From Classicalite:

Recently, Peter actor Joel Courtney opened up to Buddy TV about how his characters fits in with the others on the show:

“When the meteor crashes, it definitely is the beginning of a new start for Peter. Whether good things are on that path or bad things, it'll eventually set him in a good place. So he gets his strength, and then there's the incident (in the pilot) at the party. That was definitely not good. But throughout season one of The Messengers, he really finds a family with the group. Which is something he's never really had. So he's definitely set on a different path, whether good things or bad things come of that, he doesn't know. But through season one, it's definitely a good arc”.

Be sure to tune into the all new episode of The Messengers, tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern on The CW.

From J-14:

Katherine McNamara and Joel Courtney have been friends for over four years, and it all started with their movie Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn, which recently came out on DVD! The actors met during their audition for the film – Kat plays Becky Thatcher and Joel plays Tom Sawyer – and have pretty much been inseparable ever since.

When we chatted with the besties about their new movie, they agreed that filming on location in Bulgaria really kick started their long lasting friendship.

"When you end up in a foreign country where everyone speaks Bulgarian..." Kat started. "That's when you become friends," Joel finished.

CLICK HERE FOR 10 CELEBRITY BESTIES WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF!

Over the past few years Joel and Kat have pretty much achieved the ultimate friendship goals.

"We've [stayed] really close friends. It's nice to have somebody you can always text no matter what time it is and talk to about whatever," Kat EXCLUSIVELY told us.

Since the movie wrapped in 2011, both stars' careers have taken off. Kat recently finished filming the second movie in the Maze Runner franchise, The Scorch Trials, and is working on The Fosters, and Joel's new CW show The Messengers premiered earlier this month.

"You always want your friends to do well, and you always want the people you really care about to be successful and do what they really love," Kat said about Joel's success. "It's really nice to be able to watch someone grow, and be successful, and do great things."

And while both actors are incredibly supportive of each other, their busy schedules have definitely limited the time they've been able to spend together.

"It's impossible to hang out with Kat [now] because she's always working on something," Joel told us.

"We have to coordinate our schedules because when one of us is in LA, the other's gone shooting something," Kat adds. "And that's why Facetime is a beautiful thing."

When their schedules do work out, Kat told us that they like to plan "crazy vacations" or do "something spontaneous." Talk about the cutest BFFs ever!

Click through the gallery to see their most adorable bestie photos, then let us know which pics you love the most in the comments below. Are you glad that Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn brought them together? Are you excited to see the movie?

Via BuddyTV

The CW's new apocalypse-based series premieres on Friday, April 17. We spoke with Joel Courtney, who plays Peter, to discuss how he thought the show stood out from others as well as what to expect from his character throughout the first season.

How do you think The Messengers can separate itself from the other apocalyptic shows that we've seen?

The Messengers is very character based. Even within the pilot, you just love each of the characters. It really revolves around their relationships, their backstories, them coming to terms with them, facing them and with some people fixing them. It's just very character driven. 

Your character Peter is sort of the relatable teenager when we first meet him. He's going through bullying, he doesn't fit in and he's depressed. Does the meteor crash set him on a straight path? 

When the meteor crashes, it definitely is the beginning of a new start for Peter. Whether good things are on that path or bad things, it'll eventually set him in a good place. So he gets his strength, and then there's the incident (in the pilot) at the party. That was definitely not good. But throughout season one of The Messengers, he really finds a family with the group. Which is something he's never really had. So he's definitely set on a different path, whether good things or bad things come of that, he doesn't know. But through season one, it's definitely a good arc. 

When he killed the bully at the party, do you think he did that intentionally from his built up anger, or was it really a case of not knowing his strength? 

So, when I met with the executive producer Trey Calloway, he explained to me that the strength that Peter receives is more of a Hulk-type strength from Avengers as opposed to Superman from [Justice League]. It's a rage instead of an anger that can be controlled, overcome and eventually resolved. This just explodes from him. So, definitely when he kills Dan, it's something that he has no control of. He, himself is surprised by that. 

So the wings that we see you guys have in the television screens and reflections, is that something that normal people can also see in those reflections?

I think it's more for the audience, because you see them later, and nobody notices them from the background. To me, they're more of a projection of what we've been given the opportunity to do. We're the angels of the apocalypse and we've been set on this path. We never fly, because when you see them, they're kind of blue and electric. They're not for flying or anything like that. It's always to me been more of a projection.

The end of the pilot episode heads most of the characters to Houston for different reasons. Is there a higher power calling them there?

In season one, most of the setting is supposed to be Houston. So we're all drawn there by fate. None of us know each other, except for Raul and Erin who are in the same car riding together. It's much more of a higher powered fate leading us there, I'd say. None of us specifically knows Houston.

The pilot left Peter pretty heartbroken. He's done something really dark that most kids will never experience. How can he move forward and recover?

For Peter, that's something that will be with him for the rest of his life. You know, he took a life. A kid's life. Whether it was an accident or not, that's kinda just in the details. He killed a guy. So, it's something that he has to face and come to terms with. It's something that will always be with him that he has to carry around. 

The Man, the one who's going around to the Messengers will obviously be important this season. What do you think his character is meant to represent? 

At the end of the pilot, we realize he is Lucifer, he's the Devil. He's trying to throw the Messengers off of our path. He's got his own plan, so he's trying to throw us off of our's. So you'll see him interact with some of us. He tricks us, lies to us, basically gets us to get what he wants done. Until we can figure out what he's doing and try and stop him. Later on this season, you'll actually see something interesting come up with him. 

Given that we have a Devil representation, are we going to have a God representation as well?

It's much more angels versus the Devil. I don't see God coming into the show. I mean, he could. I don't know what the writers are thinking for future seasons, I'm not really sure. But to me, I just don't see that coming, I can't see it happening.

The Messengers airs Fridays at 9pm on The CW.

From Geeked Out Nation: 

The CW is filled with shows of superheroes,zombies, hunters,vampires of course some royal drama and now it has added angels to the mix. The Messengers Season 1 Episode 1  titled ‘The Awakening’ begins with a man who shoots a young man stated that his name is Death and that Hell will follow. It then pans to seven years later where we are introduced to several different people: Vera (the radio astronomer), Raul (the agent on the run), Erin (the devoted mother), Peter (the teenager), and Joshua (the TV preacher).  As we can see in just the first couple of minutes of the show that the show will have some religious and spiritual  overtones, yet still be entertaining to the masses.

Vera and her partner witness what they believe to be a meteor fall from the sky and some sort of invisible shield pass through Vera and the other five and there are unconscious for a few minutes only to awaken with new-found abilities. The meteor is then reveled to be a man who has fallen from the sky,now we can interpret the fallen man is Lucifer and that this is the beginning of the end of days as stated in the Book of Revelation. The preacher Joshua makes a broadcast about what is to come before his father cuts the live signal.

Each character has their own individual problems that they are dealing with such as Erin trying to protect her daughter from her father who threatens her in the hospital stating he will write that Erin was drinking which caused the crash. As the show moves on three of the five chosen ones show abilities and at times their angelic wings can be seen in mirrors. The man who had fallen from the sky shows up in Vera’s home and makes a deal with her, if she can do something for him then she can have her child returned to her.  Meanwhile in Houston, Joshua the preacher discovers his wife has been unfaithful and that children growing inside of her mostly likely belong to his father. He then gets a vision of a hospital, the meteor crash site and what seems to be some sort of explosion. He heads to the hospital while the others are heading to Houston. The man (from the meteor) is seen at a hospital where the young woman from earlier in the show who was shot is seen in the bed unconscious but on life support and his eyes is shown turning black with red as his pupils while the voice over of the preacher can be heard speaking of Lucifer.

I think this show has much potential,it has me hooked and waiting for the next episode. The show is filled with biblical overtones but it adds a nice twist to the current CW primetime lineup.

From Fanlala: 

Everyone get ready! An apocalypse is coming! Okay.. maybe not in real life but definitely starting on the CW tonight! We recently spoke to Joel Courtney who will be starring on the new show ‘The Messengers!’ In this exciting CW premiere you will see a group of strangers come together after a mysterious object crashes on Earth. Joel Courtney gave us more deets about the show and what everyone can expect, along with his favorite part of playing his character! Check it out below!

Fanlala: Tell us about your show ‘The Messengers.’

Joel Courtney: The show is about this group of unconnected strangers who die upon the impact of a meteor and a couple minutes after their death they are brought back to life and kind of phased and don’t really know what happened. You find out that everyone is going to Houston and charged with saving the world from the apocalypse.

F: Describe your character on the show.

JC: I play the role of Peter Moore. He’s your typical teenager with teen problems and a little extra added on. He’s a foster child and moved around from home to home, spending no more than a year in each place he stayed. He also was bullied a lot in school so that didn’t help anything. Whenever he needs to let out some steam though, he goes straight to swimming. However when the messengers come together they become a family and things start to get better.

F: Do you find yourself relating to this character in a personal way?

JC: When it comes to family life, Peter and I have nothing in common which I’m very thankful for. A lot of the acting for this character comes from the fact he has so much baggage and a dark history but I really enjoy playing him and digging deeper into such a mentally complex character.

F: What does this show bring to the CW that hasn’t been brought before?

JC: It’ll definitely be different to have a show based on the apocalypse. Having all these supernatural aspects is bringing a new layer to the CW that is pretty cool.

F: How would you describe the vibe your cast brings to set?

JC: We have so much fun together! We joke, we mess around, we play and then we have work to do and we dig in and do a good job. It’s nice because we can ask each other for help, or to help each other run lines with no problems at all so it’s a pretty open cast. I’d say the vibe is excellent!

F: What do you think will be the audience’s favorite aspect of this show?

JC: Definitely the connection between the messengers. I feel like it’s realistic to the point that you’ll believe what we’re going through, but also everyone will really relate to the connections between each of the characters.

Whoa! This sounds like a show we absolutely cannot miss! We love when there is a group of characters we can all relate and it by the sounds of what Joel told us, that is exactly what the audience will be able to experience after watching this show. Make sure to check out ‘The Messengers’ tonight on the CW at 9pm!

From GirlsLife: 

You might recognize Joel Courtney from his starring role in Super 8, the scifi film set in the 70s where he played a filmmaking kid encountering alien life. Now at 19, Joel's taking on a different role in his new CW showThe Messengers—but it's still pretty out of this world. After a meteor strikes Earth, Joel's character Peter and several other individuals experience something totally incredible. They die. But then they wake up, different and powerful, with the fate of good and evil in their hands. Check out what Joel had to say about his new role. 

GL: Who is Peter?

Joel: Peter's a regular teenager who’s got some extra baggage from his history. He’s been moved form foster home to foster home and has struggled with his mental health and a past suicide attempt. When the meteor falls out of place and the shock wave temporarily kills him, people misunderstand it for another suicide attempt. But when he comes together with the messengers, they really become a family like he’s never had before. That's where his life really starts to begin.  

GL: The meteor changes Peter, right? 

Joel: Yeah! Peter is given the gift of strength—but it's kind of a need, not want situation. In the pilot there's a bully that Peter stands up to, but with his new powers, he does more than he means to and accidentally kills him. He has to learn how to control his emotions and find a good place, mentally, so he can make sure it doesn't happen again.  

GL: What are you most excited for fans to see?

Joel: This is a smart show; it will tease your brain. You have to put things together, make connections, and you get to think through it yourself. Plus, the emotional journey for Peter is pretty incredible. I feel like a lot of fans can relate to it and enjoy it. And that goes for all the characters — even though we become angels, we’re just random people selected to see if humanity is worthy of carrying on. 

GL: You guys showed the first ep at WonderCon not long ago. How was seeing the fans reactions?

Joel: It was pretty great, actually! We heard cheering, we heard some booing when Diogo Morgado who plays the devil came on screen. When Diogo comes out of the meteor crash, he's butt-naked and he walks up to this guy fixing a car and the guy goes, “Whoa, bro, I’m definitely calling the cops.” It’s the funniest thing. Everybody seemed to really enjoy it. 

From Moviepie:

As someone whose entire appreciation of Mark Twain's work comes from movies, I wholeheartedly support adapting his classic novels for film. Without the 1973 version of Tom Sawyer or the 1985 ABC Weekend Special Con Sawyer and Hucklemary Finn, I'd never know how fun and engaging his stories could be...because I tried reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the folksy vernacular stopped me dead on the first page (don't tell anyone!). The latest version of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn is an excellent introduction to Twain for modern kids, and even includes the author as a character in the movie.

The film begins with Mark Twain's grandchildren clamoring for him to tell them a story. Twain (Val Kilmer) begins narrating the tale of Tom (Joel Courtney) and Huck (Jake T. Austin), following the novel as closely as anyone could while reciting it off the top of their head. Though the story takes place over one hundred years ago, the friendship between these two spirited boys is as timeless as ever. Their nose for adventure frequently gets them into trouble, but they have a way of working even that to their advantage. The famous scene where the boys con neighborhood kids into paying them to whitewash a fence (his punishment) is a classic example of their ability to turn lemons into lemonade.

Somehow the boys' shenanigans seem more suited to an earlier time, but the consequences of their actions are no less severe than they would be today. A night spent in the graveyard seeking a cure for warts instead results in the boys witnessing a murder. Though they vow never to mention what they saw, they have to come forward when an innocent person is accused of the crime. Soon the boys are drawn into a courtroom drama, and they've made an enemy out of the real killer. This would be enough excitement for most kids, but there's still a perilous treasure hunt on deck for Tom and Huck. Tom even finds time to become "engaged" to that nice Becky Thatcher (Katherine McNamara).