Arrow: Cast and Creators Live at PALEYFEST

“Arrow” at PALEYFEST on March 9, 2013. Stephen Amell stars as Oliver Queen, a licentious billionaire transformed after a yachting accident kills his father and leaves Oliver himself stranded on an island for five years. Now a crackerjack bowman, Queen sets out to fulfill his father’s dying wish: to “bring down those who are poisoning my city.” This William S. Paley Television Festival live event honors “Arrow,” the drama series about Oliver Queen, a billionaire who returns from being stranded for years on an uninhabited island to become an archery-based superhero in his hometown of Starling City.Geoff Johns (comic book writer and chief creative officer, DC Entertainment) moderates the following panelists: series developers/executive producers Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Marc Guggenheim; and cast members Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen), Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance), David Ramsey (John Diggle), and Susanna Thompson (Moira Queen). The panelists touch on such topics as: why Berlanti thought the Green Arrow comic book character could be successfully adapted into a television series; how Amell was cast in the title role; and how Amell’s use of body language lends depth to his character.Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: how Amell prepares for scenes where he has to speak Russian or Mandarin; the extensive archery training required for cast members; and how the big-screen “Dark Knight” trilogy influenced the production.