Laura Vandervoort cast as lead in Canadian supernatural drama 'Bitten'

Laura Vandervoort, the Canadian actress best known for her appearances as Supergirl on 'Smallville,' is heading back to Toronto to star in the upcoming supernatural drama 'Bitten.'

'Bitten' is being developed for the Canadian sci-fi channel Space and features Vandervoort as a werewolf named Elena Michaels. The concept for 'Bitten' has been adapted from Kelley Armstrong's series of young-adult novels entitled "Women of the Otherworld." Production on 'Bitten' is slated to begin in April.

The announcement of Vandervoort's casting was made at Toronto ComiCon, a setting that knows Vandervoort well. The actress put the 'super' back in Supergirl winning the hearts of fans of 'Smallville' and gaining her fame on both sides of the border. Additional announcements to round out the rest of the cast are expected in the coming weeks.

The pitch for the project is as follows: Elena Michaels (Vandervoort), having grown up as part of a werewolf pack, lives in Toronto as a photographer and finds her world beginning to crumble as she is caught between two worlds and two loves. Thirteen episodes of 'Bitten' have been ordered, to date.

Corrie Coe, senior vp of independent production at Bell Media (the parent company of Space), added to the announcement, stating "Laura has complexity and strength, and is also very relatable, making her the perfect fit for a character struggling to maintain the life she desires, while fighting against who she really is, and for those she loves."

Given the American appeal of the Canadian actress, Space is undoubtedly hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Canadian supernatural series 'Lost Girl' which gained a following both in the US and overseas. 'Lost Girl' airs on Showcase, a rival channel to Space. 'Bitten' marks the first original scripted series developed since Space was launched in 1997.