US TV
ABC making 'Wizard's First Rule' with Raimi
Published Tuesday, Jan 29 2008, 17:23 GMT | By Dave West
ABC and Spider-Man director Sam Raimi are to make a new series titled Wizard's First Rule.
Production on 22 hour-long episodes, based on The Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind, will begin in May. They are expected to be launched in the autumn.
Raimi is executive producing with Robert Tapert, Joshua Donen and Ned Nalle. Disney-ABC will distribute and ABC Studios will produce.
Raimi said: "In discussing these incredible story lines and rich characters with my friends and partners Robert Tapert and Josh Donen, we agreed that Wizard's First Rule would make an amazing television series - one that could be produced with compelling, self-contained episodes."
Disney-ABC president Janice Marinelli said: "The time is right to introduce a captivating new series from this well-established and successful genre that is sure to be an attractive fit for stations across the country."
It will be ABC Studios' first venture into syndication and its president Mark Pedowitz commented: "We're very excited to move into the first-run syndication arena, especially with Sam Raimi, a visually dynamic filmmaker who's mastered the fantasy genre.
"Wizard's also marks the return of the weekly syndicated fantasy series genre, which had disappeared following its heyday in the late 1990s with Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena."
Production on 22 hour-long episodes, based on The Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind, will begin in May. They are expected to be launched in the autumn.
Raimi is executive producing with Robert Tapert, Joshua Donen and Ned Nalle. Disney-ABC will distribute and ABC Studios will produce.
Raimi said: "In discussing these incredible story lines and rich characters with my friends and partners Robert Tapert and Josh Donen, we agreed that Wizard's First Rule would make an amazing television series - one that could be produced with compelling, self-contained episodes."
Disney-ABC president Janice Marinelli said: "The time is right to introduce a captivating new series from this well-established and successful genre that is sure to be an attractive fit for stations across the country."
It will be ABC Studios' first venture into syndication and its president Mark Pedowitz commented: "We're very excited to move into the first-run syndication arena, especially with Sam Raimi, a visually dynamic filmmaker who's mastered the fantasy genre.
"Wizard's also marks the return of the weekly syndicated fantasy series genre, which had disappeared following its heyday in the late 1990s with Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena."
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