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"Stargirl": Ep Director Lea Thompson Signals "Sweaty Wrap" – Thanks Cast, Crew for "Fantastic Time"

Published Fri, 28 Jun 2019 09:05:49 -0500

In the ever-building tide of streaming services – where it feels like each of us will have our own by 2025 – the DC Universe slate of live-action programming has definitely been making some noise – in good and not-so-good ways. After a questionable trailer reaction, Titans went on to surprise and impress – and is now looking at a second season that brings the Deathstroke/Slade Wilson (Esai Morales), Superboy/Connor Kent (Joshua Orpin), and Garth/Aqualad (Drew Van Acker) storylines into play. On top of that, Doom Patrol recently wrapped its much-lauded run – but then there was the debacle that was the cancellation of Swamp Thing after one episode, left to impotently ride out its "dead show walking" one-and-only season even with strong, positive reviews.

Now we're getting another update on the streaming service's live-action series Stargirl, and it comes from none other than episode director Lea Thompson. For those automatically defaulting to Back to the Future and Howard the Duck, Thompson has been spending more time behind the camera in the past two years – directing episodes of Schooled, The Goldbergs, American Housewife, and Mom; and making her feature directorial debut in 2017's The Year of Spectacular Men. The director took to Instagram earlier this week to signal the end of filming on her episode and to thank the cast and crew – with a few "guest appearances" from some familiar faces:

View this post on Instagram.

About DC Universe's "Stargirl"…

In DC Universe' Stargirl, Brec Bassinger's Courtney Whitmore finds her smooth-going high school experience derailed when her mother marries and moves the household from Los Angeles to bucolic Blue Valley in distant Nebraska. Struggling to adapt, Courtney discovers her stepfather has a secret past as a superhero sidekick. She also discovers an artifact of immense power – a long-lost hero's cosmic staff – and ends up on a journey to becoming the unlikely inspiration for an entirely new generation of superheroes.

DC Universe's live-action Stargirl series stars Brec Bassinger (Courtney Whitmore aka Stargirl), Luke Wilson (Pat Dugan aka Stripesy/STRIPE), Amy Smart (Barbara Whitmore), Joel McHale (Sylvester Pemberton aka Starman), Lou Ferrigno Jr. (Rex Tyler aka Hourman), Brian Stapf (Ted Grant aka Wildcat), Henry Thomas (Dr. Charles McNider aka Dr. Mid-Nite), Joy Osmanski (Paula Brooks aka Tigress), Neil Hopkins (Lawrence "Crusher" Crock aka the Sportsmaster), Nelson Lee (Dragon King), Meg DeLacy (Cindy aka Dragon King's daughter), and Trae Romano (Courtney's step-brother)

Anjelika Washington (Young Sheldon), Yvette Monreal (The Fosters, Faking It), and Christopher James Baker (True Detective), Jake Austin Walker (Rectify), Neil Jackson (Absentia, Sleepy Hollow), Hina Khan (Hit The Floor), and newcomer Hunter Sansone are also on board, in undisclosed roles.

STARGIRL follows High School sophomore Courtney Whitmore who inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. This new DC Universe series reimagines Stargirl and the very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, in a fun, exciting and unpredictable series premiering in 2019/2020, produced by Warner Bros. Television, Mad Ghost Productions and Berlanti Productions.

Johns, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter executive produce the series, based on DC comic book characters created by Johns. In fact, he created the character Stargirl in 1999 to honor his late sister – and even had Wilson in mind when he first wrote the character:

"When I first moved to Los Angeles in 1996 and saw Bottle Rocket, I became a huge fan and admirer of Luke's. And I literally wrote this part for Luke, hoping that someday and somehow he'd play Pat Dugan. I only envisioned him. And now I feel like I won the lottery! Luke's talent, humor, compassion — his presence and professionalism — and his creative collaboration, his ideas — we're so lucky to have him alongside Brec in Stargirl."

Johns will write the season premiere and serve as series showrunner, with Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel) set to score. Stargirl is produced by Berlanti Prods. and Mad Ghost Prods. in association with Warner Bros. Television.