SCI FI AND RHI ENTERTAINMENT TEAM FOR 4-HOUR MOVIE EVENTS 'RIVERWORLD,' 'ALICE' AND 'THE PHANTOM'
NEW YORK � March 23, 2009 � SCI FI and RHI Entertainment continue a longstanding and successful partnership in 2009 with three new adventure movie events. The two-night, four-hour movie events -- Riverworld, The Phantom and Alice -- will begin production in the coming months and casting is underway for each. In addition, Riverworld and The Phantom will both serve as backdoor pilots for potential series.
Riverworld is a two-night, four-hour movie event based on the popular award-winning series of novels by Philip Jose Farmer. It's the adventure of Matt, a combat photojournalist, killed along with his fianc�e by a suicide bomber, who awakens in a mysterious world where everyone who has ever previously lived on Earth, has been "reborn" along the banks of a seemingly endless river. Determined to locate his lost love Jessica, Matt joins forces, a 13th century female samurai warrior named Tomoe and American novelist Mark Twain. Together they sail upriver in search of its source, and to discover where they are and who put them there. Riverworld is produced by Reunion Pictures (Airdate 2010).
The classic comic book character The Phantom has been re-imagined and transported to present day in a live-action, four-hour movie from writers Dan Knauf (Carnivale) and Charles Knauf. 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 is slated to begin in April in Montreal with Director Paolo Barzman (The Last Templar) at the helm. The Phantom is produced by Muse Entertainment (Airdate 2010).
Alice is a modern-day reinterpretation of Lewis Carroll's classic novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The four-hour movie event is written and directed by Nick Willing; director of SCI FI and RHI's 2007 record-breaking, Emmy-nominated miniseries, Tin Man. Production on Alice is expected to begin in May in Vancouver. Alice is produced by Reunion Pictures (Airdate: 4th Qtr 2009).
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. Reunion Pictures' list of credits includes a # 1 US box office release (Butterfly Effect), 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 Enterprises, headed by President, CEO and Chairman of the Board Michael Prupas, is a major Canadian independent film and television producer and the country's leading service producer for international studios and networks. Muse Entertainment is known for bringing well-crafted, high-quality, award-winning productions with strong international appeal to big and small screens. Since 1998, Muse has produced, co-produced or provided production services on 100 TV movies and mini-series, television series and feature films. Muse's head office is located in Montreal. Muse has four production operations in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles.
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 where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI 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) and magazine. 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.
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