If there’s one thing Calliope Burns wants to do above all else, it’s kill. Specifically, she wants to kill men who abuse women. But Calliope isn’t just anyone – she’s the protagonist of the upcoming comic book series, First Kill, created by writer-illustrator Cavan Scott and artist Giovanni Timpano. We talked with Cavan about Calliope and why he chose to center his story around an antihero like her. Calliope Burns’ First Kill: Imani Lewis as Calliope Cal Burns
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Who Is Calliope “Cal” Burns
In 2010, writer and producer Jason Rothenberg dreamt up a character to feature in his season finale of The Vampire Diaries. The character, a hunter on a mission to kill Klaus Mikaelson and end his reign of terror on Mystic Falls. His name? Cal. Cal appeared for about five minutes in Season 2 Episode 21. And for those five minutes he looked damn good – so good that some people (including myself) started wondering whether or not we’d see him again. For two seasons now we’ve been waiting for an encore but it’s only now that those dreams are going to come true. The CW has just announced that actress Imani Lewis will be joining The 100 cast as Cal! We caught up with Ms.
Imani Lewis Play as Calliope “Cal” Burns
In Tyler Perry’s new Tv series, The Haves and Have Nots, actress Imani Lewis plays an innocent high school girl who gets mixed up in a world of crime and danger. Born under a bad sign, Cal is an unfortunate young woman who suffers abuse at her father’s hands. Her father dies in a car accident when she is eight, but even after his death she doesn’t escape unscathed. In addition to enduring physical abuse at home,
she has to deal with other kids taunting her over her disfigured hand (which was injured by her mother). Things only get worse for Cal when her mother remarries and that man begins to molest her.
The Discovery
Writer Kenzi Allan discovered actress and singer, Imani Lewis. She will star in A Discovery of Witches her first feature film, playing a character named Cal. It is based on Deborah Harkness’ best-selling All Souls Trilogy novels. The first novel, A Discovery of Witches, was published by Atria Books (Simon & Schuster) and debuted at number seven on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2011 when it was released. The sequel, Shadow of Night, debuted at number eight on The New York Times Best Seller list and in 2015 also hit No. 1 on Publishers Weekly’s Hardcover Fiction best-seller list.
The Punishment
Imani Lewis, who plays Callie or Cal Burn’s first kill. Give us a behind-the-scenes look at your character’s journey to her first kill! What did it take for her to get there? How did she do it? How did it change her? Was there anyone else who was involved? And what does she think about it now, later in life? This is YOUR chance to tell your story and let everyone know just how excited you are about The Punishment! Remember, YOU decide if you want your character on camera or off! 🙂 You may be talking about past, present, or future events.
The Preparation
The production company behind Jane, an upcoming 2017 USA Network pilot based on Jane Campion’s acclaimed miniseries, has released a new behind-the-scenes video about how they cast their title character. In just over five minutes, co-creators Amanda Lasher and Jenna Bans walk us through how they found their Jane. Before diving into audition tapes of dozens of actresses reading for Jane,
Lasher gives us insight into some of her favorite casting coups in recent years—including Mireille Enos in The Killing and Judith Light in Transparent. She also tells us why she always prefers seeing actors live on tape rather than at a casting session—it makes it easier to judge who really knows their stuff and who just looks good on paper.
The Execution
is an American urban fantasy television series created by Bryan Fuller for NBC. It is based on characters and settings featured in Neil Gaiman’s 2001 novel, which ties into mythology from multiple cultures and historic events, including Samhain. The series tells the story of a retired monster-hunter who has to face his former antagonist that resurfaces. The cast includes Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning, Pablo Schreiber, Gillian Anderson, Jimmi Simpson, Madeleine Mantock and Kristin Chenoweth. It premiered on January 25 , 2017 . This is great TV Series!!! I am a fan for sure!
The Writer
The Television Series is a drama, thriller, and crime television series which is based on The Execution written by author T.K. Chapin released in 2018. It will be produced by Vox Media, Annapurna Pictures, Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television. It stars actors Bobby Cannavale, Patricia Arquette, Aldis Hodge and Marsha Stephanie Blake. The series will air on Amazon Video and create with six episodes.
The Inspiration
No. The first word that comes out of my mouth, is a small but stern whisper, barely audible over the noise of bullets. No. I can’t do it. This isn’t me, Jayden, please don’t make me—oh God! Please? My voice rises to a shrill pitch and before he has a chance to say anything else, I hear him sigh heavily behind me. Calm down—you know it has to be done…I can’t let anyone find out what you’ve been up to here. He makes his way closer towards me; putting his hand on my shoulder firmly, giving it a light squeeze before letting go and turning around with determination in his eyes.
The Scene(s)
It is a dark and stormy night, but that hasn’t stopped me from driving to Boston for one of my menial corporate jobs. No, it’s not always great; sometimes I feel like a second-class citizen at these events, even though I’m technically higher up on the totem pole than most of my counterparts. But you learn to shut out the negative feelings after years in management and that kind of rejection comes with a territory if you want any kind of job in sales or marketing. The car radio plays Bruce Springsteen’s Hungry Heart and tonight his words strike home more than usual because it has been so long since I’ve felt anything other than empty inside.
My Thoughts
It is always great to be able to meet an author, who is also a producer for their movie! In my opinion, it shows that they really want their work to succeed. The first thing you notice when approaching Imani is her smile and then you can’t help but notice her beauty. She’s also very passionate about bringing Cal (her main character) and her story to life. When she spoke of going through with filming over 2 years ago, and still trying today to find distribution or funding, you can tell that she’s dedicated in making sure that her vision comes true!
