'Green Arrow' Superhero Television Series Headed To The CW?

Television viewers still mourning the loss of "Smallville" may soon have cause to rejoice. Deadline reports that The CW is close to ordering a pilot episode of live-action superhero series "Arrow," based on DC Comics' Justice League alum, Green Arrow.

The creative minds reported to be behind the project have impeccable genre credentials. The executive producers and writers are none other than "Green Lantern" movie creators Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, plus "Fringe" vet Andrew Kreisberg.

Veteran pilot director David Nutter ("X Files," "Smallville," "Supernatural") is likely to direct.

Berlanti and Guggenheim worked with Kreisberg on "Eli Stone," and it's not the first time the trio has been linked with a rumored superhero television project. Back in November they were reported to be shopping a "Booster Gold" pilot script to Syfy.

Plus, Kreisberg has a history with the crime-busting archer, having written several issues of Green Arrow and Black Canary comics for DC.

The Robin Hood-esque Green Arrow (a.k.a. billionaire Oliver Queen, former mayor of Star City) has already featured on The CW as a character on "Smallville." (As did Booster Gold.) Played by Justin Hartley ("Aquaman"), the character was drafted as a guest substitute for Batman (who allegedly had insuperable television rights issues), but Hartley was upped to series regular and the character wound up appearing in over 70 episodes.

Hartley is not attached to the new "Arrow" project, which Deadline reports will be set in an entirely new world rather than being based on the comics.

Since "Smallville" went off the air The CW has been eyeing a superhero replacement for the caped one, and is already developing an adaptation of Deadman with "Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke.

If "Arrow" is picked up by The CW, Berlanti and Guggenheim may find that their dance cards are rather full. Earlier this week Fox bought their pilot script for the legal drama, "Guilty."