Remember the pilot ‘Powers’ with Jason Patric that FX was so excited about? The last heard about the show was three months ago when the pilot had already finished filming and was in post-production. Now, according to THR, FX has ordered a retooling of the pilot.
This doesn’t mean it’s the end of seeing a ‘Powers’ series come alive. The purpose of a pilot is to sell the show to the network who, off what they see, will then determine how many episodes to order. Many pilots get retooled before even airing. Most of the time, retooling means a cast change which could be anything from recasting a role to adding a character to the cast. But it does mean that some of the cast and crew will have to return for reshoots of certain scenes. Currently the lead roles are played by Jason Patric (‘Lost Boys’, ‘My Sister’s Keeper’) as Detective Christian Walker, Lucy Punch (‘Bad Teacher’, ‘Dinner for Schmucks’) as his partner Deena Pilgrim and Carly Foulkes, who plays Retro Girl, the first superhero victim of the possible series.
Originally, ‘Powers’ was set to launch this winter but it doesn’t look like it will happen. If you recall, FX chief, John Landgraf, had said about the show that they were “aiming for something extraordinary” and apparently the original pilot doesn’t hold up to that expectation. The fact that the network is asking for a retooling instead of passing on the project does lead one to believe they still have faith in the show.
I still think the premise of ‘Powers’ would do great and would bring to superhero powers what GRIMM does for fairy tales. Hopefully FX will be happy with the retooled pilot and show it by summer.
