Live-Action Teen Titans Nears Pilot Order
By Steve Lam
Via Deadline, we have news that TNT is close to ordering a pilot for a live-action Teen Titans television series. Looking at the current landscape, DC Comics is certainly ramping up its TV universe. This fall, we’re seeing the continuation of Arrow on The CW along with the debut of The Flash. On NBC, Constantine will be making its premiere. And it was only a few days ago that we brought you news that a Supergirl TV series was in the works.
The Teen Titans series will be simply called Titans and it is one of three TV drama pilots that are in limbo and awaiting confirmation from TNT. The other two are Amblin TV’s Lumen and the Jerry Bruckheimer / Michael Bay-produced untitled cocaine project (formerly titled Cocaine Cowboys). Titans will be written by Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsman and former screenwriter-now-executive Marc Haimes. Goldsman was the one who wrote Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. I know, those aren’t great credits, but he won the Oscar for A Beautiful Mind. Hopefully, Titans will prove that he can write a comic book adaptation as adept as a biopic. A quick synopsis of the series reads:
"The action series centers on Dick Grayson (probably best known for his alter ego as Robin), who emerges from the shadow of Batman to become Nightwing, the leader of a fearless band of new Super Heroes including Starfire, Raven and many others. Goldsman executive produces, with Haimes serving as co-executive producer for WBTV’s cable division Warner Horizon."
From the synopsis, it seems that Titans is a mixture of the original Teen Titans and the New Teen Titans due to the mentions of Nightwing, Starfire, and Raven. Dick Grayson’s Robin/Nightwing was part of the Teen Titans. Starfire and Raven weren’t part of the roster until the New Teen Titans. But in the New Teen Titans, Jason Todd was Robin.
If the pilot pushes through, this will be the first time the Teen Titans will be seen in live-action. Previous series incarnations have been animated — Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go! No casting information or anticipated date for the pilot were revealed as of this report.