After an almost three-month hiatus, word is that one of the Winchester Brothers is back in Vancouver today, a few weeks early for director’s prep. Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) will be directing the upcoming season’s first filmed epsiode for the third year in a row. Shooting starts on Monday, July 9th.
Jensen Ackles clearly enjoys directing. Last summer it was a Sam-centric episode three of season seven called The Girl Next Door, featuring co-star Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester) and sci-fi goddess Jewel Staite of Firefly and Stargate fame (Amy).
Ackles is said to be directing the third episode of season eight this summer, but I don’t know much about it yet. I do know he got rave reviews from his actors for last season’s episode three: Jewel Staite, aka @JewelStaite, tweeted “Wrapped, headed to TO! Jensen Ackles simply rocks as a director. And I’m not saying that simply cuz he’s hot (What am I saying?? Need sleep)” and Jared Padalecki, aka @JarPad, tweeted “What. A. Week. Ackles directed (and kicked ass).”
(No offence to Jensen Ackles, but I haven’t forgiven Dean for killing Jewel Staite’s Amy, even if Sam has.)
Six thousand lucky fans at San Diego Comic-Con should get a sneak peek of some of this summer’s Ackles-directed footage at the Supernatural panel in Hall H on Sunday, July 15th. Joining the Winchester brothers will be Misha Collins (Castiel), Jim Beaver (whose character Bobby might be really gone this time, making this panel a chance to say goodbye) and Mark A. Sheppard (Crowley). Departed showrunner Sera Gamble will not be there of course, making way for new executive producer Jeremy Carver and writer-producer Ben Edlund.
Supernatural moves to a new night this fall: season eight premieres on Wednesday, October 3rd at 9 p.m. on The CW.
Update: Jensen Ackles returned to Vancouver at suppertime. A fan told me she spotted him at LAX airport with his golf clubs heading to a mid-afternoon Air Alaska flight which landed at YVR airport around 5:30 p.m.
Update 2: Zap2It’s Carine Adly MacKenzie has some details about this season’s episode three called Heartache. Sam will be investigating a series of murders involving the Occult and somewhere along the way will meet a new love interest and doctor named Amelia, who has yet to be cast.