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OXYGEN TAPS HUSTLE & FLOW STAR TARYN MANNING FOR NEW ORIGINAL MOVIE, BANSHEE
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Hustle & Flow And 8 Mile Actress to Star Banshee Premiering Late Summer/Early Fall 2006
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NEW YORK, November 2, 2005 -- Oxygen has cast Hollywood star Taryn Manning (Hustle & Flow) as the lead in its newest original movie Banshee, it was announced today by Debby Beece, President of Programming for Oxygen. Written by Kirsten Elms and directed by Kari Skogland, Banshee is an action-thriller that depicts the story of a car thief (Manning) on the run from a killer whose car she has stolen. The co-production with Wishmaker Films will debut in late summer or early fall of 2006.
Manning plays Sage, a tough-chick car thief who on one unlucky night boosts the car of a killer and in an instant becomes his moving target. On the run and almost out of time, Sage is determined to outwit a killer and the police before the people she loves become casualties of a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
�Banshee is unlike any film we�ve ever created � it�s an action-packed thriller. The female lead is an enormously challenging role that requires someone who can tap in the character�s dark side and yet still be very relatable to our viewers,� said Beece. �Taryn is a great choice because she picks roles that are complicated and portrays them with depth and edge. We�re thrilled to work with someone who represents the qualities that have come to stand for Oxygen as a network.�
Taryn Manning is a rising and well respected Hollywood actress who has had roles in such films as 8 Mile, Cold Mountain, White Oleander, Crossroads, and 2005�s critically acclaimed Hustle & Flow. Her upcoming roles include Oxygen�s Banshee, Odd Girl Out with Michelle Trachtenberg, The Breed with Michelle Rodriguez and After Sex with Jane Seymour. Manning alongside her brother Kellin, is also lead singer and guitarist for trip-pop band Boomkat. Their debut album �Boomkatalog� was released in 2003. Manning is also a fashion designer for LA-based clothing line Born Uniqorn.
Banshee Director Kari Skogland has been named as one of Hollywood Reporter�s 10 Directors to Watch in 2001. Her past credits include Rapid Fire for USA Networks, Liberty Stands Still for Lions Gate and Zebra Lounge for HBO.
Meyer Shwarzstein and Caldecot �Cotty� Chubb serve as executive producers for Banshee. Banshee is also produced by Kimberley Berlin, CEO of Wishmaker Films.
Banshee is being managed by Senior Vice President Aaron Meyerson, Oxygen�s newly installed head of development. Stefanie Ziev, Oxygen�s Vice President of Development East Coast, brought the project in to Oxygen and serves as the Executive in Charge for the film.
About Oxygen Media
Oxygen, the only cable network owned and operated by women, is currently available in 56 million homes. The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape -- creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's television, with the most original programming of all the women's networks including Mo�Nique�s Fat Chance, Talk Sex with Sue Johanson and Oprah After the Show. Geraldine Laybourne, the network's founder, Chairman and CEO, has led the company to be a strong advocate for women. Through programs like The Mentor's Walk, Oxygen's national program for bringing along the next generation, and "Who Cares About Girls," Oxygen's new documentary series -- Oxygen is creating The New Girls Network.
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