WB ORDERS FILMING OF NEW DS PILOT

Very true.  One of the good things about the casting is that it does force the writers to reapproach the Barnabas/Julia relationship throughout - you can't simply re-do the same thing.

One of the irritating things for me in 1991 was the way the Julia issue is handled.  No pair of silly glasses or a severe plait were going to diguise the fact that Barbara Steele was a very attractive woman, yet the scripts just seem to make Barnabas selectively blind...

Frankly, if the 1991 Julia had wanted Barnabas that badly, she could have gotten him - having her do the jealous overdose thing (note for jealousy, not because of anything plausible like Woodard's death?!?) severely diluted the character, I think...

I think you could have a very interesting choice for Barnabas if handled right - that between regaining the lost past that Vicki/Josette represents, versus the new possibilities and hopes that Julia and the present day holds.

With an open mind, the possibilities are endless.

(has over 28 pages starting with most recent)

  Thanks Midnite for the link.  At first glance I almost thought she resembled Catherine Zeta Jones, especially wearing the white dress on page one.   I can't for the life of me picture her playing Julia though.    I guess only time will tell.

Cassandra

I agree with MB that this is excellent outside the traditional box thinking. . .I'm glad they decided to add some diversity to the cast. . .She is beautiful and only 5 years younger than Grayson (said she was. . hee hee).  And unlike so many others (on other boards), I'll reserve judgement until i see her take on "julia hoffman". .

She certainly is beautiful.  I know nothing about her acting, but she could possibly be very interesting in the part.  However, I wonder if they are considering a name change.  However good she may turn out to be in the role, she just doesn't seem like a Julia HOFFMAN. 

I saw on the IMDb that Ms. Hu has several times played characters with Euro-sounding surnames (including her role on "Boomtown").  And she is of Chinese, Hawaiian and ENGLISH descent.  Maybe the WB's Dr. Hoffman will have a similar background.

That said, Kelly Hu really is a stunner.  I totally remember her from X-Men 2, and she was rather formidable in that role.  Given her looks and some of the the ass-kicking roles she's played, maybe they'll play up the strong, independent side of the Dr. Julia Hoffman character.  A woman like that might be intimidating or off-putting to the 18th century-raised Barnabas, which would add an interesting twist to the Julia/Barnabas relationship.  I think Frid's Barnabas found Hall's Julia too forward and assertive as well, but that was somewhat subtextual.

Her Father could've been a German or Austrian dude (or of descent). . .and her mother Chinese/Hawaiian. .this s the Melting Pot for heaven's sake or tossed salad to quote others.

.  I think Frid's Barnabas found Hall's Julia too forward and assertive as well, but that was somewhat subtextual.

subtext? didn't He outright tell her that he didn't care for her ways and that men of the 20th century might accept it but he wouldn't. . .

Does anyone else here find the casting of an Asian woman as the doctor/scientist a bit .....stereotypic?

Perhaps, Rainey. But in the realm of DS, this is earth shattering casting (though not because of her ethnicity - but because of her "babe factor"). I can pretty much guarantee that some corners of DS fandom have gone apoplectic over it. 

Hu's casting is being treated as big news on some Web sites. For example, it's the first time any DS casting news has garnered a headline on Sci-Fi's site. (All other mentions have been in their news briefs.) But her involvement with X-Men is probably more responsible for that than anything...

Does anyone else here find the casting of an Asian woman as the doctor/scientist a bit .....stereotypic?

No more stereotypic than the casting of Caucasians as the rich family with the house on the hill.   

And yeah, Julia99 - it's come back to me...do seem to remember that Barnabas had a hissy fit with Julia early on regarding her assertive 20th century attitude.  It was hilarious, and something that always informed my observations about their interactions from that point on.  Perhaps that's why I remembered it as subtext.

Posters, to avoid any further need of editing, please keep in mind that the words you choose may be inflammatory to others.  Thanks!

Does anyone else here find the casting of an Asian woman as the doctor/scientist a bit .....stereotypic?

No.  Let's not take this too far. . .they went against tradition (DS tradition) and opened up the casting ranks.  I think its great.

Me too!

And yet another report with photo (though one that's far more sedate than the one on ComingSoon.com - but then, almost anything would be  ) - this time on Zap2it.com:

The WB Hides Hu in 'Dark Shadows'

Ms. Hu's casting is a step in the right direction.  As a person of color, this is long overdue!! Still, more needs to be done.  How about a black Sheriff Patterson or Eliot Stokes?

I am so excited about Kelly Hu's casting!!! The news keeps getting better and better. I've posted this on about three boards already but my fingers are crossed even tighter! LOL.

Wiley