SMALLVILLE’S spin-off has been axed, according to lead star Tom Welling who says bosses have snubbed his calls.
Tom, 47, who played Clark Kent in the original series, disappointed fans awaiting an announcement on the animated sequel as he gave an update on the project.
When Smallville celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021, Tom and his co-star Michael Rosenbaum, who played Lex Luthor, first announced they were working on the follow-up.
But, despite three years passing, the actor doesn’t have good news.
He told ScreenRant: “We want it to work. The honest answer is we have not been able to get Warner Brothers to give us the thumbs up. We need their permission.
“We haven’t even gotten a response! It’s the weirdest thing because it is more of a fan-driven idea. It’s not going to be a blockbuster. It’s not going to be a financial windfall for any of us.
“We all like each other, we all like working together, and if we could do it, it’d be fun.
“But Warner Bros. – and I’m not hating on them – they just haven’t gotten back to us. It’s not a priority for them. It’s like a not-returning-phone-calls-thing.”
Smallville ran from 2001 to 2011, airing on E4 in the UK, and followed Clark’s journey from his teenage years in Smallville, Kansas, to his transformation into Superman.
Following its 20 year milestone, Tom delighted fans as he shared plans for his former co-stars, John Glover and Annette O’Toole, to return.
He also expressed hopes to collaborate with creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar on the project.
However, the pair have been kept busy working on Netflix‘s Wednesday, which is now filming its second season.
Tom said in his new interview that, while they’ve “expressed interest”, it’s of a low priority for them due to finances.
Elsewhere, in his personal life, the former model is now a father, having welcomed two children with his wife Jessica Rose Lee.
They share sons Thomson Wylde, four, and Rocklin Von, two.
Tom and Jessica began dating in 2014 and announced their engagement in February 2018.
The actor first announced the big news on Michael’s podcast, Inside Of You.
Michael teased on Instagram: “Welling shares a secret, don’t miss this week’s podcast.”
He told Tom during the chat, “Congrats on the, you know, you’ve got another kid on the way?”
