Posted in: Arrow, CW, TV | Tagged: arrowverse, the hunting party

Arrowverse: Keto Shimizu on Legacy, Live-Action DC Storytelling Impact

Keto Shimizu (The Hunting Party) spoke with us about the legacy of the Arrowverse, reuniting with alum for the NBC series, and more.

Keto Shimizu will always be grateful for her time in the Arrowverse to the point where she'll welcome opportunities to work with alum on new projects like NBC's The Hunting Party. While most can argue that it's the golden age of DC television, the EP and writer worked on most of them, including Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and The Flash. Some of the alum already featured in the crime procedural series include director Thor Freudenthal, who directed the pilot; Arrow's David Ramsey guest starred in the sixth episode "Arlo Brandt" as the title character, and cast members Patrick Sabongui and Sara Garcia – who played David Singh and Alexa Rivera/Fuerza, respectively on The Flash. While promoting the Melissa Roxburgh-starred series, Shimizu spoke to Bleeding Cool about reuniting with the Arrowverse alum, if there is any talent she hopes to work with for season two, the legacy she's built on the Arrowverse, and if she would return should DC Studios come calling.

The Hunting Party EP/Writer Keto Shimizu on Arrowverse Reunion, Legacy, and Future

Bleeding Cool: There are many Arrow alums working on The Hunting Party alongside you. Did it feel like you didn't lose a step in terms of the series' ebb and flow creatively?

In terms of the writer's room, there are definitely people who were in the Arrowverse on our show here, but this show is run so differently and has such a different focus every week in terms of the kinds of stories we're telling. I wouldn't say a lot translated over rather than us knowing how to crank out episodes in a timely manner, work under pressure, and all these wonderful skills we did learn from writing and producing in the Arrowverse. That training has helped all of us for sure, but I'd say the shows themselves and the way that they are made is very different. However, it was fun to see some of the faces. going up to Vancouver and also revisiting sets that we shot 'Arrow' and 'Legends of Tomorrow' in, and now we're shooting them in a different context, which is kind of strange but also wonderful.

Since you guys wrapped up on season one, was there any other alum, maybe actors or other writers you worked with before from that Arrowverse sphere you hope to work with again for season two?

Oh my gosh! Everybody, I would love to work with everyone again. There are so many wonderful directors and great actors in the Arrowverse. I would be so honored and delighted to have any of them come play in our world over here [at 'The Hunting Party'].

How do you feel about the legacy of what you built on that Arrowverse and how it expanded live-action storytelling in DC?

I'm really proud ultimately of what we made in the Arrowverse at large. Starting from…I mean…I worked on season two of 'Arrow' and then all the way until the very end of 'Legends of Tomorrow,' and during that time, I also dabbled in 'The Flash' a little bit. It was a special time for so many creatives, and it allowed so many careers to flourish and grow. It created showrunners out of many of us, like the people who started this [series], staff writers became showrunners.

I came in as an executive story editor and became a showrunner. It was wild, the growth that was fostered in that place. The fact we got to go on set, produce, work our way from the ground up, learn so much, and got wonderful opportunities to advance in our careers. It was special, and in that regard, I'm proud, but also, I love what we got to do for screens, representation, and pushing the benchmark of what you can do on TV in that genre.

If James Gunn or Peter Safran call you one day, and ask, "Hey, we want to bring the Arrowverse back," would you be interested in going back, or do you consider that chapter closed?

Largely for me, it's closed. I'm starting to try to move on and do more stuff in the horror genre and build out my chops in that field. I would love for it to happen, and I know a lot of incredibly talented writers who would jump at it.

The Hunting Party, which also stars Nick Wechsler, airs Mondays on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock. You can stream Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow on Netflix. You can check out part one of our interview.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!