Despite it seemingly being scrapped this past September, J.J. Abrams’ Constantine show reboot appears to still be alive. Reportedly developed under the working title Chimney, the series was set to have up-and-coming scribe Guy Bolton lead the writer’s room with Abrams executive producing alongside Rachel Rusch-Rich and Ben Stephenson via his Bad Robot Productions banner. Plot details were left unknown for the show, though it was expected to shift the action back to London with His House‘s Sope Dirisu in talks to star as Constantine.
Development had been slow-going on the Constantine show reboot since it was first announced in early 2021, said to be part of Abrams’ Justice League Dark universe, with Dirisu having only been revealed to be in talks this past April. The show would see a major setback in September when it was announced that Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 was finally getting off the ground with original director Francis Lawrence also returning, while Netflix’s The Sandman introduced a new incarnation of the character with Jenna Coleman’s Johanna Constantine. However, those who were curious to see the Constantine show reboot may have reason to remain hopeful for its future.
In a recent report from The Hollywood Reporter, sources claim that J.J. Abrams’ Constantine show reboot is still alive at Warner Bros. The project was seemingly scrapped in favor of Keanu Reeves’ Constantine 2 in September, though sources now report that the studio is still shopping the series around to other streaming platforms to produce. The report also indicates that the Abrams-produced Zatanna movie is also being shopped to other streamers after initially being planned for an HBO Max release.
Every Constantine Project In Development Explained
As noted prior, Abrams’ Constantine show reboot is one of multiple projects to be in the works for the beloved DC Comics character, with Reeves’ Constantine 2 leaving the cult following of his original film very happy. Additionally, Netflix’s The Sandman didn’t just feature a new version of the character with Coleman’s Johanna Constantine, as the star has teased that Neil Gaiman and showrunner Allan Heinberg are currently developing a spinoff for her character, an idea welcome by many who fell in love with the updated take on the character. With Abrams’ Constantine show still reportedly alive and being shopped around to other streaming platforms, fans of the character could be getting plenty of Alan Moore’s occult detective on screen in the future.
Given WB has a solid relationship with Netflix in the comic book realm with both The Sandman and Lucifer, it seems possible that they could pick up J.J. Abrams’ Constantine show reboot. However, given the show is expected to be part of the producer’s planned Justice League Dark universe, Netflix landing the rights to the series could throw the plans out of wack should they not pick up the other projects set in said universe, including the Emerald Fennell-penned Zatanna movie. While audiences wait to see if the reboot is picked up, they can revisit Reeves’ original Constantine movie streaming on HBO Max now.
