Terry Goodkind's Wizards First Rule: TV series
07-19-08 | 12:14 PM
#1
Terry Goodkind's Wizards First Rule: TV series
mark your calendars folks.
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ACTION-ADVENTURE SERIES "WIZARD'S FIRST RULE" TO PREMIERE WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 1ST IN NATIONAL SYNDICATION
Released by ABC
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]
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HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ACTION-ADVENTURE SERIES "WIZARD'S FIRST RULE" TO PREMIERE WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 1ST IN NATIONAL SYNDICATION
New Epic Fantasy Series Celebrates Heroes, Heroines and Good vs. Evil In Exhilarating, Two-Hour Premiere Event
BURBANK, CA - The worlds of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance collide this fall in a new first-run, live action weekly series, "Wizard's First Rule," premiering the weekend of NOVEMBER 1 in national syndication, it was announced today by Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios.
Shot with the exotic and rugged New Zealand landscape as its backdrop, the one-hour scripted series from executive producers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, Joshua Donen, Ned Nalle and Kenneth Biller will kick off with a thrilling two-hour premiere event.
From the talented team behind the long-running, successful series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," and the studio that produces primetime network hits including "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Ghost Whisperer" and "Army Wives" comes the next generation of action-adventure series. "Wizard's First Rule" follows the extraordinary travels of woodsman Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), who discovers his own magical powers. With the help of a mysterious woman named Kahlan (Bridget Regan) and a wise old wizard named Zedd, Richard must stop a ruthless tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world.
"Adapting Terry Goodkind's brilliant work for television is a thrilling opportunity," said executive producer Sam Raimi. "The amazing characters and heartfelt story, combined with the captivating backdrop of New Zealand, will have viewers on the edge of their seats."
Rob Tapert, executive producer, added: "Everyone on the production team is committed to making a mini-feature film each and every week. The combination of a talented cast, incredible special effects and stunning locations has given us all the tools we need to create a truly memorable television series."
"Wizard's First Rule" has been cleared by Disney-ABC Domestic Television in 95% of the country to date, including all of the top 50 markets. The one-hour series is based on Terry Goodkind's best-selling book, Wizard's First Rule and epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth.
"Wizard's First Rule" is produced by ABC Studios, marking their first venture into broadcast syndication. Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2," "Spider-Man 3" and "The Evil Dead"), Rob Tapert ("The Grudge," "Xena: Warrior Princess," "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Cleopatra 2525"), Joshua Donen ("The Quick and the Dead"), Ned Nalle (production executive for "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys") and Kenneth Biller ("Star Trek: Voyager" and "Six Degrees") serve as executive producers.
Released by ABC
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ACTION-ADVENTURE SERIES "WIZARD'S FIRST RULE" TO PREMIERE WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER 1ST IN NATIONAL SYNDICATION
New Epic Fantasy Series Celebrates Heroes, Heroines and Good vs. Evil In Exhilarating, Two-Hour Premiere Event
BURBANK, CA - The worlds of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance collide this fall in a new first-run, live action weekly series, "Wizard's First Rule," premiering the weekend of NOVEMBER 1 in national syndication, it was announced today by Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios.
Shot with the exotic and rugged New Zealand landscape as its backdrop, the one-hour scripted series from executive producers Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, Joshua Donen, Ned Nalle and Kenneth Biller will kick off with a thrilling two-hour premiere event.
From the talented team behind the long-running, successful series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," and the studio that produces primetime network hits including "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Ghost Whisperer" and "Army Wives" comes the next generation of action-adventure series. "Wizard's First Rule" follows the extraordinary travels of woodsman Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), who discovers his own magical powers. With the help of a mysterious woman named Kahlan (Bridget Regan) and a wise old wizard named Zedd, Richard must stop a ruthless tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world.
"Adapting Terry Goodkind's brilliant work for television is a thrilling opportunity," said executive producer Sam Raimi. "The amazing characters and heartfelt story, combined with the captivating backdrop of New Zealand, will have viewers on the edge of their seats."
Rob Tapert, executive producer, added: "Everyone on the production team is committed to making a mini-feature film each and every week. The combination of a talented cast, incredible special effects and stunning locations has given us all the tools we need to create a truly memorable television series."
"Wizard's First Rule" has been cleared by Disney-ABC Domestic Television in 95% of the country to date, including all of the top 50 markets. The one-hour series is based on Terry Goodkind's best-selling book, Wizard's First Rule and epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth.
"Wizard's First Rule" is produced by ABC Studios, marking their first venture into broadcast syndication. Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2," "Spider-Man 3" and "The Evil Dead"), Rob Tapert ("The Grudge," "Xena: Warrior Princess," "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Cleopatra 2525"), Joshua Donen ("The Quick and the Dead"), Ned Nalle (production executive for "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys") and Kenneth Biller ("Star Trek: Voyager" and "Six Degrees") serve as executive producers.
07-19-08 | 12:17 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
There is no way this could be any good. The subject matter is way too serious for this team, not to mention the fact they'll have to tone done the adult content a great deal.
Too bad - this is the only way a series like this (or the Wheel of Time) could be faithfully adapted, but it needs to be on HBO or something instead.
Too bad - this is the only way a series like this (or the Wheel of Time) could be faithfully adapted, but it needs to be on HBO or something instead.
07-21-08 | 01:37 AM
#5
Originally Posted by Draven
There is no way this could be any good. The subject matter is way too serious for this team, not to mention the fact they'll have to tone done the adult content a great deal.
Too bad - this is the only way a series like this (or the Wheel of Time) could be faithfully adapted, but it needs to be on HBO or something instead.
Too bad - this is the only way a series like this (or the Wheel of Time) could be faithfully adapted, but it needs to be on HBO or something instead.
07-21-08 | 01:40 PM
#6
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I really liked the first 3-4 Sword of Truth novels, even if they seemed to really rip off the Wheel of Time, before Goodkind started upping the SM sex, the hit-you-over-the-head "communism is bad" book, and basically writing books where the main characters literally show up 35 pages before the novel ends.
This series went downhill faster than The Wheel of Time by a longshot.
I'm still holding out for Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire from HBO.
This series went downhill faster than The Wheel of Time by a longshot.
I'm still holding out for Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire from HBO.
07-25-08 | 07:51 AM
#7
Series has been renamed "Legend of the Seeker" with new website and trailer at legendoftheseeker.com
If I may be nitpicky, that dude is not nearly big enough for Richard.
Originally Posted by tvsquad.com
Well, the big news to come out of the Wizard's First Rule panel was that the series is not going to be called Wizard's First Rule. The new title is Legend of the Seeker. Why? Well, according to panelists and author Terry Goodkind the name change was made to focus on the hero of the book itself rather than the main book of the series.
A few other tidbits from the panel and press event can be found after the jump.
As Brett reported last week, the show will start in syndication on November 1st (filming has already begun). It has been cleared in about 97% of the stations. Most of these, according to executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, are part of the Tribune network of television stations. It will air on Saturday nights and, in many cases, be part of the CW's leased-programming block.
The first season will be 22 episodes, with a two-hour season premiere. Each episode will be standalone and feature a beginning and an end. Wizard's First Rule author Terry Goodkind said that he wanted to have this format to allow fans of the series as well as new viewers to be able to jump into the show at any time. The first season will cover the main plot points of Wizard's First Rule, which chronicle the adventures of Richard Cypher, Kahlan, and the old, wise and powerful wizard Zedd (are there any young, silly and weak wizards?).
Everyone on the panel agreed that this was the right time for a syndicated series. Terry had always been looking for an avenue to get his characters onto the screen and Sam, Rob and Ken Biller helped him to get that request fulfilled. It didn't hurt that both Sam and Rob, as well as their kids, are big fans of the book series.
When asked if Legends will have some of the humor present in his previous syndicated outings of Hercules and Xena, Raimi answered that their will be humor, but it will come from the characters and not the situations. Raimi added that Legends will remain as true to the books as it can, which means fairly serious.
Even though the books are fairly violent, the Legends series has been toned down a bit for the television audience. However, said Tapert, being that they are a syndicated show has given them a bit of leeway. So, there will be blood coming from people's mouths after a lung injury but "no bubbles".
In addition to previously announced actors Craig Horner (Richard Cypher) and Bridget Regan (Kahlan), Raimi announced that actor Bruce Spence (Mad Max, The Matrix Revolutions) will portray Zedd. Also, Jay Laga'aia (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith) will portray the boundary patrolman Chase.
When asked about digital enhancements for the show, Tapert said that the environment -- New Zealand -- will not be tampered with. However, there will be digital enhancements for some of the magical creatures the adventurers encounter.
When asked about potential lash-back from fans of the series who will be upset about the format of the show, Goodkind said he expects some kind of angry response. But, said Terry, as long as they get the characters right the stories are not important: fans want to see the characters they love brought to screen.
A new trailer has been released at the Legend of the Seeker website.
A few other tidbits from the panel and press event can be found after the jump.
As Brett reported last week, the show will start in syndication on November 1st (filming has already begun). It has been cleared in about 97% of the stations. Most of these, according to executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, are part of the Tribune network of television stations. It will air on Saturday nights and, in many cases, be part of the CW's leased-programming block.
The first season will be 22 episodes, with a two-hour season premiere. Each episode will be standalone and feature a beginning and an end. Wizard's First Rule author Terry Goodkind said that he wanted to have this format to allow fans of the series as well as new viewers to be able to jump into the show at any time. The first season will cover the main plot points of Wizard's First Rule, which chronicle the adventures of Richard Cypher, Kahlan, and the old, wise and powerful wizard Zedd (are there any young, silly and weak wizards?).
Everyone on the panel agreed that this was the right time for a syndicated series. Terry had always been looking for an avenue to get his characters onto the screen and Sam, Rob and Ken Biller helped him to get that request fulfilled. It didn't hurt that both Sam and Rob, as well as their kids, are big fans of the book series.
When asked if Legends will have some of the humor present in his previous syndicated outings of Hercules and Xena, Raimi answered that their will be humor, but it will come from the characters and not the situations. Raimi added that Legends will remain as true to the books as it can, which means fairly serious.
Even though the books are fairly violent, the Legends series has been toned down a bit for the television audience. However, said Tapert, being that they are a syndicated show has given them a bit of leeway. So, there will be blood coming from people's mouths after a lung injury but "no bubbles".
In addition to previously announced actors Craig Horner (Richard Cypher) and Bridget Regan (Kahlan), Raimi announced that actor Bruce Spence (Mad Max, The Matrix Revolutions) will portray Zedd. Also, Jay Laga'aia (Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith) will portray the boundary patrolman Chase.
When asked about digital enhancements for the show, Tapert said that the environment -- New Zealand -- will not be tampered with. However, there will be digital enhancements for some of the magical creatures the adventurers encounter.
When asked about potential lash-back from fans of the series who will be upset about the format of the show, Goodkind said he expects some kind of angry response. But, said Terry, as long as they get the characters right the stories are not important: fans want to see the characters they love brought to screen.
A new trailer has been released at the Legend of the Seeker website.
07-25-08 | 01:37 PM
#8
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Agreed. Richard was supposed to be a very big guy.
Anyway, some of that series was awesome. I'll probably check out the show, though I'm not really expecting much.
Anyway, some of that series was awesome. I'll probably check out the show, though I'm not really expecting much.
07-26-08 | 10:16 AM
#9
DVD Talk Hero
Well, I watched the teaser.
I'm willing to say that it doesn't look like the worst thing I've ever seen. And the production value looks pretty high for a fantasy TV series.
That said, I'm still sure they are going to fuck it up.
I'm willing to say that it doesn't look like the worst thing I've ever seen. And the production value looks pretty high for a fantasy TV series.
That said, I'm still sure they are going to fuck it up.
07-26-08 | 12:36 PM
#10
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Originally Posted by Xander
Agreed. Richard was supposed to be a very big guy.
07-26-08 | 10:19 PM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
I know absolutely nothing about these books, but from watching that trailer I am looking forward to this show, it looks good.
07-27-08 | 12:33 AM
#12
DVD Talk Hero
Kahlan's (the female lead) power is pretty interesting. I'm curious to see how they portray it in the series. You can briefly see her use it in the trailer, but not the result.
08-06-08 | 04:01 PM
#14
DVD Talk Legend
When asked if Legends will have some of the humor present in his previous syndicated outings of Hercules and Xena, Raimi answered that their will be humor, but it will come from the characters and not the situations.
08-06-08 | 05:30 PM
#16
DVD Talk Special Edition
Slightly off-topic:
As far as George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire goes, his next book has been pushed back from September 30th to the spring of 2009.
He is almost always late, but you can't fault him for wanting everything right.
I, too, wish HBO would hurry up and start production on this. It will take HBO to do justice to Martin's series. There is a huge fan base already built in, so why the hold up?
As far as George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire goes, his next book has been pushed back from September 30th to the spring of 2009.
He is almost always late, but you can't fault him for wanting everything right.I, too, wish HBO would hurry up and start production on this. It will take HBO to do justice to Martin's series. There is a huge fan base already built in, so why the hold up?
08-07-08 | 05:35 PM
#18
DVD Talk Hero
Channel 45 here in the Cities. That's our sister station (I work for the ABC affiliate) and it was in the newsletter.
09-26-08 | 10:01 PM
#20
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From: Capitol of the Empire! Center of all Commerce and Culture! Crossroads of Civilization! NEW ROME!!!...aka New York City
Slightly off-topic:
As far as George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire goes, his next book has been pushed back from September 30th to the spring of 2009. He is almost always late, but you can't fault him for wanting everything right.
I, too, wish HBO would hurry up and start production on this. It will take HBO to do justice to Martin's series. There is a huge fan base already built in, so why the hold up?
As far as George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire goes, his next book has been pushed back from September 30th to the spring of 2009.
He is almost always late, but you can't fault him for wanting everything right.I, too, wish HBO would hurry up and start production on this. It will take HBO to do justice to Martin's series. There is a huge fan base already built in, so why the hold up?
I shudder to think when the fuck book 6 comes out...
2029?
09-26-08 | 10:58 PM
#21
DVD Talk Legend
I guess I'm glad i gave up after the third book then.
09-27-08 | 01:31 PM
#22
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
09-28-08 | 12:16 AM
#24
DVD Talk Legend
09-28-08 | 02:02 AM
#25
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From: A National Park
Holy shit!!! Ive never been more excited for a TV show. As a huge Hercules fan, Xena a bit less, Ive wanted to good sword TV show to watch. But Saturdays? Crappy!
Im glad its not a major network (its a podunk channel here) so hopefully itll stick around as they seem to okay any shit show. Cant wait!
Im glad its not a major network (its a podunk channel here) so hopefully itll stick around as they seem to okay any shit show. Cant wait!