There’s a new Netflix series scheduled for release on December 15th, and it’s about (or at least contains) werewolves. According to Variety, the streaming service has picked up 10 episodes of The Order, which follows “college freshman Jack Morton [Jake Manley], who joins a fabled secret society called The Order”. Writes Deadline:
Created/written by Dennis Heaton (Motive) and Shelley Eriksen (co-creator of Private Eyes), The Order centers on college freshman Jack Morton, who joins a fabled secret society, The Order, where he is thrust into a world of magic, monsters and intrigue. As Jack goes deeper, he uncovers dark family secrets and an underground battle between werewolves and the magical dark arts.
[Sarah] Grey plays the female lead, Alyssa, a pretty and smart overachiever with a double major in poli-sci who is a member of The Order and is attracted to Jack.
Okay, so, points in favour: this is being produced by Nomadic Pictures, which also produces Van Helsing, Ghost Wars, and Hell on Wheels, and other successful series with critical responses ranging from “acceptable” to “great”. When Canadian productions are given the time and budget to do practical effects, they generally turn out well. If it gets renewed for a second season (the first has probably already wrapped), it might be filmed in downtown Vancouver, which means ya girl can lurk around the sets.
Points against: everything revealed so far about the storyline. I’m willing to give most things a fair shake, but I don’t need another supernatural drama about a handsome male protagonist who discovers a dark family secret while trying to balance his academic life and a will they / won’t they relationship with his “pretty and smart overachiever” female costar. I already saw MTV’s Teen Wolf, and a half-dozen movies that hit the “handsome guy + skeletons in the family closet” plot point. Also, Trollhunters.
Here’s hoping creators / writers Dennis Heaton and Shelley Eriksen steer things in a new direction. It’s hard not to be cynical about these things, but at the very least we’ll get a chance to see how a new horror franchise thinks werewolves should look.