Batman’s funeral held in Hamilton
The pilot for the CW’s ‘Gotham Knights’ TV series was filmed all over the city in April
A strange funeral was held at Hamilton Cemetery this month.
They gathered to lay to rest Bruce Wayne — BATMAN!
That was just one of the scenes being filmed in the city for the pilot “Gotham Knights” on the CW Network, known for such shows as “The Flash,” “Superman and Lois” and “Riverdale.”
A CW synopsis says the show takes place after Batman’s murder. It focuses on the Caped Crusader’s rebellious son (not Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Robin) who forges an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman’s enemies when they are all framed for killing Batman. The show will introduce a new adopted son named Turner Hayes.
With no Dark Knight, the synopsis says Gotham descends into the most dangerous state it has ever been. However, hope comes from the most unexpected of places as this team of mismatched fugitives will become its next generation of saviours known as the “Gotham Knights.”
The Hamilton Cemetery on York Boulevard will no doubt be identified as Gotham Cemetery. A social media post showed a headstone with the name of Bruce Wayne on it. The wording: “He lived in Shadows, Now he lives in our hearts.”
The scenes were filmed April 1314, before Good Friday. The base camp was set up in the parking lot across from the former Hamilton Spectator building on Frid Street.
Last week, the show filmed on Strathcona Avenue South, near Main Street East; The Cotton Factory on Sherman Avenue North; on Summer’s Lane; and on King Street East, near John Street North. Some of the shots involved smoke and fire special effects. “Gotham Knights” has also been shooting in Toronto. Shooting in Hamilton was marred by the theft of a production vehicle, a 1979 Cadillac, on April 19.
The show was written by Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux and Natalie Abrams. They created “Batwoman” but it is not a spinoff. “Gotham Knights” is based on characters created for DC Comics by Batman creator Bob Kane with Bill Finger.
Oscar Morgan (featured in the upcoming Apple TV Second World War flying drama “Masters of the Air”) plays Turner Hayes. Misha Collins (“Supernatural”) has been cast as Harvey Dent, the district attorney who eventually becomes the villainous Two-Face.
Others in the cast include Fallon Smythe, who plays Harper Row, Anna Lore (Stephanie Brown), Navia Ziraili Robinson (Connie Kelley), Rahart Adams (Brody) and Olivia Rose Keegan (Duela).
The American remake of a British show was filmed in Hamilton.
The Fox drama “Accused” is an anthology show told from the defendant’s point of view during a trial. It is based on the BBC One program which ran 2010-2012 and won three International Emmys, including best drama for 2010.
The show was revived for Fox last summer by super Hollywood producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa (“24”) and David Shore, creator of “House.”
“Accused” shot at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre on April 13. The base camp was at the Hamilton Convention Centre.
Each episode of the BBC show opened in a courtroom without letting the viewer know the accused’s crime.
“‘Accused’ is about crime and punishment, but it’s definitely not a procedural,” Gordon and Gansa said in a statement. “For years, we’ve been living on the seismically active fault lines of race, gender, income inequality, social-media FOMO and fake news. ‘Accused’ is our chance to work through and hold up a mirror to the interesting times we’re living in right now, with characters that break your heart. There’s nothing more pressurefilled and character-defining than someone who commits a crime.”
The executive producers are Frank Siracusa and John Weber. Siracusa has been involved with “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Locke & Key,” while Weber has been involved with such shows as “Vikings” and “Tudors.”
Internet Movie Database (IMDb) says the first episode stars Michael Chiklis as Dr. Scott Corbett and Jill Hennessy as his wife, Lynn. “Accused” is set to premiere in 2023.