Casting Set for Riverworld and The Phantom
08 April 2009 - 2:09AM
Business Wire
The lead roles in Riverworld and The Phantom --
two of SCI FI Channel and RHI Entertainment�s recently announced
trio of four-hour movie events --- have been cast and production on
both back-door movie pilots is set to begin Monday, April 6.
Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica/Dollhouse) and
Laura Vandervoort (Smallville) star in Riverworld based on
the popular award-winning series of novels by Philip Jose Farmer.
Penikett stars as Matt Ellman, an American war zone reporter who
has witnessed the worst of humanity first-hand yet still grasps on
to an optimistic spirit. When a suicide bomber kills both Matt and
his fianc�e Jessie, played by Vandervoort, they awaken, separated
in a mysterious world where everyone who has ever lived on Earth,
seems to have been "reborn" along the banks of a seemingly endless
river. Determined to locate Jessie, Matt joins forces with a 13th
century female samurai warrior named Tomoe (Jeananne
Goossen) and American novelist Sam �Mark Twain� Clemens
(Mark Deklin). Together they sail upriver in search of its
source, and to discover where they are and who put them there.
Alan Cumming (Tin Man) guest stars as the mysterious
�Caretaker.� Riverworld (Airdate 2010) is produced by Reunion
Pictures and is shooting in Vancouver, BC. RHI will distribute
internationally.
Ryan Carnes (Desperate Housewives/Dr. Who) has been cast
in title role of The Phantom and his alter ego Chris Walker in this
re-imagined version of the classic comic book transported to
present day. Isabella Rossellini will guest star in a
villainous turn as �Lithia,� the head of an experimental mind
control program. Also starring are Cameron Goodman as Chris
Walker�s love interest, Renny and Sandrine Holt (24/The L
Word) as The Phantom�s trusted advisor Guran.
A favorite costumed hero for more than six decades, The Phantom
relies on his wits, physical strength and skill with weapons over
superhuman powers. Production will begin on Monday April 6 in
Montreal with Director, Paolo Barzman (The Last Templar) at the
helm. The Phantom (Airdate 2010) is produced by Muse Entertainment.
RHI will distribute internationally.
Reunion Pictures (www.reunionpictures.ca) is a Canadian-based
company that develops and finances high quality television and
multi-platform properties. Launched in 2004 with the partners�
experience of having collectively produced over a billion dollars
worth of award-winning filmed entertainment, Reunion Pictures has
received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, and has won
Genies and Gemini's as well as the prestigious George Foster
Peabody Award for Excellence in Television, a #1 US network
mini-series (10.5), and two #1 cable mini-series (Tin Man and
Earthsea, both produced with RHI Entertainment for SCI FI
Channel).
Muse Entertainment is a leading film and television producer
known for its well-crafted and high-quality productions with strong
international appeal. Since its founding in 1998 by Michael Prupas
who serves as the company�s President and CEO, Muse Entertainment
has produced, co-produced or provided production services on more
than 100 TV movies and mini-series,�television series and feature
films. For theatrical release, Muse Entertainment produces its own
independent movies and also provides production services for
Hollywood and New York studios and independents. For television,
Muse Entertainment produces dramatic series, television movies and
family programs.
RHI Entertainment (NASDAQ: RHIE) develops, produces and
distributes new made-for-television movies, miniseries and other
television programming worldwide, and is the leading provider of
new long-form television content in the United States. Under the
leadership of Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr., RHI has
produced and distributed thousands of hours of quality television
programming, and RHI�s productions have received more than 100 Emmy
Awards. In addition to the development, production and distribution
of new content, RHI owns rights to more than 1,000 titles, or over
3,500 broadcast hours of long-form television programming, which
are licensed to broadcast and cable networks and new media outlets
globally. For more consumer information visit www.rhitv.com.
SCI FI Channel is a television network that fuels the
imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster
movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well
as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com). Launched in 1992, and
currently in 95 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC
Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment
companies. SCI FI will become Syfy on July 7, 2009.
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