynda Carter approves of Palicki’s casting.
Carter, who took on the persona for four seasons from 1975-79, emphasized the amount of pressure Palicki will be facing. “I think it is an amazing role to play. I know she is going to be really nervous about it, just because you would be,” Carter told the Baltimore Sun. “But I have a lot of confidence in David Kelley and what he’s going to come with up.” Carter believed it was time the story needed to be. “I think the story needs to be retold,” she said. “It needs to have a fresh look at it. It affected a lot of people. I think it’s time, I think it’s important to have it out there again.” But when asked to give advice to Palicki, Carter had this to say: “Gosh, I could never offer her any advice. Nor would she probably want any. If she wants to talk to me, that would be a whole different thing. … She’s an actress and she’s a good actress and she’s beautiful, and I hope she kicks butt.”
4. Veteran thesps are guest starring.
The Princess Bride actor Cary Elwes has boarded the project as the CEO of Themyscira Industries, the company owned by Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. British actress Elizabeth Hurley is joining the pilot in a recurring capacity as villainess Veronica Cale should the pilot move forward. Pedro Pascal has been locked for the role of Ed Indelicato, a police officer who becomes friends with Palicki’s Wonder Woman.
5. Kelley creates substantial roles for female actresses.
The veteran TV showrunner, who has Harry’s Law, Ally McBeal, Boston Legal and The Practice under his belt, has created strong characters — especially for actresses. NBC’s Harry’s Law is toplined by multihyphenate Kathy Bates as the leader of a group of misfit lawyers who form an unconventional law firm. Ally McBeal, which catapulted Calista Flockhart to stardom, centered on a single Boston lawyer looking for love and fulfillment in life, who also must contend with an over-active imagination. If Wonder Woman is ordered to series, Kelley will continue his streak of creating strong female characters as the she will be a “real complex woman and not just a superhero.”
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