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The potential series marks the comic book powerhouse's first foray into comedy and serves as Hudgens' follow-up to Fox's 'Grease Live.'
Vanessa Hudgens is getting back to work.
The Grease Live alum has been tapped to star in NBC's DC Comics comedy pilot Powerless, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The single-camera workplace comedy is set at one of the worst insurance companies in America — with the twist being that it also takes place in the universe of DC Comics. The comedy is about the reality of working life for a normal, powerless person in a world of super heroes and villains.
Hudgens will topline the pilot and portray Emily Locke, an insurance claims adjuster who loves her job because she gets to help people, Emily likes to fly under the radar and just get her work done. She finds herself increasingly exasperated by the disruptive antics of the various Super Heroes that proliferate in her city.
Powerless is being written by Ben Queen (A to Z), who will exec produce alongside Michael Patrick Jann, with the latter set to direct the pilot. Christina Kirk co-stars.
For Hudgens, the role marks her first gig after she earned critical praise for her role as Rizzo in Fox's Grease Live. The High School Musical grad earned rave reviews for her performance, which took place the day after her father passed away from stage four cancer. She dedicated her performance to him.
Should Powerless go to series, it would mark her first small screen regular role. Hudgens is repped by CAA, Untitled and Ziffren Brittenham.
For DC Comics, Powerless marks the comic book powerhouse's first half-hour entry. NBC currently is the only network without a superhero series, with DC behind CBS' Supergirl, Fox's Gotham and The CW's The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. (ABC is home to corporate sibling Marvel's Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter, and has a spinoff of the former, Marvel's Most Wanted, in the works this pilot season.)
Keep up with all the latest pickups, castings and eventual series orders with THR's handy guide to pilot season.
Pilot Season
