Walker: Independence’: Larry Teng To Direct CW Pilot

EXCLUSIVE: Larry Teng has been tapped as director and executive producer on CBS Studios’ CW pilot Walker: Independence, executive produced by Jared Padalecki. The project fall under Teng’s overall deal with the studio.

Walker: Independence, a prequel to the CW/CBS Studios series Walker, is set in the late 1800s and follows Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams. Our newfound family will struggle with the changing world around them, while becoming agents of change themselves in a town where nothing is what it seems.

Padalecki exec produces. Seamus Fahey wrote the pilot based on a story by him and Anna Fricke. Both will exec produce with Fricke EPing with Laura Terry via their Pursued By a Bear banner alongside Rideback’s Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore.

Teng, one of CBS Studios’ go-to drama directors, is under his second overall deal with the studio where he has directed five or more episodes of a number of series, including Medium, Elementary, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds, SEAL Team as well as the CW hit Nancy Drew, for which he directed the pilot and serves as executive producer. Teng also directed the pilot for breakout freshman NCIS: Hawai’i and executive produces the spinoff series.

Teng, who also served as co-executive producer/director on Animal Kingdom, Supergirl and Graceland and Medium, is repped by RBEL and Circle of Confusion.