|
JCVaughn
|
 |
« Reply #3 on: Wed, December 18, 2002, 11:49:02 » |
|
Sci Fi setting its sights high
'Strikeforce: Morituri' going from comic book to TV
By MELISSA GREGO, JOHN DEMPSEY
Fresh from the success of its 20-hour miniseries "Taken," Sci Fi Channel will spend "A Thousand Days" on one of its next big projects.
The cabler, along with Universal Television Group sibling Reveille, has pacted with Marvel Studios to translate comicbook "Strikeforce: Morituri" into a live-action drama series. "A Thousand Days" is likely to debut as a series on Sci Fi in 2003. Project is one of two small-screen adaptations on which Marvel, Sci Fi and Reveille, a joint venture between UTG and Ben Silverman, are looking to collaborate.
Universal is hoping to launch new programs that will match the success seen this year by its cable networks with Sci Fi's "Steven Spielberg Presents Taken," as well as "Monk" and "The Dead Zone" on USA Network.
USA and Sci Fi Channel together will spend a record $300 million-$400 million on original programming through 2005, according to Michael Jackson, chairman-CEO of Universal TV, who spoke from Los Angeles on a conference call to reporters during the Sci Fi press conference to boast about the record ratings of "Taken."
Airing over 10 nights from Dec. 2-13, the 20-hour mini propelled Sci Fi to No. 1 in primetime among all basic-cable networks for two weeks in a row, averaging 4.97 million viewers. During the 10 days, Sci Fi even beat the WB and UPN in household ratings.
Barry Diller, chairman-CEO of the channels' parent company Vivendi Universal Entertainment, joined the press conference by telephone. He said the heavy commitment to original programming by Sci Fi will make it hard for Viacom to succeed with a competing cable network dedicated to science fiction fare. Diller was referring to the publicly stated desire by Mel Karmazin, president and chief operating officer of Viacom, to set up such a network.
"If we hadn't invested so much in original programming like 'Taken,' " Diller said, "we'd be ripe for the taking, so to speak."
He also said he doesn't think Sci Fi should try to milk the achievement of "Taken" by producing a "Taken 2" sequel or a TV series based on the mini. Extending the program "would be nothing more than exploiting a story we've already told," Diller said. "For my nickel, let's call it a great day and go on to the next thing."
Sci Fi Channel prexy Bonnie Hammer said at simultaneous New York press confab that her goal is to schedule at least two big events a year. For 2003, Sci Fi has the six-hour "Dune" sequel, "Children of Dune," and a new four-hour version of the 1978-80 ABC series "Battlestar Galactica."
Hammer said that the basic cabler has formed a wish list of collaborators that includes helmers Robert Zemeckis, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Spike Lee.
The "Strikeforce" comic, which debuted in the mid-1980s and is not currently being published, will be reintroduced for the series' launch on Sci Fi. The new comic will track the characters as they've been developed for the series.
Scribes Matt Holloway and Art Marcum are on board to write "A Thousand Days," which is set in the 21st century and follows a group of super-soldiers engineered to fight contemporary evil; they die 1,000 days after joining the force.
Holloway and Marcum also will exec produce the series, along with Reveille topper Silverman, Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad and Rick Ungar, prexy of Marvel Characters Group. Reveille will produce "Days" in association with Marvel Studios.
"(The concept) is born of a potential reality, but is still in the great superhero arena," Silverman told Daily Variety. "It's a sexy, fun franchise that could go on and on and on."
The soldiers in the comic "Strikeforce" were a special group of people assembled to fight an invasion from outer space. The characters in the series will battle Earthling bad guys.
Hammer said she aims to premiere "A Thousand Days" on Sci Fi in 2003, although she's willing to take the time to make sure the project comes off right.
"We've set our own bar with our original programming now," she said. "Everything we do has to be of a certain level."
Ungar concurred, calling Sci Fi one of the "real coming channels."
"They're already starting to achieve levels of serious success," he added.
© 2002 Reed Business Information © 2002 Variety, Inc.
|
